Kryptonite (song)

"Kryptonite"
Single by 3 Doors Down
from the album The Better Life
Released	January 17, 2000
Format	CD
Genre	Alternative rock, post-grunge
Length	3:56 (Album Version) 3:44 (Top 40 Edit)
Label	Universal Republic Records, Universal Records/Universal Republic Group
Writer(s)	Brad Arnold, Matt Roberts, Todd Harrell
Certification	2x Platinum (RIAA)[1]
3 Doors Down singles chronology
"Kryptonite" (2000) "Loser" (2000)

"Kryptonite" is a song by the American rock band 3 Doors Down. It was originally released as a demo for local play by 97.9 WCPR-FM in Biloxi, Mississippi. ^[2]

Composition and Inspiration

The song was written by drummer/vocalist Brad Arnold in a mathematics class when he was fifteen and was one of the first songs he ever wrote.^[3]

In terms of the song's meaning Arnold has said

"That song seems like it's really just kind of like asking a question. Its question is kind of a strange one. It's not just asking, “If I fall down, will you be there for me?” Because it's easy to be there for someone when they're down. But it's not always easy to be there for somebody when they're doing good. And that's the question it's asking. It's like, “If I go crazy, will you still call me Superman?” It's asking, “If I'm down, will you still be there for me?” But at the same time, “If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand?” That's kind of asking, “If I'm doing good, will you be there for me? Will you not be jealous of me?” That's the basic question that song's asking, and maybe throughout the years of singing that song, I might have come up with more meanings for it than it actually might have originally had."^[4]

Release and reception

After the song's release, it began to garner significant radio play. This allowed it to reach its high position in the charts and give 3 Doors Down their breakthrough hit. As a result of the popularity of the single, along with the fame of the other less known singles, The Better Life went on to sell over six million copies. The song still remains 3 Doors Down's best known song to this day, and many fans consider it to be their signature song. The song plays during the freestyle of Superman monster truck at Monster Jam events. The song first charted on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart hitting number 1 for 9 weeks, then it hit the Modern Rock Tracks also hitting number 1 at an outstanding 11 weeks being one of the longest-running songs on the chart. It also hit number 1 on the Pop Songs chart for 5 non-consecutive weeks, it hit number 4 on the Adult Top 40 chart and hit number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart being the band's highest charting single there.

Music video

Directed by Dean Karr, the music video presents an old man who was a big time action hero on TV. The scene cuts between the band hanging around on the roof of the apartments where the old man lives, spying on a man harassing a woman. When the man drags her away, the old man dons his trusty suit and follows. In between shots of the old hero chasing the bad guy and failing to protect himself against a group of goths, the band is shown playing in a club with several other elderly people dressed as caricatures of comic villains. The video comes to a close when the old man dives through the skylight and catches the bad guy off guard, possibly knocking him out by falling on top of him. The video ends with the old man smiling, giving a thumbs up to the camera.

Track listing

U.S. version

1. "Kryptonite" (Top 40 Edit) - 3:44
2. "Kryptonite" (LP version) - 3:54

U.S. version enhanced

1. "Kryptonite" (LP version) - 3:55
2. "Wasted Me" (Previously unreleased) - 3:11
3. "Duck and Run" (LP version) - 3:52
4. "Kryptonite" (Video) 3:53

UK version

1. "Kryptonite" (LP version) - 3:55
2. "Smack" (LP version) - 2:30

AUS version enhanced

1. "Kryptonite" (LP version) - 3:55
2. "Wasted Me" - 3:11
3. "Duck and Run" (LP version) - 3:52
4. "Kryptonite" (Video) - 3:53

German version

1. "Kryptonite" (LP version) - 3:55
2. "Wasted Me" - 3:11
3. "Life of My Own" (Live from Atlanta) - 4:36
4. "Kryptonite" (Acoustic)

Dutch version enhanced

1. "Kryptonite" (LP version) 3:55
2. "Wasted Me" - 3:11
3. "Duck and Run" (LP version) 3:52
4. "Kryptonite" (Video) 3:53

Chart performance

See also

• Kryptonite
• Superman in other media

References

External links

• "Kryptonite" Official music video on YouTube