John Ondrasik is a bit of a musical anomaly. Most people know him as Five for Fighting, the guy who wrote that 9/11 anthem "Superman (It’s Not Easy)" or the wedding-staple "100 Years." But if you really dig into the catalog, there’s this one track that hits different. Heaven Knows by Five for Fighting isn't just a b-side or a filler track; it’s a masterclass in early-2000s piano rock that honestly deserved way more radio play than it actually got.
It’s weird.
Music history tends to flatten artists into their biggest hits. We remember Ondrasik for the high, vulnerable vocals and the "everyman" piano ballads. Yet, "Heaven Knows"—specifically the version found on the 2004 album The Battle for Everything—shows a slightly darker, more philosophical side of his songwriting. It's not just about feelings. It’s about the sheer frustration of not having the answers.
The Sound of The Battle for Everything era
When The Battle for Everything dropped in February 2004, Ondrasik was under an enormous amount of pressure. Think about it. He had just come off the massive, culture-shifting success of America Town. Following up a song like "Superman" is basically a nightmare for a songwriter. You're expected to capture lightning in a bottle twice, but you also want to prove you aren't a one-hit wonder.
"Heaven Knows" sits as the fourth track on that record. It’s surrounded by heavy hitters like "100 Years" and "The Devil in the Wishing Well." While "100 Years" went on to become a massive hit, "Heaven Knows" feels more like the emotional glue of the album. It’s got that signature mid-tempo drive. The piano isn't just tinkling in the background; it's driving the melody forward with this sort of insistent, rhythmic pulse.
Listen closely to the production. Bill Bottrell, who produced the album, really let the instruments breathe. You can hear the grit in the strings. It doesn't feel over-sanitized like a lot of the pop-rock coming out of mid-2000s Los Angeles. There’s a rawness to the vocal delivery where Ondrasik pushes his falsetto into a place that feels almost desperate.
What Heaven Knows by Five for Fighting is actually saying
Lyrics matter. Especially with Five for Fighting. Ondrasik has always been a "lyrics first" kind of guy, often writing about the passage of time, fatherhood, and the existential dread of being an American in the early 21st century.
The core of "Heaven Knows" is about the search for truth in a world that feels increasingly chaotic. When he sings about "looking for a reason" or the idea that "heaven knows" where we're going, he’s tapping into a universal anxiety. It’s not a religious song in the traditional sense. It’s more about the admission of ignorance.
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We don't know.
That’s the point. The song embraces the "I don't know" factor of life. In 2004, the world was still reeling from the Iraq War and a shifting political landscape. While Ondrasik has never been a "protest singer" in the vein of Bob Dylan, his songs often reflect the internal emotional state of a public trying to find their footing.
Breaking down the lyrical structure
The verses are tight. They set a scene of a man basically wandering through his own thoughts. But the chorus? That’s where the magic happens.
- The Hook: It’s anthemic. It’s designed to be sung in a car with the windows down while you’re questioning your career choices.
- The Bridge: It shifts the energy. It moves away from the driving piano and into a more ethereal space before crashing back into the final chorus.
Most people mistake his music for being "soft." That’s a mistake. If you listen to the bridge of "Heaven Knows," there’s a tension there. It’s the sound of someone trying to hold things together while everything is spinning out of control. It’s "dad rock" with an existential crisis.
Why it didn't become as big as 100 Years
It’s a fair question. Why did "100 Years" become a multi-platinum staple while Heaven Knows by Five for Fighting remained a "fan favorite"?
Timing is everything in the music business. "100 Years" was the lead single. It had the marketing muscle. It had the relatable concept of aging that everyone from 8 to 80 could understand. "Heaven Knows" is a bit more abstract. It’s a bit more "thinky."
Also, radio formats in 2004 were starting to shift. We were moving away from the earnest singer-songwriter vibe and into a more processed, upbeat pop sound. Ondrasik was sticking to his guns—real instruments, real stories—which meant he was competing with the beginning of the digital revolution in music.
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The technical side of Ondrasik’s performance
If you’re a musician, you know that Five for Fighting songs are deceptively hard to play. Ondrasik is a classically trained pianist. His arrangements often use inversions and chord voicings that your average "four-chord" pop star wouldn't touch.
In "Heaven Knows," the left hand on the piano is doing a lot of heavy lifting. It’s creating a percussive foundation that allows the drums to stay relatively simple. This creates a "wall of sound" effect that is surprisingly full for a song that is essentially built around a keyboard.
Then there’s the vocal range. Ondrasik’s voice is naturally high, but he uses his head voice to create a sense of vulnerability. In the recording of "Heaven Knows," you can hear him hitting those high notes with a slight break—not because he can't hit them, but because it conveys the emotion of the lyrics. It’s intentional. It’s craft.
The legacy of the song in live performances
If you’ve ever seen Five for Fighting live, you know that Ondrasik is a storyteller. He usually sits at the grand piano, often solo or with a small string quartet.
"Heaven Knows" often gets a massive reaction from the "real" fans. It’s the song that people request when they want to hear something other than the radio hits. In a live setting, the song stretches out. The piano solo usually gets a bit more flamboyant. It’s a moment where Ondrasik gets to show off his chops.
He’s mentioned in various interviews over the years that The Battle for Everything was one of his favorite albums to write because it felt like he was finally finding his voice as an adult, not just a "rising star." You can hear that maturity in this track.
Common misconceptions about the lyrics
People often think this song is about a breakup. It’s not.
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While you can certainly apply a romantic lens to it, the song is much broader. It’s about the relationship between a person and their purpose. It’s about the "heaven" of our own expectations and how often we fall short of them. If you listen to it thinking it’s a love song, you’re missing the forest for the trees.
How to listen to it today
Context matters. If you’re going to revisit "Heaven Knows," don't just stream it on a crappy phone speaker.
- Get the vinyl if you can. The analog warmth suits the piano and strings perfectly.
- Listen to the full album. "Heaven Knows" works best when it follows the track "Silent Night" (no, not the Christmas song, but the Ondrasik original) and leads into the rest of the record.
- Watch the live versions. There are several high-quality recordings of John performing this song solo. It strips away the production and leaves you with the bare bones of the songwriting.
Real talk: The impact on the genre
Five for Fighting, along with artists like Vanessa Carlton and Gavin DeGraw, kept the piano at the center of the Billboard charts for a brief window in the early 2000s. "Heaven Knows" is a prime example of that era’s peak. It was a time when you could have a hit song that didn't rely on a heavy beat or a guest rapper.
It was about the song. It was about the melody.
While the landscape of music has changed drastically since then—shifting toward shorter songs and more synthetic sounds—there is still a massive audience for this kind of "unplugged" honesty. You can see the influence of this style in modern artists like Sara Bareilles or even some of Taylor Swift's more piano-driven "Folklore" era work.
Actionable steps for fans and new listeners
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the world of Five for Fighting beyond the radio hits, "Heaven Knows" is your entry point. Here is how to actually engage with this piece of music history:
- Analyze the Lyrics: Take a second to actually read the lyric sheet for "Heaven Knows." Look at the imagery of the "miles and miles" and the "shadows." It’s more poetic than you remember.
- Explore the Discography: After you’ve sat with this track, move to Two Lights. It’s the album that followed The Battle for Everything and continues many of the same philosophical themes.
- Check out the "String Quartet" Versions: Ondrasik has released several live albums featuring string arrangements. Hearing "Heaven Knows" with a full cello and violin section is a completely different experience.
- Support the Artist: John Ondrasik is still very active, often using his platform for philanthropic efforts and new music. Following his current projects gives you a better appreciation for where he was mentally when he wrote "Heaven Knows" twenty years ago.
The song is a reminder that we don't need to have all the answers. Sometimes, just acknowledging that "heaven knows" is enough to get you through the day. It’s a piece of 2000s nostalgia that actually holds up under scrutiny, proving that good songwriting is timeless, regardless of how many years have passed.