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".
Sites:
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The Blues
Switchfoot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is this the new fear, or just another fright?
Is this the new tear, or just another desperation?
Is this the finger, or just another fist?
Is the kingdom, or just a hit and miss?
I've missed direction, most in all this desperation
Is this what you call pain?
Is this what they call discontented fame?
It'll be a day like this one,
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
I'm singing this one, like a broken piece of glass,
For broken arms and broken noses in the back
Is this the new year, or just another desperation?
You push until you're shoving,
You bend until you break,
Do you stand on the broken fields where your fathers lay?
It'll be a day like this one,
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in,
(ah,)
When the world caves in,
When the world caves in
There's nothing here worth saving,
There's no one here at all,
Is there an night life, that could break our fall?
It'll be a day like this one,
When the sky falls down,
And the hungry and poor and deserted are found
Are you discontented?
Have you been pushing hard?
Have you been throwing down, this broken house of cards?
It'll be a day like this one,
When the world caves in,
When the world caves in,
Is there nothing left now?
Nothing left to sing?
Are there any left now, who haven't kissed The Enemy?
Is this the new year, or just another desperation?
Ah.
Does justice ever find you?
Do the wicked ever lose?
Is there any other song, to sing beside these Blues?
And nothing is okay,
Till' the world caves in,
Till' the world caves in,
Till' the world caves in,
Till' the world caves in,
Till' the world caves in,
Until the world caves in,
Until the world caves in,
Until the world caves in,
Until the world caves in,
Until the world caves in,
Until the world caves in
The lyrics of the song 'The Blues' by Switchfoot can be interpreted as an introspective commentary on the state of the world and the feelings of desperation and fear that come with it. The opening lines ask whether it is a new year or just another night, highlighting the sense of uncertainty and lack of direction faced by many. The use of 'new fear' and 'new tear' also suggests that the problems faced are not new but recurring and ongoing.
The lyrics then move on to discuss the use of force and violence in attempting to achieve objectives. The use of 'finger' and 'fist' highlights that there are different modes of communicating and that violence seems to be the more prevalent form. The lyrics then discuss the concept of freedom, pain, and discontented fame, questioning whether what the world has to offer is really worth striving for.
The chorus of the song defines that there will be a day like this one, when the world caves in, bringing up a sense of hopelessness and despair in the listener. The song then dwells on the idea of brokenness, with the use of 'broken piece of glass' and 'broken arms and broken noses.' The ultimate question that the song seems to ask is whether there is any hope for humanity, with lines such as 'There's nothing here worth saving' and 'Is there any other song to sing beside these Blues?'
Line by Line Meaning
Is this the New Year, or just another night?
Uncertainty surrounds us as we wonder if this is the beginning of a new age or just another day gone by.
Is this the new fear, or just another fright?
Could it be that the fears we face today are a sign of the times or just another temporary scare?
Is this the new tear, or just another desperation?
Amidst our struggles, we ponder whether our tears are a symbol of a new dawn or just a sign of hopelessness.
Is this the finger, or just another fist?
In times of conflict, we wonder if the actions we take are peaceful or violent.
Is the kingdom, or just a hit and miss?
Amidst the chaos, we question whether the order we seek is achievable or just a mere fantasy.
I've missed direction, most in all this desperation
Amidst the adversity, we've lost our way, and we're in dire need of guidance.
Is this what they call freedom?
In a world where everyone has their notion of what freedom is, we question the true meaning of this elusive term.
Is this what you call pain?
We ask ourselves whether the hardships we face are worthy of being described as pain.
Is this what they call discontented fame?
We ponder on the reality of fame and wonder whether it brings happiness or dissatisfaction.
It'll be a day like this one, When the world caves in
We brace ourselves for the inevitable day when our world comes crashing down.
I'm singing this one, like a broken piece of glass, For broken arms and broken noses in the back
We sing this song with a broken spirit, thinking of all those who've suffered silently in the world's shadows.
You push until you're shoving, You bend until you break
Human endurance has its limits, and we wonder how far people can be pushed before they crumble.
Do you stand on the broken fields where your fathers lay?
As we struggle to make our mark, we contemplate whether our forefathers' sacrifices were worth it.
There's nothing here worth saving, There's no one here at all
The world seems lost, and there's no hope of finding redemption amid its ruins.
It'll be a day like this one, When the sky falls down, And the hungry and poor and deserted are found
A day will come when judgment will fall, and the poor and the destitute will finally be heard.
Are you discontented? Have you been pushing hard? Have you been throwing down, this broken house of cards?
We encourage each other to keep fighting and tearing down the established order of things to pave the way to a brighter future.
Is there nothing left now? Nothing left to sing? Are there any left now, who haven't kissed The Enemy?
In our darkest moments, we question whether there's any hope left in the world or whether everyone has given in to the negativity surrounding us.
Ah. Does justice ever find you? Do the wicked ever lose? Is there any other song, to sing beside these Blues?
As we lament the state of the world, we question if there's any hope for justice and if the wicked will ever get their comeuppance. We also ask if there's any other message to sing beyond the blues.
And nothing is okay, Till' the world caves in, Till' the world caves in, Till' the world caves in
We won't rest until change comes, and hope is restored to the world.
Until the world caves in, Until the world caves in, Until the world caves in, Until the world caves in, Until the world caves in, Until the world caves in
We'll keep fighting until the world succumbs to the power of good and evil is defeated.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ned
"The Blues"
Is this the New Year or just another night?
Is this the new fear or just another fright?
Is this the new tear or just another desperation?
Is this the finger or just another fist?
Is this the kingdom or just a hit n' miss?
A misdirection, most in all this desperation
Is this what they call freedom?
Is this what you call pain?
Is this what they call discontented fame?
It'll be a day like this one
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
I'm singing this one like a broken piece of glass
From broken arms an' broken noses in the back
Is this the New Year or just another desperation?
You're pushing till you're shoving
You bend until you break
Till you stand on the broken fields where our fathers lay
It'll be a day like this one
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
There's nothing here worth saving,
Is no one here at all?
Is there any net left that could break our fall?
It'll be a day like this one
When the sky falls down and the hungry and poor and deserted are found
Are you discontented? Have you been pushing hard?
Have you been throwing down this broken house of cards?
It'll be a day like this one
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
Is there nothing left now?
Nothing left to sing
Are there any left who hasn't kiss the enemy?
Is this the New Year or just another desperation?
Does justice never find you? Do the wicked never lose?
Is there any honest song to sing besides these blues?
And nothing is okay
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in
ilyfrankh
May 30, 2020.
I'm listening to this song as I watch nationwide protests unfold over the murder of George Floyd.
Does justice ever find you?
Do the wicked never lose?
Is there any honest song to sing besides these blues?
And nothing is okay
Until the world caves in
Ya7in Abdi
Is this the New Year or just another night?
Is this the new fear or just another fright?
Is this the new tear or just another desperation?
Is this the finger or just another fist?
Is this the kingdom or just a hit n' miss?
A misdirection, most in all this desperation
Is this what they call freedom?
Is this what you call pain?
Is this what they call discontented fame?
You're pushing till you're shoving
You bend until you break
Till you stand on the broken fields where our fathers lay
It'll be a day like this one
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
There's nothing here worth saving,
Is no one here at all?
Is there any net left that could break our fall?
It'll be a day like this one
When the sky falls down and the hungry and poor and deserted are found
Are you discontented? Have you been pushing hard?
Have you been throwing down this broken house of cards?
Franken Fish
“Do the wicked never lose?” This line repeats in my head often, especially in the days we live in now. Thankfully we all know how this story ends. 🙏🏼
christianlorre
This is definitely one of the saddest songs I've ever heard. Jon never goes this sad 99% of the time. Always makes me cry.
Roger Huggett Jr.
This is a beautiful song. Listen to Jon's solo song "Somebody's Baby" for a truly sad song. That makes this song feel upbeat.
Tory Hornsby
"Nothing is okay 'til the world caves in." This line has grabbed my attention since it was released in 2005. It's such a change from the rest of the song. It goes from having a bad day/season... "it will be a day LIKE this one when the world caves in"... to the very absolute thought that nothing will ever be okay UNTIL the world caves in. What's stuck out about this line is that we typically get through tough times with hope that things will get better, but this song ends with the thought that nothing is okay until world caves in. I think Jon's referring to the end of the world after Jesus returns. Yep... the only time any of us will truly be okay is after the world caves in. Until then we all just have to keep taking life one step at a time. I love the deep meaning and contrast of this song; it's one of the best ever written.
Cole Sulouff
Listening to this on New Years Day and its it's bringing me to tears just like last year and everyday in between. This song is so beautiful it has been the biggest encouragement to me this last year. I'm sad at the beginning of this song because of how broken our world is but in the end when he says "until the world caves in" it gives me enough hope to continue through the next day than you Jon. And Happy New Year!!!
Alex Arekhandia
Me too.
Caroline
There’s hope in Jesus!
Allistair
Me and my (now ex) best friend of 17 years used to listen to Switchfoot and other bands similar when we were younger. It helped her get through the rough times at her dad's house. It was a big part of my childhood. I still hear this song and reminisce on the games we would play when this song would come on in the background.
Leo Rodriguez
Reading the comments and seeing how many people listened to this song and to this band during their teenage years had made me realize that I was not alone. I thought I was the only one. None of my friends had the same music taste so I never had anyone to share this with and have memorable moments over this beautiful song and band.
Amanda Strous
I’m here in 2020 and this song feels so current right now. This song is so good!