"The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)" is a song written and recorded by Jon Foreman and Tim Foreman for the alternative rock band Switchfoot. It is a track from the band's seventh studio album, Hello Hurricane, and was released as a digital single on October 27, 2009, to all major digital outlets.[1] It was serviced to alternative rock radio on April 27, 2010,[2] becoming their second Top 15 hit from the album, and the band's first Top 10 single since "Dare You to Move."[3]
Song history
"The Sound" is a song that references John M. Perkins, an American civil rights activist, in the lyrics "John Perkins said it right / Love is the final fight." The lyrical bent of the song speaks of the country's past racism that still "runs through our veins" and cries out from the ground.[4] Jon Foreman intended for the song to be part of the answer to that, saying that it is like "rising above the constant gnawing of past wrongs" and declaring Love as "the reconciliation. The deliberate act of forgiveness."[4]
Inspired by his reading of Perkins' book, Let Justice Roll Down, Foreman set out to bring more awareness to the activist's story, adamant that "John Perkins is a hero whose name needs to be known."[5] So he wrote the song intentionally avoiding historical plotlines, while instead attempting to "make an impressionistic sketch" of the story.[5]
"The Sound (John Perkins Blues) is a very important song for us as a band. I see so much hatred and fear around me, I see so many people living out their pain. I hear it on the radio. I see it in the headlines. John Perkins story needs to be heard. This song was inspired by a man who sang a louder song than hatred. In a world where we are defined by our differences, Mr. Perkins's life of service and compassion is a tangible demonstration of what it means to live a life of love. Love is the loudest song we could sing. Louder than racism. Louder than fear. Louder than hatred. John Perkins said it right, love is the final fight. We're excited to hear this song on the radio, louder than pain."
A music video for the song was directed and was available on iTunes on the same day Hello Hurricane was released featuring live footage and taken from the Live at Spot X in-studio performances, included in the Making of Hello Hurricane DVD. A concept music video was shot, with footage of the band filmed on May 4, 2010 and footage of John Perkins himself shot on May 14.[7] The music video was premiered on Yahoo Music on June 13, 2010 and made its way onto YouTube three days later.
Reception
The song and its accompanying video have garnered many accolades from industry sources, garnering a Video of the Day mention on Fuse TV on July 8, 2010.[8] The song got particular coverage from KROQ-FM in Los Angeles, getting featured as "Stryker's No. 1 Video of the Week" on August 11, 2010, and a few days later, "Stryker’s #1 Requested Song".[9][10]
This attention fueled the song's march towards the top 10 of Alternative Songs, a run that saw the song spend 24 weeks on the chart with a peak of No. 7. It is the band's third-highest showing on this particular survey, behind 2004's "Meant to Live" and 2011's "Dark Horses", which both reached No. 5.
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