So Long Self
Encyclopedia
"So Long Self" is a song written and performed by Contemporary Christian
/Christian rock
band MercyMe
. Written and composed by MercyMe, the song is musically a power pop
song with a lyrical theme revolving around a breakup with sin
. "So Long Self" was released as the lead single
from MercyMe's 2006 album Coming Up to Breathe
.
"So Long Self" was added by fifty-two Christian AC stations in its first chart week, a record for the Christian AC chart. The song had success on both Christian and mainstream radio, peaking at No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs
chart and No. 16 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was also listed at No. 10 on Billboard
magazine's 2006 year-end Hot Christian Songs chart and No. 33 on the 2006 year-end Adult Contemporary chart. It also ranked at No. 61 on the Billboard decade-end Hot Christian AC chart.
or a boyfriend
growing up, or maybe the same thing happened to you, the ultimate breakup in life is when we breakup with ourselves. Because Christ said you have to die to self to follow him". "So Long Self" was written and composed by MercyMe
.
"So Long Self" is a power pop
song with a length of four minutes and three seconds. The song is set in the key of E major
and has a tempo
of 144 beats per minute, with a vocal range spanning from B3 to E5. The song is lyrically about a break-up with sin
ful human nature, and features a guitar solo
near the end of the song. The bridge
of the song features what has been described as Electric Light Orchestra
-influenced vocals.
type vocals that penetrate the song's middle". Lauren Summerford of Jesus Freak Hideout
stated that "Lead single "So Long Self" is one the best tracks Coming Up To Breathe has to offer. With a lyrical hook sure to have radio listeners singing along, this song finds [Bart] Millard bidding farewell to sinful nature and moving closer to Christ". Russ Breimeier of Christianity Today
commented that "It almost seems like MercyMe is overcompensating to gain artistic credibility with the bouncy single "So Long Self," an undeniably catchy breakup song with our sinful nature that echoes[Steven Curtis] Chapman
covering The Beatles
, going so far as to playfully evoke a carnival in the bridge".
"So Long Self" debuted at No. 26 on Billboard
magazine's Hot Christian Songs
chart for the chart week of April 1, 2006. The song jumped up to No. 15 the next week before advancing to No. 10 in its fourth chart week. "So Long Self" advanced to No. 4 for the chart week of May 13, 2006, and hit No. 1 ten weeks later, a spot the song held for four consecutive weeks. After "So Long Self" spent its fourth and final weeks at the top, the song spent nine more weeks on the chart before dropping out. In all, "So Long Self" spent twenty-six weeks on the chart. On the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, "So Long Self" debuted at No. 38 for the chart week of May 6, 2006, and advanced to No. 23 in its second week on the chart. The song advanced to No. 20 in its fourth week on the chart and spent a further three weeks inside the top 20 before dropping back to No. 22 on its eighth chart week. "So Long Self" reached its eventual peak of No. 16 for the chart week of August 5, 2006, and spent a further six weeks on the chart before dropping out. In all, "So Long Self" spent twenty weeks on the chart.
for a concert. When the band realize they cannot possibly be playing a 'live' soundcheck since they are in their tour bus
, they exit the vehicle to stop the doppelgänger
s. The real band members trap the fakes in a room, and then go out on stage and perform. Near the end of the video, security kicks the fake band members out of the arena.
Matt Johnson of Jesus Freak Hideout commented about the video on his review of MercyMe's album 10
, noting that "Most people think of serious worshipful songs (such as "I Can Only Imagine
" & "Word of God Speak
") when they think of MercyMe, but the "So Long Self" video captures a side that most don't think of, their fun side".
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
/Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
band MercyMe
MercyMe
MercyMe is an American Christian rock band founded in Greenville, Texas. The band consists of vocalist Bart Millard, keyboardist James Bryson, percussionist Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul....
. Written and composed by MercyMe, the song is musically a power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
song with a lyrical theme revolving around a breakup with sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
. "So Long Self" was released as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from MercyMe's 2006 album Coming Up to Breathe
Coming Up to Breathe
Coming Up to Breathe is the fifth major label, full-length studio album from MercyMe. Released in on April 25, 2006, the album was intended by MercyMe to be edgier and heavier than their previous efforts. Coming Up to Breathe received almost universally positive reviews from critics, and sold...
.
"So Long Self" was added by fifty-two Christian AC stations in its first chart week, a record for the Christian AC chart. The song had success on both Christian and mainstream radio, peaking at No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs
Hot Christian Songs
Christian Songs is a Billboard chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States....
chart and No. 16 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was also listed at No. 10 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine's 2006 year-end Hot Christian Songs chart and No. 33 on the 2006 year-end Adult Contemporary chart. It also ranked at No. 61 on the Billboard decade-end Hot Christian AC chart.
Background and composition
Lead singer Bart Millard has described the story behind "So Long Self" as "...really simple: It’s Not About Us. It never has been and it never will be. Just like when maybe you had to break up with a girlfriendGirlfriend
Girlfriend is a term that can refer to either a female partner in a non-marital romantic relationship or a female non-romantic friend that is closer than other friends....
or a boyfriend
Boyfriend
A boyfriend is a person's regular male companion in a romantic or sexual relationship, although normally not in long-term committed relationships, where other titles A boyfriend is a person's regular male companion in a romantic or sexual relationship, although normally not in long-term committed...
growing up, or maybe the same thing happened to you, the ultimate breakup in life is when we breakup with ourselves. Because Christ said you have to die to self to follow him". "So Long Self" was written and composed by MercyMe
MercyMe
MercyMe is an American Christian rock band founded in Greenville, Texas. The band consists of vocalist Bart Millard, keyboardist James Bryson, percussionist Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul....
.
"So Long Self" is a power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
song with a length of four minutes and three seconds. The song is set in the key of E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
and has a tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 144 beats per minute, with a vocal range spanning from B3 to E5. The song is lyrically about a break-up with sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
ful human nature, and features a guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
near the end of the song. The bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
of the song features what has been described as Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
-influenced vocals.
Critical reception
"So Long Self" received positive reviews from critics. Steve Losey of Allmusic commented that "["So Long Self"] has mass appeal musically and lyrically", also opining that "the coolest part about the poppy hook is the ELOElectric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
type vocals that penetrate the song's middle". Lauren Summerford of Jesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout is a Christian music website. The website specializes in reviewing, previewing, and selling Christian albums. The website is known for its album reviews, independent music, artist interviews, concert dates and ministry through devotionals and prayer...
stated that "Lead single "So Long Self" is one the best tracks Coming Up To Breathe has to offer. With a lyrical hook sure to have radio listeners singing along, this song finds [Bart] Millard bidding farewell to sinful nature and moving closer to Christ". Russ Breimeier of Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
commented that "It almost seems like MercyMe is overcompensating to gain artistic credibility with the bouncy single "So Long Self," an undeniably catchy breakup song with our sinful nature that echoes
Steven Curtis Chapman
Steven Curtis Chapman is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, actor, author, and social activist.After starting his career in the late 1980s as a singer/songwriter of contemporary Christian music, Chapman has since been recognized as one of the most prolific singers in the genre,...
covering The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, going so far as to playfully evoke a carnival in the bridge".
Chart performance
Upon release, the song was added by fifty-two Christian AC stations - a record for the most adds in the history of the Christian AC chart. The record was previously forty-five adds, accomplished by the Joy Williams song "Hide" (2005). "So Long Self" later peaked at No. 1 on the Christian AC chart."So Long Self" debuted at No. 26 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine's Hot Christian Songs
Hot Christian Songs
Christian Songs is a Billboard chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States....
chart for the chart week of April 1, 2006. The song jumped up to No. 15 the next week before advancing to No. 10 in its fourth chart week. "So Long Self" advanced to No. 4 for the chart week of May 13, 2006, and hit No. 1 ten weeks later, a spot the song held for four consecutive weeks. After "So Long Self" spent its fourth and final weeks at the top, the song spent nine more weeks on the chart before dropping out. In all, "So Long Self" spent twenty-six weeks on the chart. On the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, "So Long Self" debuted at No. 38 for the chart week of May 6, 2006, and advanced to No. 23 in its second week on the chart. The song advanced to No. 20 in its fourth week on the chart and spent a further three weeks inside the top 20 before dropping back to No. 22 on its eighth chart week. "So Long Self" reached its eventual peak of No. 16 for the chart week of August 5, 2006, and spent a further six weeks on the chart before dropping out. In all, "So Long Self" spent twenty weeks on the chart.
Music video
The video opens with the members of MercyMe watching a television program of their live soundcheckSoundcheck
A soundcheck is the preparation that takes place before a concert, speech, or similar performance, when the performer and the sound crew run through a small portion of the upcoming show on the venue's sound system to make sure that the sound in the venue's "Front Of House" and stage monitor sound...
for a concert. When the band realize they cannot possibly be playing a 'live' soundcheck since they are in their tour bus
Sleeper bus
A sleeper bus is a type of specially adapted coach, often used to transport bands and their technicians and road crew between cities and shows....
, they exit the vehicle to stop the doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
s. The real band members trap the fakes in a room, and then go out on stage and perform. Near the end of the video, security kicks the fake band members out of the arena.
Matt Johnson of Jesus Freak Hideout commented about the video on his review of MercyMe's album 10
10 (MercyMe album)
- Personnel :*Brown Bannister – producer, engineer, digital editing, overdub engineer*Kristin Barlowe – photography*Steve Bishir – engineer, mixing, overdub engineer, tracking*Jim Bryson – piano, keyboards*Joel Cameron – mixing...
, noting that "Most people think of serious worshipful songs (such as "I Can Only Imagine
I Can Only Imagine
"I Can Only Imagine" is a single recorded by contemporary Christian and Christian rock band MercyMe. Written and composed by Bart Millard, the song, based around a main piano track, was inspired by the death of Millard's father and considers what it would be like in Heaven and to be standing...
" & "Word of God Speak
Word of God Speak
"Word of God Speak" is a song by contemporary Christian/Christian Rock band MercyMe. Written by Bart Millard and Pete Kipley, the song uses sparse instrumentation, featuring only piano and strings to accompany Millard's vocals...
") when they think of MercyMe, but the "So Long Self" video captures a side that most don't think of, their fun side".
Weekly charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Radio & Records Radio & Records Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and... Christian AC |
1 |
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot Christian Songs Hot Christian Songs Christian Songs is a Billboard chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.... |
1 |
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Adult Contemporary |
16 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2006) | Position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Christian Songs |
10 |
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Adult Contemporary |
33 |
Decade-end charts
| Chart (2000s) | Position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot Christian AC |
61 |
Chart procession and succession
}}External links
- MercyMe "So Long Self" music video at VevoVevoVevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
.com