How to Save a Life (song)
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This article documents a current single. Information is likely to change as the song remains in the charts. |
| "How to Save a Life" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by The Fray | ||
| from the album How to Save a Life | ||
| Released | 2006 | |
| Format | Digital Download | |
| Recorded | 2004 | |
| Genre | Alternative Rock | |
| Length | 4:23 | |
| Label | Epic Records | |
| Writer(s) | Isaac Slade, Joe King | |
| Producer(s) | Mike Flynn, Aaron Johnson | |
| Certification | Platinum | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| The Fray singles chronology | ||
| "Over My Head (Cable Car)" (2005) |
"How To Save A Life" (2006) |
N/A |
"How to Save a Life" is an alternative rock song by Colorado-based rock band The Fray. It is the title track from their debut album. It was the follow-up single to the top 10 hit "Over My Head (Cable Car)" and peaked in the top 3 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. The song has sold over 1,000,000 downloads, and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. It is the band's highest-charting song to date.
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[edit] About the song
According to lead singer and songwriter Isaac Slade, the song was composed and influenced by his experience while working as a mentor at a camp for troubled teens. Slade claims that the song is about all of the people that tried to reach out to him but were unsuccessful. As Slade says in an interview, his friends and family approached him by saying, "Quit or I won't talk to you again," but all he needed was some support. While this was the original intent of the song, the band has opened the song to interpretation. They created a website[1] where fans were welcome to submit music videos they had made for the song. This arose from the response that Slade got from the song:
| One of the kids I was paired up with was a musician. Here I was, a protected suburbanite, and he was just 17 and had all these problems. And no one could write a manual on how to save him. I got a lot of e-mails about it (...) One kid died in a car accident, and I guess it had been the last song he downloaded from his computer. They played it at his funeral, and some of his friends got Save a life tattooed on their arms. The response has been overwhelming.[1]. |
[edit] Music video
Three music videos were made for the song. The original music video, which premiered on VH1 on September 12, 2006, featured the recurring themes of light and stopped time. This music video shows the scene of a car crash and all of its presumed victims in pause.
Another version of the music video juxtaposes scenes from Grey's Anatomy to scenes of the original music video. However, all the scenes of the presumed car crash victims are excluded and only scenes of The Fray playing in a warehouse are shown.
A third music video was released for the song on December 6, 2006. It was directed by Mark Pellington, who is known for his work on the "Jeremy" music video among others. This version of the video debuted on MTV's Total Request Live at # 9, and has since so far peaked at # 5.
[edit] The song featured on television
- "How to Save a Life" was first used in television on an episode of ABC's medical drama Grey's Anatomy, entitled "Superstition" and aired on March 19, 2006.
- The song was also featured on an episode of NBC's medical series Scrubs, which was first aired on April 25, 2006, and entitled "My Lunch." In this emotionally-driven episode, Dr. Cox reaches a turning point in his career as a doctor.
- It was also featured on episodes of The WB's drama One Tree Hill, and MTV's reality series The Hills.
- It was also used by HBO on the channel's Summer Image campaign.
[edit] Connection with Grey's Anatomy
Alexandra Patsavas, the music supervisor for ABC's Grey's Anatomy, saw the band perform in Los Angeles. She was impressed with their performance, particularly with the song "How to Save a Life". Alexandra then incorporated the song into "Superstition", an episode of the show's second season (first aired on March 19, 2006). After its usage in the episode, the song became a minor Hot 100 hit. The song became an "unofficial theme" for the other members of the Grey's Anatomy production after the episode aired, leading to the decision that the song would be used in the main promotion for the third season in the show.[2]
One week after the promotion began to air, "How to Save a Life" advanced from position #51 to position #29 on the Hot 100. As the promotion played, the song continued to climb on the charts, reaching a peak position of #3 in the Billboard issue marked October 7, 2006. On September 21, 2006, a Grey's Anatomy version of the music video (similar to the one made for Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars") was shown prior to the third season premiere of the show. The song was also released as one of the tracks on the Grey's Anatomy, Vol. 2 soundtrack album.
[edit] Charts
- Note: The song is active on all charts except Modern Rock Tracks.
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 3 |
| U.S. Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Hot Digital Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Top 40 Mainstream | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 | 4 |
| U.S. Hot Ringtones | 22 |
| U.S. Hot Adult Contemporary | 23 |
| U.S. Modern Rock Tracks | 31 |
| Canadian Airplay Chart | 3 |
| Canadian Digital Sales | 3 |
| United World Chart | 17 |
[edit] Sample
- "How to Save a Life" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- "How to Save a Life" from How to Save a Life
- Problems playing the files? See media help.
[edit] References
- ^ Debut 'How to Save a Life' takes on a life of its own. USA Today (July 12, 2006).
- ^ How 'Grey's' got that catchy new "theme" song. New York Post (September 24, 2006).
[edit] External links
- "How To Save A Life (Mark Pellington Version)" Music Video
- Thefray.net — the band's official website.
- Howtosavealife.com — official website dedicated to the song.
- Savealifecampaign.com — The Save A Life Campaign.
- "How to Save a Life" video group — a group of videos on YouTube related to the song.
- How To Save A Life Lyrics
