At the beginning of this year, Shane implemented a family study in music, poetry, and theology using the songs of writers and musicians that he enjoys and has named “The Song of the Week”. It often happens on a Saturday night.
He hands out a printout for all of us with the song lyrics along with several discussion questions he has written and begins the time by having us listen to the song of the week. The songs are often already familiar to some of us, but not always, so the follow-up discussion may start off with familiarizing ourselves with the song writer and the message of the song.
Here are a sample of the questions he used in the song Dare You to Move by Swtichfoot which is one of their earliest songs as a band. I’ve listed the lyrics below.
1. What are we welcomed into when we are born?
2. What is the tension and what can it lead to?
3. How does the author challenge us to deal with this tension in the chorus?
4. How does the author encourage us in the bridge?
Shane loves music, but he likes good song writing perhaps even better.
One of his favorite singer/song writers is Jon Foreman from the above mentioned band Switchfoot. Here is what Jon Foreman said about the meaning of the band’s name as quoted on Wikipedia taken from an interview. The name “Switchfoot” comes from a surfing term.“We all love to surf and been surfing all our lives so to us, the name made sense. To switch your feet means to take a new stance facing the opposite direction. It’s about change and movement, a different way of approaching life and music.”
The idea of switchfoot echoes the idea of repentance. A change in the way you do life.
One of his favorite singer/song writers is Jon Foreman from the above mentioned band Switchfoot. Here is what Jon Foreman said about the meaning of the band’s name as quoted on Wikipedia taken from an interview. The name “Switchfoot” comes from a surfing term.“We all love to surf and been surfing all our lives so to us, the name made sense. To switch your feet means to take a new stance facing the opposite direction. It’s about change and movement, a different way of approaching life and music.”
The idea of switchfoot echoes the idea of repentance. A change in the way you do life.
Jon Foreman has also done some solo work which has some of my favorite songs because the poetry captures the imagination and the music makes the heart soar. While not everyone may enjoy the rock-and-roll style of music, the content and the intent is for everyone.
I have included the lyrics for three of their songs, which we recently saw performed in concert.
Where I Belong
Feeling like a refugee
Like it don’t belong to me
The colors flash across the sky
Like it don’t belong to me
The colors flash across the sky
This air feels strange to me
Feeling like a tragedy
Take a deep breath and close my eyes
One last time
Feeling like a tragedy
Take a deep breath and close my eyes
One last time
Storms on the wasteland
Ark clouds on the plain again
We were born into this fight
Ark clouds on the plain again
We were born into this fight
But I’m not sentimental
This skin and bones is a rental
And no one makes it out alive
This skin and bones is a rental
And no one makes it out alive
Until I die I’ll sing these songs
On the shores of Babylon
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong
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
Where the righteous right the wrongs
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong
Feels like we’re just waiting, waiting
While are hearts are just breaking, breaking
Feels like we’re fighting against the tide
While are hearts are just breaking, breaking
Feels like we’re fighting against the tide
I wanna see the earth shaking
I wanna see a generation
Finally waking up inside
I wanna see a generation
Finally waking up inside
Until I die I’ll sing these songs
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong
Still looking for a home
In a world where I belong
This body’s not my own
This world is not my own
But I can hear the sound
Of my heart beating out
So let’s go boys, play it loud
This world is not my own
But I can hear the sound
Of my heart beating out
So let’s go boys, play it loud
On the 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
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
I want to look You in the eye
And know that I’ve arrived
In a world where I belong
Where I belong
I still believe we can live forever
You and I we begin forever now
Forever now
Forever
I still believe in s together
You and I we’re here together now
Together now
Together now
Forever now
Forever now
You and I we begin forever now
Forever now
Forever
I still believe in s together
You and I we’re here together now
Together now
Together now
Forever now
Forever now
Forever
Love Alone is Worth the Fight
I’m trying to find where my place is
I’m looking for my own oasis
So close I can taste this
The fear that love alone erases
I’m looking for my own oasis
So close I can taste this
The fear that love alone erases
So I’m back to the basics
I figure it’s time I face this
Time to take my own advice
I figure it’s time I face this
Time to take my own advice
Love alone is worth the fight
Love alone is worth the fight
Love alone is worth the fight
And I never thought it’d come to this
But it seems like I’m finally feeling numb to this
The funny thing about a name is
You forget what the reason you were playing the game is
But it seems like I’m finally feeling numb to this
The funny thing about a name is
You forget what the reason you were playing the game is
And it’s all an illusion
A 21st century institution
So I’m headed down the open road unknown
A 21st century institution
So I’m headed down the open road unknown
And we find what we’re made of
Through the open door
Is it fear you’re afraid of?
What are you waiting for?
Through the open door
Is it fear you’re afraid of?
What are you waiting for?
Love alone is worth the fight, woah
Love alone is worth the fight, woah
Love alone is worth the fight, woah
We’re only here for a season
I’m looking for the rhyme and reason
Why you’re born, why you’re leaving
What you fear and what you believe in
I’m looking for the rhyme and reason
Why you’re born, why you’re leaving
What you fear and what you believe in
Why you’re living and breathing
Why you’re fighting it and getting it even
Let’s go headed down the open road unknown
Why you’re fighting it and getting it even
Let’s go headed down the open road unknown
And we find what we’re made of
Through the open door
Is it fear you’re afraid of?
What are you waiting for?
Through the open door
Is it fear you’re afraid of?
What are you waiting for?
Love alone is worth the fight, woah
Love alone is worth the fight, woah
Love alone is worth the fight, woah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Here we are, here we go
Where the road is our own
Hear it calling you home
Here we are, here we go!
Where the road is our own
Hear it calling you home
Here we are, here we go!
Love alone is worth the fight
Love alone is worth the fight
Love alone is worth the fight
Love alone is worth the fight
Love alone is worth the fight
Love alone is worth the fight
Love alone is worth the fight
Love alone is worth the fight
Love alone is worth the fight
Dare You to Move
Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Welcome to existence
Everyone’s here
Everyone’s here
Everyone’s here
Everybody’s watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift
Yourself up off by the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift
Yourself up off by the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before
Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
The tension is here
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
The tension is here
Between who you are
And who you could be
Between how it is
And how it should be yeah
And who you could be
Between how it is
And how it should be yeah
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift
Yourself up off by the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift
Yourself up off by the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself
To lift yourself up off by the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself
To lift yourself up off by the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before
This is SUCH A GREAT IDEA!!! 🙂 I love it! I also really like Switchfoot and Jon Foreman (solo).