"Mess of Me" is a song written and recorded by the alternative rock band Switchfoot and was the lead single from their seventh studio album, Hello Hurricane. It was shipped to Modern Rock/Alternative, Mainstream rock, and Active rock radio formats, while a music video was sent to all applicable outlets.

The song was initially called "I Saw Satan Fall Like Lightning," a track Switchfoot demoed during pre-production sessions for Hello Hurricane with Charlie Peacock. It had a more funk feel and had a different sound, though the opening riff was preserved all the way until the final version of the song. This early demo version has since made its way onto the bonus disc, Building a Hurricane.

The song was first performed live at the Big Ticket Festival in Michigan on June 18, 2009, and has since become a regular in Switchfoot's live setlist throughout the 2009 summer festival touring season and beyond.

It was first hinted that the song was going to be the single when Jon Foreman introduced it before playing it live at Kings Fest in Virginia on July 10, 2009, saying "as far as I'm concerned," the song was to be the lead single. On July 13, it was confirmed on switchfoot.com.

Later, on August 5, Jon Foreman and Tim Foreman took the song to producer Rob Cavallo, "working just a touch more" on it. The album track was mixed by Chris Lord-Alge.

Narrated in first person, the song describes the "mess" that imperfect people make of their lives, and a desire "spend the rest of my life alive" (as stated in the chorus). It describes how mistakes are constantly being made, and that the problems in one’s life cannot be fixed by drugs or other material things but only oneself. It expresses a desire to improve and become a better person despite the shortfalls that are being made continually. It also implies a protest against society's obsession with the pharmaceutical industry, which according to Forman has become the new way to "attain never-ending, everlasting, abundant life."

...
Wikipedia