"So Long Self" is a song written and performed by

Christian rock Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Ch ...

band

MercyMe MercyMe is an American contemporary Christian music band founded in Edmond, Oklahoma. The band consists of lead vocalist Bart Millard, percussionist Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul. The b ...

. "So Long Self" is musically a song with a lyrical theme revolving around a figurative

breakup A relationship breakup, breakup, or break-up is the termination of a relationship. The act is commonly termed "dumping omeone in slang when it is initiated by one partner. The term is less likely to be applied to a married couple, where a brea ...

with one's self. "So Long Self" was released as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from the band's 2006 album ''

Coming Up to Breathe ''Coming Up to Breathe'' is the fourth studio album by Christian rock band MercyMe. Released on April 25, 2006, by INO Records, the album was intended by MercyMe to be edgier than their previous albums. ''Coming Up to Breathe'' sold 58,000 copies ...

''. "So Long Self" received positive reception from critics, who praised the song's lyrical hook. It 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 number one on the

Christian Songs Hot Christian Songs is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It ranks the popularity of Christian songs using the same methodology developed for the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the magazine's flagship songs ...

chart for four consecutive weeks; it also peaked at number sixteen on the

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

chart. It was listed on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' magazine's 2006 year-end Christian Songs and Adult Contemporary charts.

Background and composition

Lead singer

Bart Millard Bart Marshall Millard (born December 1, 1972) is an American singer and songwriter who is best known as the leader of the band MercyMe. He has also released two solo albums: '' Hymned, No. 1'', in 2005 and '' Hymned Again'' in 2008. He received a ...

has described the story behind "So Long Self" as "...really simple: It’s Not About umanity It never has been and it never will be. Just like when maybe you had to

break up A relationship breakup, breakup, or break-up is the termination of a relationship. The act is commonly termed "dumping omeone in slang when it is initiated by one partner. The term is less likely to be applied to a married couple, where a bre ...

with a

girlfriend A girlfriend is a female friend, acquaintance or partner, usually a female companion with whom one is platonically, romantically, or sexually involved. In a romantic context, this normally signifies a committed relationship where the indi ...

or a

boyfriend A boyfriend is a male friend or acquaintance, often specifying a regular male companion with whom a person is romantically or sexually involved. A boyfriend can also be called an admirer, beau, suitor and sweetheart. The analogous female ...

growing up, or maybe the same thing happened to you, the ultimate breakup in life is when we breakup with ourselves. Because

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...

said you have to die to self to follow him". The song is also lyrically about a break-up with

sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...

ful human nature. "So Long Self" was written and composed by

. It was recorded in

Allaire Studios Glen Tonche is an estate atop Mount Tonche, in Ulster County, near Shokan, New York. The estate's house was built in 1928 as the summer family compound of American businessman Raymond Pitcairn, whose family founded PPG Industries. Since 1999 ...

Shokan, New York Shokan is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet (and census-designated place) located in the town of Olive, New York, Olive in Ulster County, New York, Ulster County, New York (state), New York, United States, within the Catskill Park. The population was 1,1 ...

; overdubs were recorded in Oxford Sound in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, while

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

were recorded at

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

. "So Long Self" is a song with a length of four minutes and three seconds. The song is set in the key of

A-flat major A-flat major (or the key of A-flat) is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has four flats. The A-flat major scale is: : Its relative minor is F minor. Its parallel minor, A-flat minor, ...

and has a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 144

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

, with a vocal range spanning from B₃ to E₅. "So Long Self" features a

guitar solo A guitar solo is a melodic passage, instrumental section, or entire piece of music, pre-written (or improvised) to be played on a classical guitar, electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. In 20th and 21st century traditional music and popular m ...

near the end of the song, and the

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

of the song features what has been described as

Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop, classical a ...

-influenced vocals.

Reception

Critical reception

"So Long Self" received positive reviews from critics. Steve Losey of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

commented that " So Long Self'has mass appeal musically and lyrically", also opining that "the coolest part about the poppy hook is the ELO type vocals that penetrate the song's middle". Lauren Summerford of Jesus Freak Hideout stated that "Lead single 'So Long Self' is one of the best tracks ''Coming Up To Breathe'' has to offer. With a lyrical hook sure to have radio listeners singing along, this song finds

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

Millard bidding farewell to sinful nature and moving closer to Christ". Russ Breimeier of ''

Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...

'' 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 teven Curtis/nowiki> Chapman covering

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

, 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 number one on the Christian AC chart, as well as at number one on the

chart and at number sixteen on the

chart. "So Long Self" debuted at No. 26 on ''

'' magazine's 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.Note: User must input the data manually to achieve the result. On the ''Billboard''

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.Note: User must input the search data manually to achieve the result. ''Billboard'' ranked "So Long Self" at No. 10 on its 2006 year-end Christian Songs chart, and at No. 33 on its year-end Adult Contemporary chart. They also ranked the song at No. 61 on the 2000s decade-end

Hot Christian AC The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

chart.

Music video

A music video was released for "So Long Self". The video opens with the members of the band watching a television program of their live

soundcheck A sound check is the preparation that takes place before a concert, speech, or similar performance to adjust the sound on the venue's sound reinforcement or public address system. The performer and the audio engineers run through a small port ...

for a concert. When the band realizes it cannot possibly be playing a 'live' soundcheck since they are in their

tour bus A tour bus service is an escorted tour (sometimes a package holiday) or bus service that takes visitors sightseeing, with routes around tourist attractions. Information Double-decker buses and open top buses are commonly used, for providin ...

, they exit the vehicle to stop the imposters. 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 "Word of God Speak" is a song by Christian rock band MercyMe. Written by Bart Millard and Pete Kipley, "Word of God Speak" uses sparse instrumentation, featuring only piano and strings to accompany Millard's vocals. The lyrics to "Word of God S ...

") when they think of MercyMe, but the "So Long Self" video captures a side that most don't think of, their fun side".

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

References

External links

MercyMe "So Long Self" music video
at

Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...

.com {{MercyMe singles 2006 songs 2006 singles MercyMe songs Songs written by Bart Millard pt:So Long Self