The Motions (song)

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|quote = I think one of the greatest challenges in actively living out a relationship with Christ on earth is to avoid the trap of simply going through the motions ... I know how to put up a spiritual front, even if I’m not passionately seeking God. That's why I wrote the song.

|source = Matthew West on the song's meaning

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The song was originally inspired by a column that Matthew West wrote in the "Writer's Block" portion of CCM Magazine. During part of 2007, West was a contributing columnist to the magazine, primarily discussing the details and method of his songwriting. In June 2007, his column drew a comparison between songwriting and personal life, talking about "moving through the motions" and writing a "perfectly structured" song; it soon becomes evident, however, that the song lacks inspiration and cannot be "[awoken] from its apparent slumber". Soon afterward "The Motions" was written, based on that concept.{{cite web|url=http://www.ccmmagazine.com/news/stories/11600355/|title=Which Came First: The CCM Column…or the Song?|work=CCM Magazine|accessdate=May 2, 2009|date=March 2009|author=Matthew West}}

West said he wrote the song after being "tired of that constant settling for a stale faith. God is a God of passion. His true plan for our lives is anything but boring."{{cite web|url=http://www.ccmmagazine.com/just_for_you/story_behind_the_song/11598925/|title=Story Behind the Song: Matthew West's "The Motions"|work=CCM Magazine|author=Matthew West|accessdate=May 1, 2009}}

In April 2007, he had experienced vocal problems, which led to surgery and a prescribed period of silence for two months. He said that the experience "brought [the] song to life for me".

The song was released to Christian radio at the beginning of January 2009. It began rising on Christian music charts in March, and on April 17, it reached number 1 on R&R's Christian AC chart.{{cite web|url=http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRWebsite20/members/Charts.aspx?ChartId=21|title=Christian AC National Airplay|work=R&R|date=May 15, 2009|accessdate=May 14, 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426042352/http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRWebSite20/Members/Charts.aspx?ChartId=21|archivedate=April 26, 2009}} It remained at the top position for five consecutive weeks. It also placed at number 2 on the Christian contemporary hit radio format in April.{{cite web|url=http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRWebsite20/members/Charts.aspx?ChartId=25|title=Christian CHR National Airplay|work=R&R|accessdate=May 2, 2009|date=May 1, 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422094326/http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRWebSite20/Members/Charts.aspx?ChartId=25|archivedate=April 22, 2009}} According to Nielsen SoundScan, "The Motions" was the top downloaded Christian track starting at the last week of April. In May 2009, the song reached number 10 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which is equivalent to placing at 110 on the Hot 100.{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=matthew west|chart=Bubbling Under Hot 100}}|title=Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=May 8, 2009|date=May 16, 2009}}

On April 16, West played "The Motions" at the Vanderburgh County Right to Life event, which was attended by Michael Steele and guest speaker Sarah Palin.{{cite web|url=http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/news/2009/05/01.MATTHEW%20WESTS%20THE%20MOTIONS%20NO.%201%20AT%20RADIO%20A%20THIRD%20CONSECUTIVE%20WEEK%20.asp|title=Matthew West's "The Motions" No. 1 at Radio a Third Consecutive Week|publisher=Jesus Freak Hideout (Savvy Media)|accessdate=May 2, 2009|date=May 1, 2009}} He also performed the song on Trinity Broadcasting Network's program Praise the Lord, which was aired on May 1.

A campaign website was created in promotion of the song, which includes a section where listeners submit "Motions Resolutions".{{cite web|url=http://www.christianpost.com/Entertainment/Music/2009/04/matthew-west-scores-second-no-1-for-the-motions-18/index.html|title=Matthew West Scores Second No. 1 for 'The Motions'|work=Christian Post|accessdate=May 2, 2009|date=April 19, 2009|author=Kevin Donovan}}

The song was generally well received by critics. Jesus Freak Hideout's review noted that the song caused his album, Something to Say, to be "anything but a buffet of the 'same old stuff'."{{cite web|url=http://jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/SomethingtoSay.asp|title=Matthew West, "Something to Say" Review|accessdate=May 2, 2009|publisher=Jesus Freak Hideout|date=January 11, 2008|author= Jessica Gregorius}} On December 3, 2009, the song was Grammy Award nominated for the Best Gospel Song category, which was Matthew West's first Grammy nomination.{{cite press release |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3937079|title=Grammy-Nominated Matthew West Plays Following Wave Game|accessdate=December 8, 2009|date=December 4, 2009|publisher=OurSports Central}}

Matthew West created a music video for the song, which was the first video he had ever done. It premiered at tangle.com during the week of March 20, 2009.{{cite web|url=http://matthewwest.typepad.com/matthew_wests_blog/2009/03/the-motions-music-video.html|title=Matthew West's Blog: "The Motions" Music Video|date=March 20, 2009|author=Matthew West|accessdate=May 1, 2009|publisher=TypePad}} The video highlighted on his experience in 2007 with vocal fold surgery and two months of prescribed silence. The video includes footage of West performing the song on stage, primarily taking scenes from his 2008 documentary video, Nothing to Say.

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Matthew West|title=The Motions|award=Platinum|relyear=2010|certyear=2018|accessdate=December 6, 2018|refname="RIAA"}}

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{{reflist}}

• [http://www.matthewwest.com/motions/ Website for "The Motions"]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090119002313/http://www.mtv.com/lyrics/west__matthew/the_motions/20047892/lyrics.jhtml "The Motions" lyrics] at MTV.com

{{Matthew West}}

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Category:2009 singles

Category:Matthew West songs

Category:Songs written by Matthew West

Category:2008 songs

Category:Sparrow Records singles