This Is Home
Encyclopedia
"This Is Home" is a song written and recorded by the alternative rock
band Switchfoot
, and is featured on the soundtrack for the 2008 film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
. The song was featured during the end credits of the film. It was the 17th most-played song on U.S. Contemporary Christian music
radio stations for 2008 according to R&R magazine's
Christian CHR
chart.
On a March 22, 2008 blog, Foreman announced that the song's name would be "This Is Home". It was confirmed on April 2, 2008 by the Narnia Insider.
The song was performed for the first time live at University of Iowa's Iowa Memorial Union on Wednesday night, April 16, 2008.
Foreman said, "I'm a huge C.S. Lewis fan and one of the big reasons I love his writing is because there's a longing in every page of his fiction and non-fiction... He doesn't create worlds that are picture perfect, but they feel real, they feel like they could exist, and thats because it feels like this world here where we're all longing for things to be set right."
"‘This Is Home’ was inspired by the book after re-reading it for the opportunity to write for the film. I am always taken by [C. S.] Lewis' ability to write about the bittersweet beauty in this world; this home we aren’t really made for but is the place we work out our humanity in the midst of our longing for our true home."
The song was also featured on ESPN
SportsCenter
s "Titletown" segment which ran throughout July 2008.
Partnering with Walt Disney Records
and in addition to local marketing surrounding the film, the band's Christian-side distributor, Sparrow Records
under EMI CMG Label Group released "This Is Home" to AC and CHR Christian radio. The band's management team, Red Light Management/Entertainment, partnering with the Disney-owned Hollywood Records
put the single out at mainstream AC and Triple A radio formats.
In November, the new music video for the song was released in November by Sony, and the song was reshipped to radio, with little success.
The video premiered May 2, 2008 on Disney.com, and was posted on the band's official website as streaming YouTube
video three days later. The video is included in the enhanced portion of the soundtrack carried in certain stores.
November 19, 2008. It featured an introductory speech about the song by Foreman at the beginning, and features live footage from a concert the band played. Sony owns the copyright to the video, so it is assumed the video was shot for promotion of "The Best Yet" compilation.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Switchfoot
Switchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman , Tim Foreman , Chad Butler , Jerome Fontamillas , and Drew Shirley .After early successes in the Christian rock scene, Switchfoot first gained mainstream...
, and is featured on the soundtrack for the 2008 film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is a 2008 epic fantasy film based on Prince Caspian, the second published, fourth chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It is the second in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden Media, following The...
. The song was featured during the end credits of the film. It was the 17th most-played song on U.S. Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
radio stations for 2008 according to R&R magazine's
R&R (magazine)
R&R was a weekly music trade publication that followed the radio industry and tracked the monitoring of current songs by format, station and audience cumes...
Christian CHR
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
chart.
Song history
Jon Foreman posted in a March 17, 2008 MySpace blog that "I’m a big fan of CS Lewis so a movie made by the mouse, (Mickey) for the lion (Aslan) seemed like a good idea. So I’m up here (near Disneyland incidentally), tracking a song that may or may not be used for the next Narnia movie."On a March 22, 2008 blog, Foreman announced that the song's name would be "This Is Home". It was confirmed on April 2, 2008 by the Narnia Insider.
The song was performed for the first time live at University of Iowa's Iowa Memorial Union on Wednesday night, April 16, 2008.
Foreman said, "I'm a huge C.S. Lewis fan and one of the big reasons I love his writing is because there's a longing in every page of his fiction and non-fiction... He doesn't create worlds that are picture perfect, but they feel real, they feel like they could exist, and thats because it feels like this world here where we're all longing for things to be set right."
"‘This Is Home’ was inspired by the book after re-reading it for the opportunity to write for the film. I am always taken by [C. S.] Lewis' ability to write about the bittersweet beauty in this world; this home we aren’t really made for but is the place we work out our humanity in the midst of our longing for our true home."
The song was also featured on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
s "Titletown" segment which ran throughout July 2008.
Versions
There are five different versions/mixes of the song.- The Radio Mix was the first version of the song that emerged on websites like allaccess.com and interlinc-online.com and features a full drum kit arrangement and a full-band performance. It is the mix that was shipped to and played on radio stations, likely for its more upbeat tempo. This is the version featured in the official music videos and on The Best YetThe Best YetThe Best Yet is the first "greatest hits" album from alternative rock band Switchfoot, released on November 4, 2008.Columbia Records, the band's former record label, was the mastermind behind releasing the record, with heavy input concerning the tracklist coming directly from the band itself...
.
- The Soundtrack version is the one found on the actual soundtrack cd for the movie, and features light percussion in place of the full drum set, along with a more atmospheric feel in the overall sound mix.
- The Credits version is drastically different from the other two versions. Featured in the end credits of the actual movie that was shown in theaters and on the DVD, it features altered lyrics, and shorter length. Copies of this version first emerged online as a result of pre-release rips of the "Prince Caspian" DVD. This "credits version" was chosen over the others because "the director liked our demo version of the song the best and actually put that part of the demo version in the actual film," according to guitarist Drew ShirleyDrew ShirleyAndrew Philip Shirley is a guitarist and the newest member of the alternative rock band Switchfoot. Shirley attended California Baptist University studying a Fine Arts degree with a Music minor. During that time he also started and led various school bands and shows. He had only started playing...
.
- An acoustic cut of the song that was released as a single that was exclusive to the RhapsodyRhapsody (online music service)Rhapsody is an online music store subscription service, launched in December 2001, and available in the United States only. On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody officially declared its independence from RealNetworks. Downloaded files come with restrictions on their use, enforced by Helix, Rhapsody's version...
music store/service.
- In August, 2009, The band also made available one of their earlier demo cuts of the song, at the time titled "Heading Home," exclusively to the Friends of the Foot fan club.
Release as a radio single
The single impacted to radio on April 25, 2008.Partnering with Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
and in addition to local marketing surrounding the film, the band's Christian-side distributor, Sparrow Records
Sparrow Records
-Background:Sparrow Records was founded in 1976 by Billy Ray Hearn, then A&R director at Myrrh Records. Purchased by EMI in 1992, it is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group, and has been named by Billboard Magazine as "America's Best Christian Music Record Label"...
under EMI CMG Label Group released "This Is Home" to AC and CHR Christian radio. The band's management team, Red Light Management/Entertainment, partnering with the Disney-owned Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
put the single out at mainstream AC and Triple A radio formats.
In November, the new music video for the song was released in November by Sony, and the song was reshipped to radio, with little success.
Chart positions
| Chart | Position |
|---|---|
| Hot AC | #63 |
| CHR Christian CHR Christian CHR is a radio format that is common in the United States and Australia focusing on playing current and recent music as determined by the Christian Top 40.... |
#3 |
| Christian Rock Airplay | #21 |
| Billboard Hot Christian Songs | #14 |
| Billboard Hot Christian Adult Contemporary | #21 |
| Billboard Hot Christian Songs | #4 |
Awards
The song was nominated for a Dove Award for Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year at the 40th GMA Dove Awards.Version 1 (Prince Caspian)
The band shot a music video for the song, interspersed with footage from the actual movie on Sunday, April 13, 2008.The video premiered May 2, 2008 on Disney.com, and was posted on the band's official website as streaming YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video three days later. The video is included in the enhanced portion of the soundtrack carried in certain stores.
Version 2
The band shot another music video, and it was released on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
November 19, 2008. It featured an introductory speech about the song by Foreman at the beginning, and features live footage from a concert the band played. Sony owns the copyright to the video, so it is assumed the video was shot for promotion of "The Best Yet" compilation.
Other appearances
- The song also appears on Switchfoot's The Best YetThe Best YetThe Best Yet is the first "greatest hits" album from alternative rock band Switchfoot, released on November 4, 2008.Columbia Records, the band's former record label, was the mastermind behind releasing the record, with heavy input concerning the tracklist coming directly from the band itself...
greatest hits compilation. - The song appeared on Walt Disney RecordsWalt Disney RecordsWalt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
' compilation, Disney Box Office Hits. - The song was also by appearances by the compilation album WOW Hits 2009WOW Hits 2009WOW Hits 2009 is a two-disc compilation album composed of some of the biggest hits on Christian radio during the previous year. Disc one features more of the adult contemporary hits, while disc two features the CHR–pop and rock hits....
. - The song appeared in the Michigan Stadium Re-Dedication video