Search

a song by the band switchfoot. the song was inspired by jon foreman’s childhood attendance of punk rock shows that featured his friends’ bands which jon always felt that he was not cool enough to be in. jon’s brother tim foreman, the b-ssist of switchfoot, helped write the song and it was produced by john fields.

there are two official music videos for “we are one tonight.” one features switchfoot playing a live show, and edited into the video are many switchfoot fans generally holding signs that say “we are one”. the second video, which is much more commonly seen, features switchfoot in a studio playing we are one, and the video features very clever editing that displays men, women, and children performing similar gestures, tasks, or motions, that when edited together seem seamless. all five members of switchfoot appear in the video in character. jon, chad butler (drums), and drew shirley (guitar) appear in a scene together in which jon appears as a man with a very humorous “poofy” hairstyle, who is running a streetside card game, on which it is implied that chad lost money, as he proceeds to grab jon by the collar and throw him up against a wall. drew all the while stands in the background wearing sungl-sses and a grey hooded sweatshirt, stands with his arms folded in such a fashion that plays on his goofy nature that is commonly seen in podcasts and interviews. jerome fontamillas (guitars, keys, backing vocals, tambourine) is seen in one seen as a hitchhiker with a bushy moustache, trying to hitch a ride while walking backwards down a highway, and tim as seen as a construction worker wearing a yellow safety helmet, hammering nails.

although switchfoot is very open with their christian faith, they all share the att-tude that christianity isn’t a music genre, it’s a lifestyle, and their music conveys a message of the lifestyle that they have come to live for christ. we are one tonight, while not written on the premise of a christian subject (jon’s attendance to punk rock shows), displays strong christian themes of unity, togetherness, and growing as a group. “we are one tonight” appeared as the 11th track on switchfoot’s fifth studio alb-m, nothing is sound. it is also the fifth single off that alb-m. it runs four minutes and thirty-nine seconds, although when played live, the song is generally drug out longer, and the song the shadow proves the sunshine, also from nothing is sound, is incorporated in the bridge before going back into the chorus.

the lyrics of “we are one tonight” are as follows:

tonight!

tonight!

i’ll rise
i’ll fall
i’ll fail you all

we built these cities to stand so tall
we’ve lost our walls

i don’t want to lose it coming down
with the whole world upside-down
i don’t have a soul to trust in now
with the whole world upside-down

we are one, tonight!
and we’re singing it out!
we are one, tonight!
and we’re dreaming out loud!

and the world is flawed
but these scars will heal

we are one, tonight!
tonight!
tonight!

two eyes
one tongue
i’ve come
undone

i’m no victim
i paid these dues
i came to lose

i don’t want to fight about it now
with the whole world upside-down
i don’t have a soul to trust in, now
with the whole world upside-down

we are one, tonight!
and we’re singing it out!
we are one, tonight!
and we’re dreaming out loud!

and the world is flawed
but these scars will heal

we are one, tonight!
tonight!
tonight!
tonight!
tonight!
tonight!

i don’t want to lose a common ground
with the whole world upside-down
i don’t want to fight about it now
and the world was burning out

let’s slow the evening down
slow it down
slow down
please slow down
down
down

the stars are comin’ out!

we are one
we are one
we are one
we are one tonight
we are one tonight
and were singing it out
we are one tonight
and were dreaming out loud
and the world is flawed,
but these scars will heal!
tyler: what’s your favorite switchfoot song?

jawsh: it’s definately “we are one tonight.” it’s so inspirational, and it’s really fun to play!