Story Behind the Song: Switchfoot's 'Meant to Live'

If a modern rock radio anthem of 2003 were to be declared, Switchfoot’s spirit-affirming "Meant to Live" would certainly be in the running for the honor. Given its grungy guitars spread over husky backbeats and frontman Jon Foreman’s uplifting vocals, the song has been a true standout on the group’s most recent CD, The Beautiful Letdown (Sparrow/Columbia) and will undoubtedly become a catalog gem. "That track is tuned in ‘drop D,’ which, for those of you who aren’t guitar players, is a heavier tuning reminiscent of bands like Soundgarden or the Foo Fighters," explains Foreman of its arrangement. "The aggression really works with this song because I really want to drive home the point of having unshakable hope in this world."

Partially inspired by Foreman’s personal failures and soul searching, along with C.S. Lewis’ musings about not finding fulfillment within worldly confines, Foreman passionately presents lines seeking out more than "the world’s got to offer." "It’s not meant as a resignation or a backing down from the environment around us but rather a ‘stepping up to the plate’ sort of motivation to get us living life to its fullest," Foreman says. "The goal of the song is to get people thinking a bit more about what their priorities are and, hopefully, point them away from emptiness and closer to the Light."