Like any boy growing up, when the post-grunge rock era of music became a possibility to listen to, I dove right in. Something about the high levels of distortion on the guitar and the raging drum solos made me feel like I was capable of rebellion, all while certain of the fact I never would.
One of the bands that arguably defined my taste in music for that period (you know, that period of fake rebellion) was Switchfoot.
Note: This post is one of a series on creativity in Christian music. If you haven’t yet, check out “The Problem with Christian Music,” which started the series, or click here to read about previous artists.
Switchfoot has been around for a while – originally comprised of brothers Jon and Tim Foreman (lead guitar/lead vocals and bass, respectively), along with Chad Butler on the drums, the three were eventually joined by Jerome Fontimillas (keys/backup guitar) and Drew Shirley (guitar) to form the modern lineup. The original three members started the band in 1996, with Fontimillas and Shirley joining in 2003 and 2005, respectively.
Originally signed to Re:think (a record label based out of California that was eventually bought out by Sparrow Records, a predominant Christian record label), Switchfoot actively moved away from being signed with a Christian record label and eventually signed with Columbia Records from 2003-2007. They were further represented by Atlantic Records from 2008-2016, and currently by Vanguard Records (Merle Haggard, Indigo Girls, etc.).
“We’re Christian by faith, not genre.”
Tim foreman
The band was never quick to identify as a “Christian band”, but found themselves identifying closer as a band of Christian people. In the words of Tim Foreman, “We’re Christian by faith, not genre.” The desire to not be categorized as a Christian band largely comes from a concern of being put into a box where only Christians would listen to their music, whereas the band sees their music as music open to all, not just Christians. Plus, their songs can talk about a lot of real-life issues that probably would be harder to peddle on a Christian album.
But anyway, let’s get on with it and talk about their music.
Switchfoot is, first and foremost, a rock band. That being said, their earlier stuff could probably pretty easily fall into the category of post-grunge (think along the lines of Matchbox Twenty, blink-182, and co), and their more recent stuff a little closer to pop-rock. But aside from the great guitar solos (seriously, there are some great solos scattered throughout their music) and the great effects pedals they pump their guitars through (lo-fi for the win!), Switchfoot has put out some great lyrics.
Switchfoot is likely most well known for their song “Dare You to Move”, which rocketed to the top of Christian music chart in the wake of its release on Switchfoot’s 2000 album, Learning to Breathe. It’s become a classic, still finding its way onto Christian radio stations as a staple of the early 2000s-Christian rock sound (all of this ironically occurring despite Switchfoot’s continual insistence that they are not a “Christian band”). I don’t blame them though, it’s a great song.
And while I do love the song, and while I do view it as a pivotal song that helped define Switchfoot’s sound and stylings for later music, I also think that there is a lot more of Switchfoot’s discography that is out there that not as many people give credit to.
A personal favorite of mine is the song “Enough to Let Me Go” from Switchfoot’s 2009 album Hello Hurricane.
Oh I'm a wandering soul I'm still walking the line that leads me home Alone All I know I still got mountains to climb On my own On my own Do you love me enough to let me go? Do you love me enough to let me go? To let me follow through Let me fall for you, my love Do you love me enough to let me go?
This song, which can be taken as a song directed to God or to another person, addresses what the nature of love is. In the words of Jon Foreman,
I was thinking about how love (not just lust or codependency that commonly flood the tunes on the airways) actually involves quite a bit of faith. There’s a lot of letting go involved. Two souls in love is an intricate dance of give and take. In our barcode media, love is often portrayed as consumption. As consumers in a commercial driven culture we can begin to view other souls as objects, or potential cures for our deepest fears and insecurities. “Perhaps if I found the right lover I would no longer feel this deep existential despair.” But of course no human soul could be the Constant Other, the face that will never go away. Only the infinite can fill that role. But the silence can be deafening. It’s a fearful thing to be alone. Do you love me enough to let me go? “I can’t live without you”- “I would die if you ever left me”- These are not the songs of love, these are the songs of consumption.
jon foreman
Jon’s thoughts here remind me of two quotes, both of which are personal favorites of mine. C.S. Lewis’ in his book Mere Christianity makes the remark, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” And there’s another quote by Blaise Pascal (a 17th-century theologian/mathematician), wherein he talks about the idea of a “God-shaped hole” within us, saying that “this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.”
Switchfoot has always been a favorite of mine, and this sort of thing is one of the reasons. While not as eclectic or even as punk-rock as other bands of the time, Switchfoot rises above the rest in terms of one thing: lyrical punchiness.
Let’s look at another favorite of mine, “Where I Belong” from their 2011 Vice Verses album. (Fun fact: I got to see Switchfoot tour for this album, and it was great.)
[Verse 1] Feeling like a refugee Like it don't belong to me The colors flash across the sky This air feels strange to me Feeling like a tragedy I take a deep breath and close my eyes One last time [Verse 2] Storms on the wasteland Dark clouds on the plains again We were born into the fight But I'm not sentimental This skin and bones is a rental And no one makes it out alive [Chorus 1] Until I die I'll sing these songs On the shores of Babylon Still looking for a home In a world where I belong Where the weak are finally strong Where the righteous right the wrongs Still looking for a home In a world where I belong
The singer recognizes the brokenness of the world, and how we are born into a world of darkness and sin. We are refugees and wanderers within the world – our allegiance does not fall to the world but to Christ. The song itself switches back and forth between the present and the future, to a time when all things will be made right and looking into the present time when we are called to walk the world and bring the light of Christ.
“Until I die I’ll sing these songs, on the shores of Babylon” is an interesting line. It seems to be a callback to the Babylonian exile. While in exile, the Jews would sing of returning to Zion, in much the same way the singer here sings of returning home. The song continues, before eventually coming to the second chorus:
[Chorus 2] On that final day I die I want to hold my head up high I want to tell You that I tried To live it like a song And when I reach the other side I want to look You in the eye And know that I've arrived In a world where I belong Where I belong
We are a part of this world, but our citizenship does not lie with it. This song acts as a reminder for me, and it has many times over.
One last song to look at: “The Shadow Proves the Sunshine” from Switchfoot’s 2005 album Nothing is Sound. The chorus is a personal favorite.
[Chorus] We are crooked souls trying to stay up straight Dry eyes in the pouring rain, well The shadow proves the sunshine The shadow proves the sunshine Two scared little runaways Hold fast to the break of day light where The shadow proves the sunshine The shadow proves the sunshine
Too often have I gotten down in the dumps, spending my time looking at the shadows around me. I would spend so much of my energy focusing on the darkness of the world around me, my own sins and failures, and everything else that I forgot that it takes a light to cast a shadow. Indeed, the reason we have a judgment of what is Right and Wrong is (according to C.S. Lewis) is because we have the presence of God to use as a measuring stick to compare everything with.
Switchfoot’s lyrics have always worked to allow me to see things in a new light, to take on a new understanding of something I had seen before. That’s actually what the name “Switchfoot” comes from. It’s a surfing term – “switch-foot” is where you change your footing to get a new perspective or a new way of approaching the task at hand. And so far, it seems that Switchfoot has lived up to their name. Their fresh approach to their lyrics have helped me view life in a new light, and I’ve greatly appreciated them for it. If you want a primer on more of Switchfoot’s music to listen to, try out these favorites of mine:
If you want to listen to any more Switchfoot, I’d recommend checking out their Spotify, their YouTube channel, or their website.
Happy listening, folks!
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