Meant To Live

Album: The Beautiful Letdown (2003)
Charted: 29 18
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Songfacts®:

  • This is a song about finding fulfillment through God. The lyrics talk about imperfection of the world we live in, and why people were "Meant to live for so much more." This song is a highlight of an ongoing theme of Switchfoot, which is that the nihilism and entropy people feel in everyday life is due to a loss of identity and faith. The lyrics were written by their frontman Jon Foreman, who told us, "I'm thinking of life maybe a little bit more lyrically than a computer programmer or someone like that. But the good songs I always feel like they have very little to do with me."
  • This was on the soundtrack to the movie Spiderman 2. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    chris owens - belfast, Ireland
  • The lyrics were inspired by the poem The Hollow Men by T.S. Eliot. Both the poem and the song are about the superficial sense of the world and how everyone is so hollow, and that we "Were meant to live for so much more, but we lost ourselves." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Taco - Erin, TN

Comments: 32

  • Jacobi One Fanobi from Bristol, TnIt seems most people on this thread get this song. As my fellow humans I encourage you all to do your best, and help those around you. Bring out the good in your souls. Help to rid the world of injustice, cursing, lying, cheating, stealing, and violence. We are HUMANS, and WE are the smartest species on the planet. Isnt it time we started to act like it? EPICLYFATALERROR (YOUtube) watch my vids sometime. Have a good life...
  • Bella from Essex, United KingdomI love this song so much! I can't stop listening to it! Switchfoot Rule!!!
  • Sydney from Madison, WiI love the line about Of Mice and Men.
  • Theresa from Murfreesboro, TnI never cared for Christian rock but this song is awesome.
  • Alexa from Cs, Nybest song. i love switchfoot so much
  • Joshua from Miami Fl, Azswitchfoot rocks it not a religion is a relationship with christ our lord and savior
  • Nate from Syrause, NyHolly is right...Christianity is about a deep and profound relationship with God
  • Jessie from Dallas, TxI love this song!!! And Jon Foreman is truly the best!!
  • Latasha from Austin, Txok wow so like me and my big sis were having this huge bet over if this song was supose to be like motivational or wut ev she said it wasnt but it looks like i just won 20 dollaz
  • /alix\ from Pinkerton, MiAlso, the only reason that regulations exist are because God doesn't want us to hurt ourselves, God designed us, and therefore knows whats best for us.
    People usually think that rules are pointless because they don't let them do certain things that make them happy, so they condemn them so they can do what they want, even though doing that could really be hurting them.
  • /alix\ from Pinkerton, MiThe meaning adds to how good the song is. And William, you're very wrong, you could ask any of the members of Switchfoot, and they would be appalled by that interpretation. When man first sinned, we lost our true freedom and happiness, because we went away from Him and towards our own selfish desires. The only true freedom is when we give ourselves up to God.
  • Julie from Taylor, TxI never realized that this song is about god. It is their best song yet and extremely easy to play on the guitar. The lyrics are amaxing also.
  • Holly from D-vegas, Vaonce again, correction, Christianity isn't about a set of rules [religion]..finish with 2nd comment.
  • Holly from D-vegas, Valet me change that, it's not about a religion, it's about a relationship with an all knowing, all loving powerful God.
  • Holly from D-vegas, VaOne thing that I thought I would state [other than this being an awesome song.] Christianity isn't a religion, it's a relationship.
  • Kiran from Shelton, CtIm in my youth band and we usually always play this song. has such a powerful guitar riff with amazing lyrics.
  • Charles from Diamond Bar, Cawell i agree with andy when he says that they dont just preach with their music like most chistian bands do. when i told my non-christian friend that they were christian he was suprised because he interpreted so many songs in different ways. he thought that they were sarcastic in some sentences of their songs and that they were completetly anti-religious. i laughed. so the meanings to the song are many and are obvious and you can interpretete in any way you want.
  • Andy from Hawthorne, CaOne of the things I've always loved about Switchfoot is that they don't use their music to preach to you. Don't get me wrong: I'm a committed Christian, so I'm certainly not offended by Christian lyrics. I just think that Switchfoot does so much better when they don't choose to exclude certain audiences by focusing on so-called "spiritual" topics. But I'm not blind. All of Switchoot's members are professing Christians; it would be ridiculous to call them a secular band. Yet some people seem to purposely ignore the Christian worldview that pervades every one of their songs. William, do you honestly think that a band of professing Christians would write a song about the stifling nature of religion? I'm sorry man, but you're deluding yourself.
  • William from New Haven, CtIn contradiction to those who feel that the song is about a certain religious purpose, I feel that it is vice versa. In religions, lives are limited and held down by regulations that may seem low based on the amount it restrains a person. It seems that Switchfoot is delivering the message that we were meant to live for so much more outside of religion and its regulatory views.
  • Frankie from Orlando, Flwe were meant to live for so much more....not all of the things that will keep you held back, not being in bondage to all of what people do and say....it's not important, only worry about what Christ wills for you
  • Johann from Yanji, ChinaYeah, what does the giving mice and men second tries mean?? Does anyone know? Is it related to the book MICE AND MEN??? I've never read it so...
  • Tj from Woodbridge, Vai saw these guys in concert and they were just awsome. this was they're closer and it sound so much better live.
  • Beefcake from Brisbane, AustraliaSwitchfoot are an awesum band!!! The lyrics of the song inspire a sense of hope within the type of world we lve in. These ideals are explores alot in christianity. Very fulfilling to see Spreading Christianity mainstream!!! Good Job!
  • Kelly from Rochester, NyI love this song mainly because it makes you think you think that you really do have a purpuse, and I like knowing that I have purpose.Also it's not like most chistain songs because it's not like trying to MAKE you become a chistain, and I like that the most about it!
  • Lacie from Whitefish, Mti dont usually like christian music but this one is a good one! I love the beat in this song
  • Melissa from Toledo, OhI love this song. I never heard of Switchfoot until this song. They're a really good band!
  • Kimmy from Rochester, NyI love this song a lot! This song is when I first heard of Switchfoot, and now they are my favorite band. I love Switchfoot, and this song.
  • Carrie from Roanoke, VaThis is a really good song. Even though the band is supposedly Christian, the lyrics don't necessarily have to be interpretted in a religious way, and I like that. It could just be an impassioned rant about being frustrated with life and grappling with why people fail to live up to their potential. The lyric "somewhere we live inside" could mean that we're hiding our true selves, or that the various bruises we've been dealt have deadened us so that we've forgotten who we really are. This song is great on so many levels.
  • Alex from Loveland, CoI have been reading The Green Mile. In the book, Percy Wetmore crushes a cute little mouse and later the narirator says that John Coffey can sort of give mice and men second tries, so I wonder if thats what Switchfoot is talking about...
  • Renee from Saint John, CanadaI love this song soooo much
  • Jessica from Buffalo, NySwitchfoot is a great band and I love it when people publically praise God. He is my light and my way.
  • Shayne from Harlingen, TxThis is a really good song.
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