So many thoughts went into “Never the Less.” It’s still hard to put into words, which is the point. How do you write an anti-song about God? In other words, how do you speak to what’s speechless? How do you both honor Him and inspire others to recognize Him in people and places beyond the walls of a church?the convention of religion.
There’s a lot of beautiful songs out there about God. I wanted to write a song that didn’t involve “light,” “mighty,” “worthy,” “praise,” “seek” and all of the cookie-cutter lyrics I can only imagine God, let’s face it, has got to be a teeny-bit tired of hearing. Yes, I said “teeny-bit.” I wanted to admit, for all of us, a failure to find words.
Kids have a simple, direct talent for communicating, maneuvering around rules and getting to the point. With that in mind, I highlighted the idea that God is, well, never less and everything in our lives, whether you know it, believe it or not, is greater because of Him. I also turned to John Lennon for inspiration and his notorious love of wordplay and nonsense with a twist. Lennon’s writings were often satirical and an abundance of wordplay; double meaning but a double edge.
I searched for a way to transcend this idea that God is only found in “Christians” and what Christians determine is “Christian.” Frustrated, I ran across an article where Jon Foreman of Switchfoot said it best (below). It all boils down to my favorite lyric in the song. “The Whole is greater than the Some.”
Never the Less
Words and Music by Jeff Hartman
Could You be any more better?
No.
Could You let any more “let-er?”
No.
Could You get any more “get-er?”
No.
Could Your “Son” set any more “set-er?”
No.
What’s Good is Great
What’s Better’s Best
What’s Good Enough is I’m Obsessed
What’s Like is Love
What’s Yeah is Yes
What’s Nice is Grace
Never the less
Could You know any more “know-er?”
No.
Could You glow any more “glow-er?”
No.
Could You sew any more “sew-er?”
No.
Could You whoa any more “whoa-er?”
No.
I know the best has yet to come
The To is better than the From
The less I know the more I strum
The Whole is greater than the Some
Could You be any more better? No.
Musicians — Carol Anne Hartman, Jeff Hartman, Phill Kirby, Jeremy Shaw
Produced by Plastic Moon Records
Engineered & Mixed by Jeff Hartman, Hickory Arts
Mastered by David Harris, Studio B Mastering
Art by Shannon Sky Krizni, lovecommasky.com
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/never-the-less-single/id797653434
—
Why Switchfoot Won’t Sing Christian Songs
December 5, 2013
Lead singer Jon Foreman was asked if Switchfoot is a “Christian” band. His response is worth pondering.
Switchfoot is going secular. Sort of.
To be honest, this question grieves me because I feel that it represents a much bigger issue than simply a couple SF tunes. In true Socratic form, let me ask you a few questions: Does Lewis or Tolkien mention Christ in any of their fictional series? Are Bach’s sonata’s Christian? What is more Christ-like, feeding the poor, making furniture, cleaning bathrooms, or painting a sunset? There is a schism between the sacred and the secular in all of our modern minds. The view that a pastor is more ‘Christian’ than a girls volleyball coach is flawed and heretical. The stance that a worship leader is more spiritual than a janitor is condescending and flawed. These different callings and purposes further demonstrate God’s sovereignty. Many songs are worthy of being written. Switchfoot will write some, Keith Green, Bach, and perhaps yourself have written others. Some of these songs are about redemption, others about the sunrise, others about nothing in particular: written for the simple joy of music. None of these songs has been born again, and to that end there is no such thing as Christian music. No. Christ didn’t come and die for my songs, he came for me. Yes. My songs are a part of my life. But judging from scripture I can only conclude that our God is much more interested in how I treat the poor and the broken and the hungry than the personal pronouns I use when I sing. I am a believer. Many of these songs talk about this belief. An obligation to say this or do that does not sound like the glorious freedom that Christ died to afford me. I do have an obligation, however, a debt that cannot be settled by my lyrical decisions. My life will be judged by my obedience, not my ability to confine my lyrics to this box or that. We all have a different calling; Switchfoot is trying to be obedient to who we are called to be. We’re not trying to be Audio A or U2 or POD or Bach: we’re trying to be Switchfoot. You see, a song that has the words: ‘Jesus Christ’ is no more or less ‘Christian’ than an instrumental piece. (I’ve heard lots of people say Jesus Christ and they weren’t talking about their redeemer.) You see, Jesus didn’t die for any of my tunes. So there is no hierarchy of life or songs or occupation only obedience. We have a call to take up our cross and follow. We can be sure that these roads will be different for all of us. Just as you have one body and every part has a different function, so in Christ we who are many form one body and each of us belongs to all the others. Please be slow to judge ‘brothers’ who have a different calling.
Foreman mentions the Christian “box” that many people want to stay in, and put others in. I agree with Foreman that this box is particularly limiting when it comes to art. So go out and create something — something beautiful, something wonderful — and do it to the glory of God.
Originally posted by Dave Browning, @bigdaverino, as the dMail “Band.”
http://ctkblog.com/2013/12/05/why-switchfoot-wont-sing-christian-songs