Although the band started out playing at Christian music festivals, they shun the label of "Christian rock," with singer and guitarist Jon Foreman saying, "For us, it's a faith, not a genre. We've always been very open and honest about where the songs are coming from. For us, these songs are for everyone. Calling us `Christian rock' tends to be a box that closes some people out and excludes them. And that's not what we're trying to do. Music has always opened my mind -- and that's what we want." They started out on Charlie Peacock's label "re:think" and spent several years appearing at Christian festivals and enjoying Christian radio hits. Most of their early tours were with Christian bands and both of the band's new members were borrowed from Christian bands.
Switchfoot did not see success outside of the Christian rock scene until they were featured alongside singer Mandy Moore on the A Walk To Remember soundtrack. The band's first true commercial success came in 2003 with the release of their fourth major label (and first mainstream label) offering, The Beautiful Letdown. The album went on to sell more than 2 million albums and Switchfoot became the most popular rock band to be associated with Christian music.
They were featured on the British Edition of the Spiderman II soundtrack along with the likes of Taking Back Sunday and Dashboard Confessional to name a few, in 2004 with the song 'Meant To Live'.
In 2005 Switchfoot released "Nothing Is Sound". The album went gold within 3 months and received much critical acclaim.
Switchfoot's highly anticipated album, titled "Oh! Gravity." was released on December 26th, 2006.
On November 10th, 2009, Switchfoot released their first album produced under their own label, lowercase people. "Mess of Me", a single from the album released months before the CD, has enjoy chart-topping radio plays since its release.
In 2010 Switchfoot released their album, "Hello Hurricane".
On September 27th, 2011, to much anticipation and excitement, Switchfoot released their newest album, "Vice Verses".
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Dirty Second Hands
Switchfoot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know you're not fooling anyone
You're not as tough as you think
With dirty second hands,
The dirty second hands
Can't get nothing for free
It becomes so predictable
The dirty second hands,
Your dirty second hands
Here's the face of everything that breaks you down
Now you face the face of everything that breaks you down
With an army of me
We invent our own enemies
Man verses machine
And the dirty second hands
In the land of the free
And the home of the remedy
The old clock is a thief
With dirty second hands
Are you really as tough as you think
You blink and you're over the brink
You bleed but you're blood runs pink
With dirty second hands, dirty second hands
You're not quite as tough as you thought
You bought the American rot
The very seed that you thought you shot
With dirty second hands, dirty second hands
You might be right,
The fight might be right inside you
The blind leading the lied to,
Tonight maybe you bind you with dirty second hands
The lyrics to Dirty Second Hands by Switchfoot describe the struggle of trying to maintain an image of toughness and strength in a society that can be corrupt and make us feel weak. The use of "dirty second hands" represents the idea that everything we touch or come into contact with in this world can be potentially tainted or corrupt, and that even our own actions can have consequences that we may not be aware of. The chorus of the song challenges the listener to question whether they are really as strong as they believe, and acknowledges the difficult reality of navigating a world where it can be hard to trust anyone or anything.
The second verse of the song expands on this theme, using references to "man versus machine" and an "old clock" that is a "thief" to suggest a larger societal struggle between human beings and the forces that control us. The bridge of the song builds to a climax with the lines "You might be right, the fight might be right inside you / The blind leading the lied to," suggesting that the true struggle is not only against external forces, but also against our own internal conflicts and doubts.
Overall, Dirty Second Hands is a powerful commentary on the state of modern society and the struggle for authenticity and strength in a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
Please don't be so naive
Don't be foolish or unaware
You know you're not fooling anyone
Others can see through your facade or deception
You're not as tough as you think
You overestimate your strength or resilience
With dirty second hands,
The dirty second hands
You are tainted by corruption, guilt, or participation in dubious actions or systems
Can't get nothing for free
Everything comes at a price
It becomes so predictable
Patterns or routines can become boring or stale
You start fighting to breathe
You struggle to survive or cope
Here's the face of everything that breaks you down
Now you face the face of everything that breaks you down
You confront the source of your stress, anxiety, or weakness
With an army of me
We invent our own enemies
Man verses machine
And the dirty second hands
You create your own problems or conflicts, either within yourself or with others or society at large
In the land of the free
And the home of the remedy
The old clock is a thief
With dirty second hands
Even in a supposedly free and just society, time, age, or decay can rob you of opportunities, health, or peace
Are you really as tough as you think
You blink and you're over the brink
You bleed but you're blood runs pink
With dirty second hands, dirty second hands
You are vulnerable or fragile, and your mistakes or regrets make you human and flawed
You're not quite as tough as you thought
You bought the American rot
The very seed that you thought you shot
With dirty second hands, dirty second hands
You are complicit in perpetuating or accepting the flaws or injustices of your society or culture
You might be right,
The fight might be right inside you
The blind leading the lied to,
Tonight maybe you bind you with dirty second hands
You have potential, but you need to confront your doubts or fears and not blindly follow or trust others or yourself
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Peermusic Publishing, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: JON FOREMAN, TODD COOPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rute
Please don't be so naive
You know you're not fooling anyone
You're not as tough as you think
With dirty second hands,
The dirty second hands
Can't get nothing for free
It becomes so predictable
You start fighting to breathe
The dirty second hands,
Your dirty second hands
Here's the face of everything that breaks you down
Now you face the face of everything that breaks you down
With an army of me
We invent our own enemies
Man verses machine
And the dirty second hands
Dirty second hands
Here's the face of everything that breaks you down
Now you face the face of everything that breaks you down
In the land of the free
And the home of the remedy
The old clock is a thief
With dirty second hands
With dirty second hands
Here's the face of everything that breaks you down
Now you face the face of everything that breaks you down
Are you really as tough as you think
You blink and you're over the brink
You bleed but you're blood runs pink
With dirty second hands, dirty second hands
You're not quite as tough as you thought
You bought the American rot
The very seed that you thought you shot
With dirty second hands, dirty second hands
You might be right,
The fight might be right inside you
The blind leading the lied to,
Tonight maybe you bind you with dirty second hands
Here's the face of everything that breaks you down
you bind you with dirty second hands
Now you face the face of everything that breaks you down
you bind you with dirty second hands
Here's the face of everything that breaks you down
Jamie Thelin - Music
this whole album is great, probably their best imo
KingCarl77
Interesting, this was the only Switchfoot album I never really got into. I'll have to revisit it if it's that good!
Jamie Thelin - Music
again, my opinion, everyone has different tastes. I do really like it though, circles may be my fave song on it
Jonny ogy
@Jamie Thelin - Music its my favorite album, i love circles, 4:12, yesterdays is really special as well!
Doug McFall
So fucking good!! 👍🏾
William Torola
Love the folk/country sound to this song, a little creativity and variety in your sound makes an artist all that more respectable to me, and much more interesting to listen to! Thanks Switchfoot for creating awesome music with meaningful lyrics!
HOPEJESUSComesBack
With a touch of psychedelic rock...brill👍
Keith and Jayme Berry
This song is really amazing. Meter, harmony, Instrumentation, vocals, all are so well done and so complex.
Andrew Maksym
I love this part 2:12 "Are you really as tough as you think?"
Rute
Please don't be so naive
You know you're not fooling anyone
You're not as tough as you think
With dirty second hands,
The dirty second hands
Can't get nothing for free
It becomes so predictable
You start fighting to breathe
The dirty second hands,
Your dirty second hands
Here's the face of everything that breaks you down
Now you face the face of everything that breaks you down
With an army of me
We invent our own enemies
Man verses machine
And the dirty second hands
Dirty second hands
Here's the face of everything that breaks you down
Now you face the face of everything that breaks you down
In the land of the free
And the home of the remedy
The old clock is a thief
With dirty second hands
With dirty second hands
Here's the face of everything that breaks you down
Now you face the face of everything that breaks you down
Are you really as tough as you think
You blink and you're over the brink
You bleed but you're blood runs pink
With dirty second hands, dirty second hands
You're not quite as tough as you thought
You bought the American rot
The very seed that you thought you shot
With dirty second hands, dirty second hands
You might be right,
The fight might be right inside you
The blind leading the lied to,
Tonight maybe you bind you with dirty second hands
Here's the face of everything that breaks you down
you bind you with dirty second hands
Now you face the face of everything that breaks you down
you bind you with dirty second hands
Here's the face of everything that breaks you down