I'm increasingly drawn into the serious and funky world of alt rock band Switchfoot. The name, for those who don't know, is a really great combination of their San Deigo surfer lingo (switchfoot is a move on a surfboard where you switch which foot is leading on the board so you can change directions) and christian lingo (drawing on the 'turn' --Romans 6:4--God works in us through baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit). Their release in late December '06, titled Oh! Gravity, is in heavy rotation in my office, on my ipod, and in the car. They're really subtle and yet powerful in their critique of consumer culture and our ability to sell our soul for merely material things. They know that the trouble is that the things that are most evil are most lovely, desirable, flattering. Check out this example of their thoughful song-writing in Faust, Midas, and Myself. You can listen to it here.
For those who know, there are connections and influence flowing between U2 and Switchfoot. It is most obvious on their song Gone, from 2003's The Beautiful Letdown:
"She said he said live like no tomorrow
Every moment that we borrow brings us closer
To a God who's never been short of cash
Hey Bono, I'm glad you asked.
Life is still worth living, life is more than we are"
But here in Faust, Midas, and Myself, you get the feeling of Vertigo and the echo of ZooTV (remember Mr. McPhisto? He's Mephistopheles, the Devil, who offers Faust everything life offers in exchange for his soul.)
And as someone deeply committed to the daily work of fidelity and love that makes marriage work (15 years and going strong), I love the shift from "one life to leave" in the first verses and then the subtle shift to "one life to live" in the end when he "sees his wife at the door, with her night robe one"
Faust, Midas and Myself by Switchfoot:
This one’s about a dream
I had last night
How an old man tracked me home
And stepped inside
Put his foot inside the door
And gave a crooked smile
Something in his eyes
Something in his laugh
Something in his voice
That made my skin crawl off
He said I’ve seen you here before
I know your name
Yeah, you could have your pick
Of pretty things
You could have it all
Everything at once
Everything you’ve seen
Everything you’ll need
Everything you’ve ever had in fantasies
You have one life, you have one life
You have one life left to leave
You have one life, you have one life
You have one life left to leave
I woke up from my dream
As a golden man
With a girl I’ve never seen
With golden skin
I jumped up to my feet
And she asked me what was wrong
And I began to scream
I don’t think this is me
Is this just a dream
Or really happening
You have one life, you have one life
You have one life left to leave
You have one life, you have one life
You have one life left to leave
What direction, what direction
What direction, what direction
I’m splitting up, I’m splitting up
This is my personal disaffection
What direction, what direction
What direction now
I looked outside the glass
At golden shores
Golden ships and masts
With golden cords
As my reflection passed
I hated what I saw
My golden eyes were dead
And a thought passed through my head
A heart that's made of gold can’t really beat at all
I wanted to wake up again
I wanted to wake up again
Without a touch of gold
Without a touch of gold
What direction, what direction
What direction, what direction
What direction, what direction
What direction, what direction
What direction, what direction
What direction, what direction
What direction
Death or action
Life begins at the intersection
What direction, what direction
What direction now
I woke up as before
But the gold was gone
My wife was at the door
With her night robe on
My heart beat once or twice
And life flooded my veins
Everything had changed
My lungs had found their voice
And what was once routine
Was now the perfect joy
You have one life, you have one life
You have one life left to lead
You have one life, you have one life
You have one life left to lead
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