Hanging By A Moment:

This is a love song that can be interpreted in a bunch of different ways.

Sick Cycle Carousel:

It's about my relationship with my girlfriend.  There was a specific time when we felt the struggles of going through a relationship, of trying to communicate and going through all the things you go through to get to that point of real depth.  I wrote the song during the most crucial time  when we were either going to break up, or continue our relationship.

Unknown:

I wrote that with [manager] Jude Cole and [producer] Ron Aniello.  I wasn't planning on co-writing with anyone, but Jude had the chorus  "I am falling into grace / to the unknown to where you are / and faith makes everybody scared / it's the unknown, the don't-known / that keeps me hanging onto you."  I really connected to it and it totally fit in with my other lyrics, I wrote the verses to it and the bridge and it all just went together.  I like writing with other people now.  It depends on the mood I'm in, though.  Most of the time I write by myself, but if the mood's right, it's fun to collaborate.

Somebody Else's Song:

When I was writing "Somebody Else's Song" I had this picture of some kid with all these expectations on him, about what he's supposed to become in the world and what he's supposed to do.  That's where I got that lyric "I've got somebody else's thoughts in my head / I want some of my own."  It's about figuring things out for yourself.  There was this whole period where I was searching and trying to think for myself.  I was, like, I don't want to believe in something just because my parents believe in it.  Or, I don't want to go to college just because they told me to go to college.  I think people go through that kind of stuff their whole lives.

Trying:

I wrote "Trying" when I was 15.  It's about the same kind of spiritual searching as "Only One."  After my parents got divorced, I wrote the lyrics to it, then learned how to play guitar and came up with the melody.  The song's about finding your way in life.  I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, what I wanted to become, not just in music but also who I was as a person.  I consider "Trying" my first song, the first one I didn't scrap.  The funny thing is, I can relate to it more now than I could back then.  Sometimes I think, "Man  where did that come from?"  I still feel the same emotion when I play it, so I guess it's pretty timeless; people can relate to it, no matter how old they are.

Only One:

I wrote "Only One" right after someone in my life did something I felt was totally wrong.  It was a really tough time for me.  I have these trails in my life, like my dad leaving and my not being with him anymore, and then this man, who I really looked up to, failing.  "Only One" is about how sometimes people are just not there for you and you have to look somewhere else for guidance.

Simon:

I wrote this about a friend of mine who told me about his childhood.  He was telling me how he went to school and was the outcast and everyone picked on him and called him names, and he didn't have one friend.  I started feeling the same emotions he must have felt and just started writing these lyrics.  I think some of the stuff from [growing up in] Hong Kong might have been related to that, not having any friends at that age and being, as a family, the outcast in a different culture.  The feeling of being alone, of being abandoned, connects to that.  So "Simon" came really easily  I wrote it in about 15 minutes.  These lyrics just poured out and I wrote them down and recorded it on the spot.

Cling and Clatter:

That's about trying to make your way through the cling and clatter  all the noise and emotional distractions  to get to what you really need.  It's about sorting through the conflicting voices inside and outside your head.

Breathing:

This is another love song that can be interpreted in a couple of different ways.  The verses say. "I'm finding my way back to sanity again."  So it's like trying really hard and then getting back to the place you started from.  Then the bridge says "I don't want a thing from you / Bet you're tired of me waiting for the scarps to fall off of your table to the ground."  It's kind of like not wanting anything from anyone, not hanging on every word they say and just having faith you'll be able to "be here now," which is how the song ends.

Quasimodo:

"Quasimodo" is a character who's chained down by people trying to get him to conform.  Sometimes I get pictures of people when I'm writing.  I look at this person like some kid at school who doesn't look as cool as the rest of the kids and doesn't act as cool.  There's a group of kids that comes along and try to make him what they want him to be and do things he doesn't want to do.  He goes along with it cause he's afraid.  But by the chorus, he's breaking out of that, saying, "There goes my pain / there goes my chains / did you see them falling / Because this feeling / that has no meaning / there goes the world / off of my shoulders."  So it ends hopefully.

Somewhere in Between:

Before my girlfriend and I got together, she had broken up with this guy.  I'd been head-over-heels for her for years even though she was dating him.  So they broke up, and I was like, "Man, if I don't make a move now, I may never get a chance."  I was always friends with her but never really could get a step further.  So I started taking her out to dinners and stuff.  She was a little bit on the rebound, but I think she had some feelings for me.  We were at that point where we weren't sure if we were dating or not, or even if she really liked me in that way.  It was a very vulnerable time for me and that's when I wrote "Somewhere In Between."  I poured all those feelings into the song.  Then I played it for her and that was it,  we were together.

Everything:

That's a super-special song for me.  It seems to really connect with other people, too.  It's one of those songs that every time I played it, a new part came to it.  That's why it's so long and kind of mysterious.  It's a bunch of different bits and pieces, but it has power because it kind of sums up everything I'm about  lyrically and in terms of my relationships and Lifehouse overall.  So I think it's a perfect way to end the record.