It's Been Awhile
| "It's Been Awhile" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Staind | ||||
| from the album Break the Cycle | ||||
| Released | April 14, 2001[1] | |||
| Format | CD single | |||
| Recorded | 2001 | |||
| Genre | Post-grunge | |||
| Length | 4:25 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer(s) | Josh Abraham, Staind | |||
| Staind singles chronology | ||||
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"It's Been Awhile" is a power ballad by alternative metal band Staind. It was released in April 2001 as the lead single from their album, Break the Cycle. This is Staind's first power ballad.
The song is Staind's most successful and probably their best-known song, becoming a No. 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100,[2] their only song to reach the pop Top 10. The song spent a second-best 20 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart[2] (behind only "Loser" by 3 Doors Down) and a then-record 16 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart,[2] beaten in 2007 by Foo Fighters with "The Pretender". The song is stylistically different from the other tracks on the album, which are nu metal/alternative metal songs and is considered by many critics and fans to be the first sign of Staind's transition from a nu metal to post-grunge band which would evolve on the band's next three albums. The song, along with another hit Outside, was originally recorded with J-CAT, another band formed by Lewis. The only difference in the J-CAT version is that there is no chorus.
Content
In "It's Been Awhile", singer Aaron Lewis sings of someone who takes stock of his life. He makes references to his previous drug addiction problem and failed relationships. Lewis mentions his father, though he believes he has only himself to blame for his problems.
Track listing
- "It's Been Awhile" (LP Clean Edit)
- "It's Been Awhile" (Acoustic Version)
- "Suffocate" (LP Version)
Music video
The music video begins with Aaron Lewis going through some old photographs, one of which happens to be the picture of his wife. The video then switches between him writing a letter to his wife and the band performing casually in a room full of candles. There are brief shots of Aaron alone in the streets and looking at himself in the mirror while having second thoughts. Throughout the video, Aaron is seen continuously smoking cigarettes. At the end of the video, one of those cigarettes falls onto the floor and burns down his apartment.
The video was directed by Limp Bizkit frontman, Fred Durst.
Charts
| Chart (2001-2002) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| scope="row" | Australia (ARIA)[ 1] | 24 |
| scope="row" | Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[ 1] | 54 |
| scope="row" | Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[ 1] | 46 |
| scope="row" | Germany (Media Control AG)[ 1] | 43 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[3] | 18 | |
| scope="row" | Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[ 1] | 7 |
| scope="row" | Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[ 1] | 23 |
| scope="row" | Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[ 1] | 79 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[4] | 15 | |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[5] | 5 | |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[5] | 1 | |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks[5] | 1 | |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream[5] | 3 | |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks[5] | 6 | |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks[5] | 4 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia [6] | Gold | 2002 | 35,000 + |
| United States [7] | Gold | 2001 | 500,000 + |
| Preceded by "Duck and Run" by 3 Doors Down |
Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks number-one single April 28, 2001 – September 8, 2001 |
Succeeded by "How You Remind Me" by Nickelback |
| Preceded by "Drive" by Incubus |
Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single April 28, 2001 – August 11, 2001 |
Succeeded by "Fat Lip" by Sum 41 |
References
- ↑ "It's Been Awhile Lyrics (Pop-Up Version)". Retrieved 2011-02-12.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 595.
- ↑ Search for Irish peak positions
- ↑ "Chart Stats - Staind (UK)". chartstats.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 "Staind > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
- ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2002 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
- ↑ "RIAA certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
External links
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