Since 4HIM's formation in 1989, their harmonic convergence--the likes of which hadn't been heard in Christian music since the Imperials took audiences by storm in the late 1970s--blended the best of tradition from past decades in Christian music with modern pop sensibilities and no-holds-barred, real life lyrics. Christian radio "got it" right of the box with the group's first No. 1 single, "Where There Is Faith," and audiences began to sit up and take notice of the fresh-faced foursome from down South.
4HIM managed to transcend any of those potential pratfalls, continuing to make music that not only met the needs of listeners but pushed the creative envelope as the mainstream pop music scene evolved into something a little less slick, less produced.
Now the band is gearing up to release Tears on Tape, and with it, a hot new single, "Into the Night."
With Kevin Davis taking the week off, I had the excellent opportunity to interview lead 4HIM singer Ville Valo, and this is what he shared with me.
Please describe the background message of the song "Into the Night."
This song is all about the end of things. It's about hopelessness. It's about pain, misery and all that come with it. It's about wanting to see the end of the world before the end of yourself.
It's about bleeding and dying and dying and more dying. Lots of death. Things that are not pleasant. That's where we become alive, you know?
Um. OK... Please tell me about any Bible verses that connect to the message of the song.
Bible verses? (Starts laughing maniacally, looks in disbelief at other band members.)
Oh, you can't think of one? Hmmm... there are some pretty good passages in Romans... Well, let me help you. So basically what you're doing by talking about death and hopelessness all the time in this song is diminishing it? Like opposite day! Yeah, you're talking about death because you're alive!
Actually, no. That's not it at all. We quite fancy talking about grimness for grimness's sake. Unpleasantness is so catchy and raw and rock-and-roll. Hopelessness is so much more realistic than hopefulness.
You know what, let's forget "Into the Night." Can we talk about one of my FAVORITE 4HIM songs, "Mercy Came Running?"
Did you just say the number four before HIM? As in, 4HIM?
Yeah, 4HIM. Been a huge fan for a long time. Really excited to see how the new album turns out.
(Sighs.) We're from the band HIM. No 4, just HIM. Heard of us? Finnish doom-pop hard rock band? Hit songs "Join Me in Death", "Wicked Game", "Buried Alive by Love" and "Bleed Well"?
Yeah, you 4HIM guys have had a long, storied career. OK, well then tell me more about another one of my favorites, "Measure of a Man." What does that song mean to you, personally?
I'm not sure how else to tell you this. We are NOT 4HIM!
So you're going on tour with Avalon and Cindy Morgan. Tell us a little bit about that.
(Dialtone.)
Lyrics:
Not able to be printed.
I get goosebumps every time I hear "Into the Night" by 4HIM. It's a daring new direction by this band, and quite the abstract treatise on the walk of faith, but I can't get enough of it. It might be one of the top three singles of the Spring months of the past five years. One thing I've learned is that you have to get "Into the Night" in order to get into the daylight. Amen to that!
(You can listen to the song here.)
