NEW unreleased songs! [Review: Jon's GMA Nashville acoustic set]
Hi all! Vicky here. Even though this isn't my first post (go here to check out what I first wrote about), I decided to formally introduce myself this time. Looks like I'll be teaming up with Tommy in the coming weeks for more of these posts on switchFeed, but for now, I hope y'all enjoy what I brought home for switchFeed from Jon's acoustic show on 4/23 in my hometown of Nashville, TN. I went into the venue around 7:30 (the show started at 8) and found out Jon wasn't playing until at least 10:45. I wasn't too crazy about the other bands so me and two of my friends (Gabe and Stephanie) left there and went to Cafe Coco, a cool place right behind the venue. We met this guy named Enoch who works there and used to be in the band Lovedrug. He said the Switchfoot boys were friends of his from on tour. He also said we could see him on Podcast 5 playing 'bee with the guys.
We went back to the venue and hung out there for a little while until Jon walked up. We said our hello's then Jon led the way into the venue through the same door we all had to go through, as if he was there to watch some other band perform or something. He was very gracious and humble, as usual.
He came on around 11:15 (pm) with just an acoustic guitar and mic. He opened with a song I've since titled "Wide As A Grave", but I don't really know what it's called. It was nice hearing something new.
The lyrics seemed to go like this (the first few lines are missing):
Your giving never satisfied, You open your mouth as wide as a grave, Yeah, you open your mouth as wide as a grave. Loving you is a losing fight, I wanna know where you were last night. You’ve been a terror in the middle east, And all in the name of keeping the peace, Soft foundations were being laid, You were offended but you still got paid. You open your mouth as wide as a grave, Yeah, you open your mouth as wide as a grave. Alright. (Instrumental break) You open your mouth as wide as a grave. Loving you is a losing fight, I wanna know where you were last night. Hello honey, it’s a brave new world, You stir a move with your flag unfurled, Chap stick, spandex, leather and lace, You're understanding grace as saving the face. You open your mouth as wide as a grave.
Next, he played "Betrayal", which I know many of us have heard. I think my friends and I were the only ones singing along, which was fun. Jon's voice was spot on, not a note out of tune.
Third, he played another new song, which I don't have a name for, but I'm taking a wild shot in the dark that he wrote it for GMA week. It's littered with lines from The Lord's Prayer and allusions to Jesus' parables:
(Thanks Christine!) (DOWNLOAD MP3 - right click and "save target as" - Thanks John!)
Lyrics:
Heavenly Father, you always amaze me. Let your Kingdom come in my world and in my life. Give me the food I need to live through the day, And forgive me as I forgive the people that wrong me. Lead me far from temptation, Deliver me from the evil one. I look out the window, the birds are composing, Not a note is out of tune, or out of place. I look at the meadow, and stare at the flowers, better dressed than any girl on her wedding day. So why do I worry? Why do I freak out? God knows what I need. You know what I need.
Your love is, Your love is, Your love is strong. Your love is, Your love is, Your love is strong. Your love is, Your love is, Your love is strong.
The Kingdom of the Heavens is now advancing, Invade my heart, invade this broken town. The Kingdom of the Heavens is a buried treasure, Will you sell everything you are for what you've found?
Two things you told me, That you are strong and you love me. Yes, you love me.
Your love is, Your love is, Your love is strong. Your love is, Your love is, Your love is strong. Your love is, Your love is, Your love is strong.
My God in heaven, hallowed be thy name above all names, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, Forgive us wicked sinners, Lead us far away from our vices, and deliver us from these prisons.
After that, he played a song I call "Southbound Train," which I've listened to at least 50 times since last night. It speaks for itself:
I'm headed home, yeah but I'm not so sure Home is a place you can still get to by train. I'm looking out the window, and I'm drifting off to sleep, With my face pressed up against the pane, With the rhythm of my heart, and my sleepy girl's breathing, it's the rhythm of the southbound train.
Oh, well the wind starts to look like her hair, And the sun in her bright blue eyes, as the sea and the shore fall and rise, like her breast as she breathes by my side, And the moon is her lips and the sun is headed on down in the sea, Like her head as she lays down on me, Until we reach Oceanside, Over and over, I hear the same phrase, It's the rhythm of my heart, and my sleepy girl's breathin', and the rhythm of my southbound train.
Oh, I suppose they'll say I should have known, Or maybe I'm just feeling old, Like a lawyer with no one to blame.
I'm headed home, yeah but I'm not so sure That home is a place that'll ever look the same.
We gather up our things, and we head out in the cold, And your eyes are where you carry the pain, And I hear the whistle weeping, it's crying to the sky, It's the rhythm of my southbound train, It's the rhythm of my southbound train.
He played "Revenge" next, upon request. After that, he gave a short speech about the tragedy at VA Tech, and then played "Sorrow" in their honor.
It was a fairly short set, but definitely worth the three hour wait. We spoke to him for a bit afterwards and he seemed in good spirits, very pleased to have his wife there and happy for the coming break.
It was a wonderfully appropriate way to officially end an incredible Spring tour. See you all at Bro-Am! [Credits: Gellie, Rose, Cookie & Phil for lyric-deciphering help. Phil for MP3s.]
Absolutely amazing songs! Thanks so much for recording Vicky. It must have been so cool to be sitting right there. The mp3s are an added bonus, too! Now I can listen to the songs over and over. :)
(It's too bad that the words are out of sync with the video, but oh well! It's still a great treat.)
Oh ya, about your comment on the boards about Jon "throwing together 'Your Love is Strong' for GMA week," that is entirely possible.
But I still LOVE the fact that he wrote the song with blatant Christian lyrics. I've listened to it constantly since yesterday. I find it refreshing that such a great songwriter is willing to experiment a bit outside his usual rock tunes. So what if it's "littered with lines from the Lord's Prayer and allusions to Jesus' parables." You make it sound as if it's a bad thing.
I don't mean to rant, but it is a great song. I still enjoyed the other ones, but this is my favorite (how can you tell?). :)
Yeah, it wasn't meant to be a bad thing, I love the song too, but I still stand by what I said as far as why i think he wrote it. But no, that line wasn't meant to be a bad thing at all.
I'm glad you enjoyed it though! Good to hear from ya.
I love those songs! I just have a problem with downloading "Your Love is Strong".:( I really love that song, but it won't download for some reason. Maybe I need to update my Quicktime or something. Thanks so much!! -Nat
WeAreMade, me and a few others have discussed what we think 'Southbound Train' is about, but I know other people will interpret it differently.
I, personally, think it's about being on the road, away from family (wives, specifically), missing them so much, you start to see them in nature. I think it would be appropriate for Jon to write such a song at the end of this extended Spring tour.
Edit: and yes, Hailey, Enoch is awesome. I want to date him. Heh.
Glad you got to post these. They're really great. Southbound Train's lyrics are beautiful! Jon puts his heart into his music like I've never seen. And wow, he played a lot of heavy songs that night! Sounded like a great set too.
I'll say it now - thanks a million from all of us.
hey switchFeeders. if you check out iron army clothing's website, and click "the iron army" on top there's a photo and a little quote of drew near the bottom
thanks for this Vicky. and yeah, your ideas on Southbound train seem right to me, that's what came to mind when I first heard it. I think maybe the line about home never looking the same could relate to the experiences they had on the road...and how that's changed them as people, and given them different perspectives. dunno.
anyways...it was a super-loaded post with so much to take in, it was rad :D
ok... I think I'm totally new to this download the MP3s and I can't for the life of my figure it out. I click on the link. and then what??? please help!!! lol
If anyone can, e-mail me at Star_Wings04@hotmail.com
Thanks!
Oh, and awsome videos and songs! Thanks soooo much!!! :)
^for esnips, there should be a 'download' link on the page that opens when you click on it. for the other link, you just have to right-click and "save target as". --
I don't think "Southbound Train" is about missing his wife, though that may have something to do with it. I think it goes deeper than that, if you look closely...
As for "Wide As A Grave", the 'you' could be the government.
Vicky you are so rad!! I'm so glad you got these up, I was anxiously waiting all day once you told me about the concert and the songs... definitely worth the wait.
Woww.. I haven't been keeping with the updates on Switchfeed! Vicky, thanks so much for recording these. It's always SO nice to hear new songs.. that are wonderful, as always!
Phil! thanks! So, I had to be a member to have the option to download. I was so determined to find it that I had just about done everything before I realized that I wasn't a member yet. lol
That oh so noticable button wasn't there until I signed in. :) But Its all figured out and now I have the songs! yay!
It's always so interesting how everyone interprets songs differently. On first hearing the 'you' in "Wide as a Grave" came to me as possibly being the government. I think there are a couple of ways to interpret "Southbound Train" though, it might not be about being on the road and missing family.
@phil: I'm sure that Jon intended everyone to take what they would from Southbound Train, but personally I'm pretty sure it's about Emily. I'm sure it could have multiple meanings, but come on "and the sun in her bright blue eyes"? I'm sure, like I said, it COULD be metaphorical, but even if it is, I wonder who Jon modeled the woman after. Hmmm.
those songs were all very beautiful, but by the time i reached the end of Southbound Train, i had started to cry. These are wonderful songs and thank you all so much for getting them up for us.
This is AWESOME!!! Switchfoot is my ALL TIME FAVORITE BAND AND ALWAYS WILL BE!! This is SWEET! But 4 some reason it wont let me download the mp3's. only your love is strong will download. PLEASE!!! SOMEONE HAS TO HELP!! I NNED THESE SONGS!!!
great job with those videos. it must have been real great to see him play those songs.
i was wondering if you could get the guitar tabs for those songs because they were so great. if you cant thats okay, but if you can great. My e-mail address is DON'T LOOK SPAMERS, mikeyconnnway@yahoo.com. thanks you did a great job and god bless
Wow, great songs. I think that "Wide as a grave" is quoting from either Psalm 5:9( Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.[David talking about his enemies]), or Isaiah 5:13-15(Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst. Therefore the grave enlarges its appetite and opens its mouth without limit; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. So man will be brought low and mankind humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled.). one is talking about mouths/throats like graves, the other is talking about a grave like a mouth. I don't know. More likely it's the one in Psalms, but both are interesting to think about.
Great songs! When's Jon gonna make an acoustic album with these songs on it? Would truly love that. Could listen to that all year probably. One thing though...i would like to get my the Southbound Train mp3, but the esnips page keeps telling me "the document you requested belongs to a disabled folder". Any other way to get my hands on this mp3?
Absolutely amazing songs! Thanks so much for recording Vicky. It must have been so cool to be sitting right there. The mp3s are an added bonus, too! Now I can listen to the songs over and over. :)
(It's too bad that the words are out of sync with the video, but oh well! It's still a great treat.)
Thanks again!