On My Playlist: Top 5 Switchfoot songs

Switchfoot is one of the most well-known and polished alternative rock band in the industry out there today having released a number of award winning albums in their vast discography. The band is well known for their faith based lyrics as well as deep and relatable lyrics which draws the listener in. The band consists of Jon Foreman – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, piano, Tim Foreman – bass, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, Chad Butler – drums, percussion, Jerome Fontamillas – keyboards, piano, synthesizers, rhythm guitar and backing vocals and Drew Shirley – lead guitar, backing vocals.
Honourable Mentions: “Afterlife”, “Awakening”, “Stars”
5. I Dare You To Move
This one of Switchfoot’s most recognizable songs with its acoustic intro and majestic lyrics that focuses on the need to move forward and to move on in order to achieve your best results and life. The song is a visceral cry to make the most of your life. Jon Foreman has a beautiful voice and his soothing rendition of the first verse is something that draws the listener in from the start. The chorus is also one of the golden parts of the song and really drives home the message forward: “I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor. I dare you to move. I dare you to move. Like today never happened.”
The bridge of the song is also a lyrical highlight as the question of forgiveness and is necessity to find peace is illustrated beautifully here: “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? Salvation is here.”

4. Your Love Is A Song
This is one of the more beautiful songs that Switchfoot has created which focuses on love and the importance of everlasting love. The flow of the song and the way it touches your emotions are one of Switchfoot’s main characteristics and it shows in this track. Jon Foreman’s voice once again fits this song perfectly as he sings “I hear you breathing in, another day begins. The stars are falling now, my dreams are fading out. I have been keeping my eyes wide open.”
The chorus when Foreman sings “ooh your love is a symphony. All around me, running through me. Your love is a melody, underneath me, running to me. All your love is a song.”
The piano and keys from Fontamillas also adds an exciting touch to proceedings and is just one of the various elements in this multilayered song. Definitely one of the band’s highlights.

3. Dark Horses
This is one of the more edgy and darker sounding tracks in the band’s discography and depicts the struggles that we face daily as well as how we can also overcome it. Dark Horses begins with a chugging guitar riff from Foreman before Shirley’s lead guitar part fills in for the rest of the opening part. Tim Foreman’s bass guitar work in the verses are also impressive with a stop-start feel to it. “Ive made my mistakes. I’ve seen my heart gave in. I’ve got my scars, I’ve been to hell and back again.”
“Were singing hey, you can’t count us out, we’ve been running up against the crowd, yeah we are the dark horses,” sings Foreman in a truly inspiring chorus for the once defeated.
This track is four minutes of pure power, energy and a definite crowd favorite.

2. Mess Of Me
“Mess of Me” is one of rawest and earnest tracks from Switchfoot that looks at how we can sometimes be our own worst enemy and the need to get out of the spell of self-sabotage. The song has a grunge feel to it with distorted and buzzing guitars opening up the first verse. This is one of the Switchfoot’s best songs mainly because of the lyrical topic as well as the potent delivery of it.
“There ain’t no drug. No drug to make me well. There ain’t no drug. It’s not enough. I’m breaking up. The sickness is myself,” sings Foreman as he points out that true healing can only come from inside of us. Although we make mistakes we can still turn things around.

1. Meant To Live
“We were meant to live for so much more. Have we lost ourselves? Somewhere we live inside,” sings Foreman to open this classic track from Switchfoot that looks at the importance of living life to the fullest instead of living according to the world demands in a constant rat race. The track starts off with a regonisable guitar riff that cuts through both speakers creating a great effect. The guitar work in this track is definitely some of Switchfoot’s best work as Foreman and Fontamillas hits all the right notes.