Lightning Crashes

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“Lightning Crashes”
Single by Live from the album Throwing Copper
Released	1995
Format	Cassette, CD
Recorded	1993
Genre	Alternative rock, Post-grunge
Length	5:27
Label	Radioactive Records
Writer(s)	Live
Producer	Jerry Harrison, Live
Live singles chronology
"I Alone" (1994) "Lightning Crashes" (1995) "All Over You" (1995)

"Lightning Crashes" is the name of a song by alternative rock group Live from their 1994 album, Throwing Copper.

While it wasn't officially released as a commercially purchasable single in the United States, the song received enough radio airplay to peak at the #12 position on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay music chart in 1995. The song also topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts also in 1995. Because it was not released as a commercial single in the United States, it was ineligible for the Billboard Hot 100. Despite this, it's considered to be the biggest hit of Live's career.

The song was also a top 40 hit in the United Kingdom. The U.K. single was released in several formats and versions.

Contents 1 Song meaning 2 Track listing 2.1 European single 2.2 German single 2.3 U.K. CD single 1 (RAXTD 23) 2.4 U.K. CD single 2 (RAXXD 23) 2.5 U.K. cassette single 3 Charts

[edit] Song meaning

The band dedicated the song to Barbara Lewis, a friend of the band who had been killed by a drunk driver who was fleeing from the police after a robbery. Barbara had many of her organs donated, and the song lyrics reflect how her death enabled others to continue living. After the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, Ed Kowalczyk would frequently dedicate the song to the victims at live shows.

Soon after the Oklahoma City Bombing on April 19, 1995, a local radio station mixed in news clippings, audio clips of U.S. President Bill Clinton and Governor of Oklahoma Frank Keating responding to the attack, along with other sounds (such as ambulance and fire engine sirens) of that day.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Live:

[edit] European single

1. "Lightning Crashes" [Edit] – 4:29
2. "Lightning Crashes (Glastonbury '95)" [Live] – 5:16
3. "The Beauty of Gray (Bootleg Version)" [Live] – 4:45

[edit] German single

1. "Lightning Crashes" [Edit] – 4:25
2. "Operation Spirit (The Tyranny of Tradition)" – 3:18
3. "Good Pain" – 5:39
4. "Heaven Wore a Shirt" - 3:38
5. "Negation" - 3:38

[edit] U.K. CD single 1 (RAXTD 23)

1. "Lightning Crashes" – 5:26
2. "The Beauty of Gray (Bootleg Version)" [Live] – 4:45
3. "T.B.D. (Acoustic Version)" – 3:49

[edit] U.K. CD single 2 (RAXXD 23)

	"Lightning Crashes" – 5:26 "Lightning Crashes (Glastonbury '95)" [Live] – 5:16 "White, Discussion (Glastonbury '95)" [Live] – 5:22

[edit] U.K. cassette single

	"Lightning Crashes" – 5:26 "Lightning Crashes (Glastonbury '95)" [Live] – 5:16

[edit] Charts

Chart (1995)	Peak position
U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks	1
U.S. Modern Rock Tracks	1
U.S. Recurrent Hot 100 Airplay	2
U.S. Mainstream Top 40	6
U.S. Hot 100 Airplay	12
UK Singles Chart	33

v • d • e Live Ed Kowalczyk • Chad Taylor • Patrick Dahlheimer • Chad Gracey Touring musicians: Adam Kowalczyk • Michael Railton • Christopher Thorn Studio albums The Death of a Dictionary • Mental Jewelry • Throwing Copper • Secret Samadhi • The Distance to Here • V • Birds of Pray • Songs from Black Mountain Compilations and EPs Divided Mind, Divided Planet • Four Songs • Awake: The Best of Live • Radiant Sea: A Collection of Bootleg Rarities and Two New Songs Singles Operation Spirit (The Tyranny of Tradition) • Pain Lies on the Riverside • The Beauty of Gray • Selling the Drama • I Alone • Lightning Crashes • All Over You • White, Discussion • Lakini's Juice • Freaks • Turn My Head • Rattlesnake • The Dolphin's Cry • Run to the Water • They Stood Up for Love • Simple Creed • Overcome • Forever May Not Be Long Enough • Heaven • Sweet Release • Run Away • We Deal in Dreams • The River • Mystery • Wings

Preceded by "When I Come Around" by Green Day

Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single February 25, 1995 - April 22, 1995

Succeeded by "Good" by Better than Ezra