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"Dare You to Move"
Single by Switchfoot
from the album Learning to Breathe, A Walk to Remember soundtrack and The Beautiful Letdown
Released	February 6, 2004 (2004-02-06)
Genre	Alternative rock post-grunge
Length	4:07 (2000 album version) 4:09 (2003 album version) 4:05 (alternative rock radio edit)
Label	Columbia Sony BMG
Songwriter(s)	Jon Foreman
Producer(s)	Charlie Peacock John Fields
Switchfoot singles chronology
"Ammunition" (2003) "Dare You to Move" (2004) "This Is Your Life" (2004)
Audio sample
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"Dare You to Move" is a song by American alternative rock band Switchfoot from their fourth studio album, The Beautiful Letdown (2003). The song was originally called "I Dare You to Move", and was on the 2000 album Learning to Breathe, but the band decided to reimagine it and put it on The Beautiful Letdown. This track received considerable radio airplay, and its accompanying music videos saw play on MTV, VH1, FUSE TV, and other mainstream channels. "Dare You to Move" was released to Christian radio on February 6, 2004, and sent to modern rock radio the following month. It peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Switchfoot's second top-20 single, surpassing the success of their breakthrough single, "Meant to Live", in the United States.

Appearing as the first track on Learning to Breathe and the fifth track on The Beautiful Letdown, "Dare You to Move" was a long-lasting hit and eventually certified gold by the RIAA in April 2005. The song received positive reviews from critics, and was ranked number 73 on Rhapsody's list of the Top 100 Tracks of the Decade. "Dare You to Move" was co-produced by Charlie Peacock—who discovered Switchfoot and signed the band to its first record deal—and John Fields.

Song history

Written by Switchfoot singer and songwriter Jon Foreman, it was originally produced solely by Charlie Peacock and recorded as the opening track for Switchfoot's 2000 album Learning to Breathe, and also appeared on the A Walk to Remember soundtrack, which featured several other Switchfoot songs. The song can be heard in season one, episode eight, in season two, episode five, and in season eight, episode eighteen of One Tree Hill as well as the documentary Warren Miller's Higher Ground.

Bassist Tim Foreman remarked that upon finishing the song, all the band members knew that they had really created something powerful. Jon Foreman said that sometimes the song could still can move him to tears, and that he was glad it got a second chance with its inclusion on The Beautiful Letdown in 2003. The reason the band gave it a rewrite was "that song hadn't lived its shelf life yet". In addition, "after having played it a couple years live, I feel like we've got a better grip of how we want it to be on a record," he said.

Foreman has called it "a defining song" for the band: "It's me talking to myself and I think a lot of times I feel stagnant and stuck in the same place, and 'Dare You to Move' is kind of a song for myself to get me up and get me moving and tackling a new part of life."

Musical structure

The tune is played in the key of E major, beginning with a jangling strummed guitar riff and a driving rocky chorus. The song has a basic structure consisting of an intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. Multiple versions were released, varying slightly in dynamics and instrumental structure.

Music videos

There are two official music videos: One depicts a man running against a large crowd of people while the other features a surfer who is being resuscitated on the beach while different parts of his life are shown. The second version of the video peaked at No. 2 on the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown.

Awards

In 2005, the track won two Dove Awards: Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year and Short Form Music Video of the Year, at the 36th GMA Dove Awards. It was also nominated for Song of the Year.

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

Release history

Song versions

"Dare You to Move" has five recorded versions that have appeared on soundtracks, CDs, and singles:

• The Learning to Breathe version, which was released in 2000. It is characterized by quieter, less driven instrumentation. It also appears on A Walk to Remember soundtrack single.
• The Beautiful Letdown album version, which was released in 2003. It featured a brand new mix of the song (heavier electric guitars) and stronger vocals from Jon Foreman, ultimately resulting in a more complete and emphatic ending. Also, the title was changed to "Dare You to Move", dropping the "I" from the original title.
• A finalized radio-edit remix done in 2004, which slightly tweaked the Beautiful Letdown album version to allow for heavier drum and electric guitar accompaniment throughout the entire song. This is the version which has been featured on most alternative rock music stations while the original The Beautiful Letdown album version was featured on top 40 and Hot AC music stations. It is also the same version that is heard in the first version music video for this song. In 2007, it was made available for purchase on the iTunes-exclusive deluxe edition of The Beautiful Letdown.
• There is also a live version of the song on the exclusive iTunes EP – Live EP, which was recorded in San Diego.
• The Japanese version of the album Nothing Is Sound has an alternate version, which is longer than the original, and features different instrumentation and arrangements from the previous versions.

References

1. ^ "JFH Music New". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
2. ^ "American single certifications – Switchfoot – Dare You to Move". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
3. Editorial, Rhapsody (December 9, 2009). "Top 100 Tracks of the Decade - Rhapsody: The Mix". Blog.rhapsody.com. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
4. The Beautiful Letdown credits. AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-02-13, from Allmusic.com
5. "Summer Festivals = Pictures + Interviews". Switchfeed.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2007. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
6. ^ Interview: Switchfoot - Published March 2, 2003 (retrieved January 20, 2009)
7. "Warning: Switchfoot's Daring Single May Cause Job Loss". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2004.
8. 2005 Dove Awards - 36th Annual Dove Awards Archived December 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine on About.com; Jones, Kim
9. Dare You to Move (Australian & New Zealand CD single liner notes). Switchfoot. Columbia Records. 2004. 6756812.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. Dare You to Move (UK CD1 liner notes). Switchfoot. Columbia Records. 2005. 6759741.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. ^ "Switchfoot Dare You to Move UK Double CD Single Set". eil.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
12. Dare You to Move (UK CD2 liner notes). Switchfoot. Columbia Records. 2005. 6759742.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
13. "Switchfoot – Dare You to Move". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
14. "R&R Canada Rock Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1566. July 30, 2004. p. 75. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
15. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
16. "Dare You to Move by Switchfoot". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
17. "Switchfoot Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
18. "Switchfoot Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
19. "Switchfoot Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
20. "Switchfoot Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
21. "Switchfoot Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
22. "Switchfoot Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
23. "2004 The Year in Charts: Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 12, no. 51. December 17, 2004. p. 26.
24. "2004 The Year in Charts: Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 12, no. 51. December 17, 2004. p. 22.
25. "2004 The Year in Charts: Most-Played Modern Rock Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 12, no. 51. December 17, 2004. p. 29.
26. "2005 The Year in Music & Touring: Hot Adult Top 40 Songs". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 52. December 24, 2005. p. YE-76.
27. "2005 The Year in Charts: Top Mainstream Top 40 Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 13, no. 50. December 16, 2005. p. 26.
28. "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
29. "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 27/12/2004" (PDF). ARIA. January 10, 2005. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 19, 2005. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
30. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. July 16, 2005. p. 31.
31. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Dare You To Move". YouTube.
32. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Switchfoot - Dare You To Move [Official Audio]". YouTube.

External links

• Music video (version one)
• Music video (version two)
• Switchfoot

• Switchfoot songs
• 2000s ballads
• 2003 songs
• 2004 singles
• Columbia Records singles
• Music videos directed by Marc Webb
• Post-grunge songs
• Rock ballads
• Song recordings produced by John Fields (record producer)
• Songs written by Jon Foreman
• Sony BMG singles