Over My Head (Cable Car)
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- For other uses, see Over My Head
| "Over My Head (Cable Car)" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by The Fray | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| from the album How to Save a Life | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | September 2005 (US) June 11, 2007 (UK) July 2007 (Brazil) |
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| Format | CD single, digital download | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | Bloomington, Indiana; July 24, 2005 |
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| Genre | Pop rock, piano rock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 3:58 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Label | Epic Records | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Isaac Slade, Joe King | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Producer | Mike Flynn, Aaron Johnson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Certification | Platinum (RIAA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Fray singles chronology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Over My Head (Cable Car)" (originally performed as "Cable Car") is a song by Denver-based piano rock band The Fray on their debut album How to Save a Life (2005). It was their debut single from the album and hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single helped propel their album from the Top Heatseekers chart to the top 20 of The Billboard 200 chart. The single is available exclusively as a digital download. Some CD singles of the song were given out to attendees of a concert on December 17, 2004. The CD single was backed with "Heaven Forbid" and a live version of "Hundred". In the UK, "Over My Head (Cable Car)" was released as the second single from the album, following "How to Save a Life".
The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 2007. It lost to My Humps by Black Eyed Peas.[1]
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[edit] History
The song was written about lead singer and pianist Isaac Slade's relationship with his brother, Caleb, nicknamed "Cable Car". He wrote the song because he and his brother were allegedly not speaking and were at odds with each other. The song was originally recorded as a demo early in the band's life. This demo version was picked up by Denver radio station KTCL, and became one of the station's most played songs of 2005.[2]
[edit] Reception
[edit] Critical
Billboard called the tune "a timeless pop-rock smash that soars with lightness and ease."[3]
[edit] Commercial
The song has sold over 2 million digital downloads in the United States [4][5] and was the fifth most-downloaded single of 2006.[6] The song appeared on the American top hits compilation NOW 22, which debuted at #1 on The Billboard 200 chart. It has also appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Stealth. It was featured in promotionals for What About Brian in Australia. The song particularly found a home on modern adult contemporary radio stations, causing the song to hit the top three of the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, and overall reached the top ten of the Hot 100 chart, reaching a peak of #8 on the chart. The success that the song saw in the US prompted Epic Records to release the single in Australia and New Zealand as well, where it has found modest success, hitting the top 30 of the singles charts in both countries. In the UK, it hit the Top 20, peaking at #19. In Australia, though the single went gold (35,000+ units shipped), its peak position was only number 22. It has also charted in the top 100 of the German singles chart. In the beginning of 2007, the song became popular in the Netherlands.
[edit] Music video
The music video was directed by Elliott Lester and was filmed on July 24, 2005 at East High School (Denver, Colorado) and at Fox Theatre in Boulder, Colorado. The video shows the members of the band as children, who attract the attention of other children by playing various instruments. Micah Slade, the youngest brother of Isaac Slade, assumes the role of Isaac as a child in the music video. While the video was not granted very much airplay on MTV, it peaked at #2 in the VH1 Top 20 Countdown. It was ranked number 8 on VH1's "Top 40 Videos of 2006."[7]
[edit] Trivia
- The song is played for Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Chad Bradford due to his wind-up style when pitching.
- It also appears as a selectable track in SingStar Pop (US version) and in the DS game Jam Sessions.
- There is a slightly different version of the song which is 4:10.
- Was released as a limited time free download on Xbox Live as part of their "Artist of the Month" promotion.
- This song plays in the background of McGee's apartment in the NCIS episode "Bloodbath"
- The song was performed by Crosby Loggins, the winner of the show Rock the Cradle in Spring 2008.
- The song was covered by post-hardcore band A Day to Remember for the compilation album Punk Goes Pop 2.
- The song was used in a memorial service for four fallen Oakland Police Officers along with Free Bird and Rock 'n' Roll Jesus and following their shooting on March 21, 2009.
[edit] Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 15 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 37 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 | 8 |
| UK Singles Chart | 19 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 67 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 22 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 25 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 8 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 25 |
| German Singles Chart | 83 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 96 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 11 |
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/49th_Show/list.aspx#01
- ^ http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/08/the-new-air-power/
- ^ Philipp, Sven (2006-03-25), "Over My Head (Cable Car)". Billboard. 118 (12):66
- ^ http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/33561/week-ending-may-3-2009-age-is-just-a-number/
- ^ "Over My Head (Cable Car)" was certified Double Platinum in May 2006. However, the RIAA changed their prerequisites for single sales, and it has since been reduced to single Platinum.
- ^ "First half sales: Downloads up; CDs, revenues down". USA Today. July 13, 2006. http://blogs.usatoday.com/listenup/2006/07/first_half_sale.html.
- ^ "Shows: Top 40 of 2006". VH1. http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/top_40_of_2006/series.jhtml. Last accessed February 14, 2007.
[edit] External links
- The Fray's homepage — official website.
- Over My Head (Cable Car) Official Video.
- Lyrics to "Over my Head (Cable Car)"
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