Switchfoot – Twenty-Four

Twenty four oceans
Twenty four skies
Twenty four failures
Twenty four tries
Twenty four finds me
In twenty-fourth place
Twenty four drop outs
At the end of the day
Life is not what I thought it was
Twenty four hours ago

Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And I'm not who I thought I was twenty four hours ago
Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

Twenty four reasons to admit that I'm wrong
With all my excuses still twenty four strong

See I'm not copping out not copping out not copping out
When You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now

And You're raising these twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts
But I want to be one today
Centered and true

I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now
And You're raising the dead in me

I want to see miracles, see the world change
Wrestled the angel, for more than a name
For more than a feeling
For more than a cause
I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And You're raising the dead in me
Twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts.
I'm not copping out. Not copping out. Not copping out.


Lyrics submitted by rjbucs28, edited by JuliaWiersum

Twenty-Four song meanings
Add your thoughts

59 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +4
    General Comment"I wrote this song near the end of my 24th year on this planet. Wherever we run, wherever the sun finds us when he rises, we remain stuck with ourselves. That can be overwhelming. Sometimes I feel like my soul is polluted with politicians, each with a different point of view. With all 24 of them in disagreement, each voice is yelling to be heard. And so I am divided against myself. I feel that I am a hypocrite until I am one, when all of the yelling inside of me dies down. I've heard that the truth will set you free. That's what I'm living for: freedom of spirit. I find unity and peace in none of the diversions that this world offers. But I've seen glimpses of truth and that's where I want to run" - Jon Foreman
    bThuMpon November 27, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General CommentVery deep and powerful song. It is about all of the things one struggles with and how many times you fall down.. since he was 24 when he wrote this, he talks about how he's fallen down every year of his life... full of screw ups. But this song is about surrendering to God.. "Raising the dead in me" is about God reviving the his spirit... you know, being "spiritually dead" and the "I am the second man now" is him putting his own wants aside and bending to God's will... Jesus is the first man in his life now instead of himself.
    touchthestarsformeon April 02, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General Comment"Wrestled the angel, for more than a name"

    Refers to Jacob in the Bible, and how he wrestled the Angel for his Faith... The angel wounded him in the wrestling match, but even with his heart crying out in fear and his hip screaming out in pain Jacob wouldn't let go of the angel until he had the blessing of seeing God's face and receiving his new name from God. This also explains the I am a second man... After Jacob got his new name he lived for God. It's a beautiful song... I love Switchfoot... I'm just upset that they aren't as Christian Rock as they used to be.
    answeris42on November 08, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General CommentWhen I saw Switchfoot play in Columbus the lead singer said that he wrote this song on his 24th birthday, and that it's all about taking time out of your life to look back at your past and recognize the things you need to change to be a better person. It's a great song and it was absoutly amazing live... it was the highlight of the show for me.
    osubuckeye4on May 03, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI think that the lyric:

    "I want to see miracles, see the world change
    Wrestled the angel, for more than a name
    For more than a feeling
    For more than a cause"

    is talking about the idea that we do things with good intentions and we figure we don't need god for some of the smaller things, but in the end it's more then that. I'm still trying to figure out what this song means to me. But I do agree with clairpatra. that's probably the meaning behind it.
    slipknot3421on April 28, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General CommentIt's about a guy looking back on his life and realizing he hasn't been the person he wants to be. The Spirit is God. God is taking all of the "dead" or bad stuff out of him and he's becoming the second, or new man now. It's a beautiful song.
    ner23on September 17, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General CommentJon writes this reminiscing of 24 years of his time past the good ('24 oceans,24 skies'), the bad(24 failures,24 tries), and the ugly('24th place,24 dropouts').He finds himself in the revelation that 'life is not what' he 'though it was' in the beginning now he wants to be new-born in spirit as a 'second man'.He also says that that they are so many 'voices' (like several different people each a part of him) he hears divided in himself but he ignores it all to be 'centered and true' for the purpose of being focussed on second goal- 'raising the dead' desires - which are to 'see the world change'. Unlike before he is a 'second man' a dormant person within him has been raised from the dead in the spirits arms, instead of being set on petty 'feelings' or 'causes' he set to see 'the world change'
    dylanmikelrdon November 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Commenti like this song.
    tbs_bnon April 16, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Commentthis song has such a deep meaning to me and it just happened recently. me and this girl ive been best friends with for almost 4 years were sitting on her couch and were cuddling close and this song came on and it just fit the moment perfectly. it was like a movie...i wish the song had never ended
    moon in mourningon June 23, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI’m singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
    You’re raising the dead in me

    Shivers run down my back when I hear those words. I love it. I feel as if the dead in me is God. Maybe that's to easy of an idea but it makes sense to me. I love it though. It's like God is in all of us and slowly, He makes his appearance.
    werdna101on November 15, 2004   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top