IT'S HOW WE FLOAT
floatFloat is a song that was inspired by a conversation with a friend of mine named Jeremy Courtney. Jeremy helps kids and families who are victims of Isis and other violent attacks in Iraq. He connects these refugees with doctors and helps them get back on their feet through an organization called "Pre-emptive Love." Jeremy lives in Iraq with his family, so he can better serve the community. Jeremy told me that after a hard day of work, he will put his headphones on and listen to songs that bring him hope, songs that remind him to stay strong and not to give up. He told me that our songs have brought him perspective and encouragement when he desperately needed it.
I was driving north next to the Pacific, heading to our studio in San Diego. The night before, Isis had attacked a village near where Jeremy lives. I wanted to send him some encouragement, but I felt like I couldn't find the words. For me, when words fail, music speaks. So I began to sing. I wanted to write a song specifically for Jeremy, something for his headphones at the end of a hard day. I wanted a song that would lift his whole family up. Just a small thing to contribute, yes, but it felt like a honest response to the turmoil that he was living through.
I began to picture Jeremy's family halfway around the world- smiling, dancing even! By the time I reached the studio the skeleton of the song was coming to life, with bass, guitar, and drums playing in my head. A few days later, when my brother Tim and I finished the chorus and the bridge I knew we had something special.
Someday, I hope to visit Iraq and see first-hand what my friend Jeremy is up to. Till then, I'm gonna think of him every time I sing this song. It's just a song, but then again music can change the world, I know it's changed mine. So let "Float" be a song of encouragement, to reach higher far above the patterns of this world. I'd like to dedicate this song not just to Jeremy, but to all the freedom fighters out there. To the doctors, the dreamers, the champions of community, the hopeful, the discouraged, let this be a song that reminds you to stay on course. Don't slow down! Stay unique! Don't give up! Resist the urge to become cynical and apathetic! Keep on loving, keep on hoping, and stay faithful to the purpose for which you were created.
Away from the crowd's where you realize The herd's insecure of the free mind So don't let them tell you what to feel like You can't bring me down, can't bring me down It's how we float-jon
