Sail (song)

"Sail"
Single by Awolnation
from the album Megalithic Symphony
Released	January 4, 2011 (2011-01-04)
Format	CD single digital download
Recorded	2010; Red Bull Recording Studio (Los Angeles)
Genre	Alternative rock electronic rock
Length	4:19
Label	Red Bull
Writer(s)	Aaron Bruno
Producer(s)	Aaron Bruno
Awolnation singles chronology
"Sail" (2011) "Not Your Fault" (2011)

"Sail" is a song by American electronic rock band Awolnation. It was written and produced in Venice, California by group member Aaron Bruno, with Kenny Carkeet performing the audio engineering. The song was first featured on the band's debut extended play Back from Earth (2010) and was later featured on their debut album Megalithic Symphony (2011).

Released as a single on January 4, 2011, "Sail" is the band's most commercially successful song to date. It debuted at number 89 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 chart in September 2011, spending twenty weeks on the chart before dropping out. The single re-entered the Hot 100 a year later, becoming a massive sleeper hit and reaching a new peak of number 17. It is the 3rd longest song to stay inside the Billboard Hot 100 chart of all time, with 74 weeks.

Composition and lyrical interpretation

"Sail" is an alternative rock and electronic rock song that blends the styles of punk blues, trip hop and indie rock. It is written in the key of Eb minor with a tempo of 119 BPM.

Bruno was asked in an interview by the Red Bull Company if the lyrics were about suicide. He replied: "Well that's a dangerous word to talk about. I don't condone that but I definitely know what it's like to feel so low in your life that you wonder what the point is being around. I'd say 80% of people have fantasized about that for a second."

Commercial performance

"Sail" debuted at number 89 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on the week of September 3, 2011.^[1] The single spent twenty weeks on the chart before dropping out following the issue date of January 14, 2012.^[2] It eventually re-entered in mid-2013;^[3] its use in various television shows and advertisements exposed the song to a wider audience.^[4] The song has since spent more than a year on the chart and peaked at number 17 on the Hot 100 in its 56th week on the chart, two years after its initial debut.^[5] "Sail" was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in June 2013,^[6] and it has sold over 4 million digital copies in the US as of October 2013.^[7]

"Sail" also peaked at number five on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in 2011. The song was featured in the introduction of the 2012 film Disconnect. Due to its extremely unusual longevity, it has become the only song in the history of the Hot 100 to spend a year on the chart without entering the top 20 first.

In Australia and New Zealand the song peaked in September 2013 reaching number 27 on the Australian Music Chart,^[8] and number 33 on the New Zealand Music Chart.^[9] In the United Kingdom the song peaked at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart in January 2014.^[10]

Music video

The video for "Sail" opens with lead singer Aaron Bruno running to a house. As soon as he enters the house, he shuts the blinds. Bruno then grabs a tape recorder, enters a bathroom and starts singing into the recorder while looking into a mirror. A green strip of light then moves across the house, scanning across a spacesuit helmet and a military flight suit with the band's name printed on it. As the light beam is about to strike him, Bruno hides inside a full bathtub. Bruno is then depicted being pulled across the floor by an unknown force; he attempts to cling to a door, but loses his grip. The scene is interspersed with shots of Bruno closing a door and playing the song's piano section. As the song's final chorus section begins, the house begins to shake. Lights and lamps turn on and off as a gust of wind blows. Bruno is again pulled by the mysterious force outside the house, and he is subsequently levitated up into the sky as a set of lights flash on him. The tape recorder drops, with a ripped Post-It note attached reading "Awol's".

While the official music video has been viewed over 18 million times on YouTube, a second, fan made video by director Shawna Howson, better known by her working name Nanalew, has been viewed over 94 million times as of February 2014.^[11]

Covers and remixes

A remix of "Sail" featuring American rappers Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul was produced by Sounwave and mixed by Ali. American singer Macy Gray covered the song on her album Covered (2012).^[12] Groove metal band DevilDriver have included a cover version of "Sail" on their album Winter Kills (2013).^[13]

It has been used in the trailer for The Counselor (2013).

It was used as the soundtrack for a 2011 YouTube video of proximity wingsuit flying "Grinding the Crack" by extreme athlete Jeb Corliss, which went viral receiving in excess of 25 million views.

On The Voice, contestant Kat Robichaud performed "Sail" during week 2 of the live playoffs (2013).

It was covered by American singer Dev in 2013, and will appear on her upcoming album.

Formats and track listings

• Digital download (United States)^[14]

1. "Sail" – 4:19
2. "Sail" (Innerpartysystem Remix) – 5:26
3. "Sail" (Dan the Automator Remix) – 4:34
4. "Sail" (Unlimited Gravity Remix) - 5:49

Charts and certifications

Release history

References

External links

• Music video
• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics