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{{Single infobox
{{Single infobox
| Name = Chasing Cars
| Name = Chasing Cars
| Cover = Chasingcars.jpg
| Cover = Chasingcars.jpg
| alt =
| Artist = [[Snow Patrol]]
| Artist = [[Snow Patrol]]
| from Album = [[Eyes Open]]
| from Album = [[Eyes Open]]
| Released = 6 June 2006 <small>([[United States|US]])</small><br>24 July 2006 <small>([[United Kingdom|UK]])</small>
| Released = June 6, 2006 <small>([[United States|US]])</small> <br />24 July 2006 <small>([[United Kingdom|UK]])</small>
| Format = [[CD single]]; [[Gramophone record|7"]]; [[Gramophone record|12"]]
| Format = [[CD single]]; [[Gramophone record|7"]]; [[Gramophone record|12"]]
| Recorded = 2005
| Recorded = 2005
| Genre = [[Alternative rock]]
| Genre = [[Alternative rock]]
| Length = 4:10 <small>(Radio edit)</small><br></br>4:27 <small>(Album version)</small>
| Length = 4:10 <small>(Radio edit)</small> <br />4:27 <small>(Album version)</small>
| Label = [[Interscope Records|Interscope]]
| Label = [[Interscope Records|Interscope]]
| Producer = [[Jacknife Lee]]
| Producer = [[Jacknife Lee]]
| Last single = "[[You're All I Have]]"<br>(2006)
| Last single = "[[You're All I Have]]" <br />(2006)
| This single = "'''Chasing Cars'''"<br>(2006)
| This single = "'''Chasing Cars'''" <br />(2006)
| Next single = "[[Hands Open]]"<br>(2006)
| Next single = "[[Hands Open]]" <br />(2006)
| Misc = {{Extra musicsample |filename=Snow Patrol Chasing Cars.ogg |title="Chasing Cars" |Type=single}}
| Misc = {{Extra musicsample |filename=Snow Patrol Chasing Cars.ogg |title="Chasing Cars" |Type=single}}
}}
}}

"'''Chasing Cars'''" is the second single from [[Snow Patrol]]'s fourth album, ''[[Eyes Open]].'' It was recorded in 2005 and released on 6 June 2006 in the US and 24 July 2006 in the UK as the album's second single.<ref>[http://www.snowpatrol.com/discography/singles.aspx?pid=61 Single release details]</ref> "Chasing Cars" gained significant popularity in the [[United States]] after being featured on season finale of the popular medical drama ''[[Grey's Anatomy]].''<ref name=BB>Philipp, Sven (2006-06-24), "Chasing Cars." ''Billboard.'' '''118''' (25):61</ref> It became notable as one of the songs that revealed the impact of [[Music download|legal downloads]] on [[single (music)|single]] sales in the UK. The song is Snow Patrol's biggest-selling single to date, ending 2006 as the UK's fourteenth best-selling single of the year<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/top40_2006.shtml Top 40 Singles of 2006], from BBC Radio 1 website</ref> and 2007, on the strength of downloads, as the UK's thirty-fourth best-selling single of 2007.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles2007.shtml Top 40 Singles of 2007], from the BBC Radio 1 website</ref>
"'''Chasing Cars'''" is the second single from [[Snow Patrol]]'s fourth album, ''[[Eyes Open]].'' It was recorded in 2005 and released on 6 June 2006 in the US and 24 July 2006 in the UK as the album's second single.<ref>[http://www.snowpatrol.com/discography/singles.aspx?pid=61 Single release details]</ref>
"Chasing Cars" gained significant popularity in the [[United States]] after being featured on season finale of the popular medical drama ''[[Grey's Anatomy]].''<ref name="BB">Philipp, Sven (2006-06-24), "Chasing Cars." ''Billboard.'' '''118''' (25):61</ref> It became notable as one of the songs that revealed the impact of [[Music download|legal downloads]] on [[single (music)|single]] sales in the UK.
The song is Snow Patrol's biggest-selling single to date, ending 2006 as the UK's fourteenth best-selling single of the year<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/top40_2006.shtml Top 40 Singles of 2006], from BBC Radio 1 website</ref> and 2007, on the strength of downloads, as the UK's thirty-fourth best-selling single of 2007.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles2007.shtml Top 40 Singles of 2007], from the BBC Radio 1 website</ref>


As of 29 November 2009 the single has spent 94 weeks on the official [[UK Top 75]] [[UK Singles Chart|Singles Chart]] and 135 on the Top 100<ref>http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=32613</ref> and has sold 505,000 copies in the UK, despite missing the Top 5.
As of 29 November 2009 the single has spent 94 weeks on the official [[UK Top 75]] [[UK Singles Chart|Singles Chart]] and 135 on the Top 100<ref>http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=32613</ref> and has sold 505,000 copies in the UK, despite missing the Top 5.


==Writing==
==Writing==
Lead singer [[Gary Lightbody]] wrote the song, drunk after a binge of white [[wine]], in the garden of producer [[Jacknife Lee]]'s [[Kent]] cottage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.backupurl.com/efv28h|title=50 Years Of Great British Music|work=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|publisher=[[Bauer Media Group]]|accessdate=20 November 2009}}</ref> The song has Lightbody singing a plain melody over sparse guitars, which has an ever-building crescendo.<ref name="BILLB">{{cite journal|last=Phillip|first=Sven|date=24 June 2006|title=Singles - Pop|journal=[[Billboard]]|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|volume=118|issue=25|pages=61|issn=0006-2510|url=http://books.google.co.in/books?id=QxYEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false|accessdate=26 November 2009}}</ref>
Lead singer [[Gary Lightbody]] wrote the song, drunk after a binge of white [[wine]], in the garden of producer [[Jacknife Lee]]'s [[Kent]] cottage.<ref>{{cite web
| title = 50 Years Of Great British Music
| url = http://news.qthemusic.com/2008/02/50_years_of_great_british_musi_2.html
| archiveurl = http://www.backupurl.com/efv28h
| archivedate = 2009-11-20
| work = [[Q (magazine)|Q]]
| publisher = [[Bauer Media Group]]
| accessdate = 2009-12-11
}} </ref>
The song has Lightbody singing a plain melody over sparse guitars, which has an ever-building crescendo.<ref name="BILLB">{{cite journal
| last = Phillip |first=Sven |date=24 June 2006
| title = Singles - Pop
| journal = [[Billboard]]
| publisher = Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
| volume = 118 | issue = 25 | pages = 61 | issn = 0006-2510
| url = http://books.google.co.in/books?id=QxYEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false
| accessdate = 2009-12-11
}} </ref>


He stated it was his "purest love song".<ref>{{cite web
⚫
He stated it was his "purest love song".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5llJyLoby|title=Remember to rest amid our busy world|last=van Ryn|first=Claire|date=30 November 2009|publisher=''[[The Examiner (Tasmania)|The Examiner]]''|accessdate=04 December 2009}}</ref> The phrase "Chasing Cars" came from Lightbody's father, in reference to a girl Lightbody was infatuated with, "You're like a dog chasing a car. You'll never catch it and you just wouldn't know what to do with it if you did."<ref name="Myspace">[http://www.myspace.com/snowpatrol Snow Patrol's MySpace profile]</ref>
| date = November 30, 2009
| first = Claire | last = van Ryn
<!-- url = http://www.examiner.com.au/blogs/blog-with-claire/remember-to-rest-amid-our-busy-world/1691752.aspx?storypage=0 --><!-- block on http://www.examiner.com is also blocking http://www.examiner.com.au -->
| archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5llJyLoby
| archivedate = 2009-12-04
| title = Remember to rest amid our busy world
| publisher = ''[[The Examiner (Tasmania)|The Examiner]]''
| country = Australia
| accessdate = 2009-12-11
}} </ref>
⚫
The phrase "Chasing Cars" came from Lightbody's father, in reference to a girl Lightbody was infatuated with, "You're like a dog chasing a car. You'll never catch it and you just wouldn't know what to do with it if you did."{{citation needed}}<!-- myspace link no longer contains quote if --><ref name="Myspace">[http://www.myspace.com/snowpatrol Snow Patrol's MySpace profile] {{Deadlink}}</ref>


The song was first heard on the band's 2005 [[Final Straw Tour]], when they began playing it, along with two other newly written songs ("Your Halo" and "It's Beginning to Get to Me") they had intended to release on their upcoming album. Since then, the composition of the song was changed slightly, and most of the lyrics were rewritten.
The song was first heard on the band's 2005 [[Final Straw Tour]], when they began playing it, along with two other newly written songs ("Your Halo" and "It's Beginning to Get to Me") they had intended to release on their upcoming album. Since then, the composition of the song was changed slightly, and most of the lyrics were rewritten.
Line 43: Line 75:
In 2007, "Chasing Cars" was voted number 1 in the Top 500 Songs: The Words Behind the Music, on [[Heart Bristol|Bristol's GWR FM]] (and other stations in [[The One Network]]).
In 2007, "Chasing Cars" was voted number 1 in the Top 500 Songs: The Words Behind the Music, on [[Heart Bristol|Bristol's GWR FM]] (and other stations in [[The One Network]]).


[[Yahoo! Music]]'s Adam Webb, however had mixed feelings for the single, when he awarded it 5 stars out of 10, saying it was a "misguided attempt to recreate its breast-beating slo-motion scarf-waving formula." Further, he made comparisons of the song to Hollywood soundtracks, which in his words are "about as subtle as a rhino and too overt to be truly affecting."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/060707/33/20enq.html|title=Snow Patrol - 'Chasing Cars' |publisher=Yahoo! Music|accessdate=2009-06-23}}</ref>
[[Yahoo! Music]]'s Adam Webb, however had mixed feelings for the single, when he awarded it 5 stars out of 10, saying it was a "misguided attempt to recreate its breast-beating slo-motion scarf-waving formula." Further, he made comparisons of the song to Hollywood soundtracks, which in his words are "about as subtle as a rhino and too overt to be truly affecting."<ref name="yahoo">{{cite web
| date = July 7, 2006
| author = Adam Webb
| url = http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/060707/33/20enq.html
| title = Snow Patrol - 'Chasing Cars'
| work = Yahoo! Music
| publisher = [[Yahoo!]]
| accessdate = 2009-06-23
}} {{Rating|5|10}} </ref>


''[[Billboard]]'' magazine's Sven Phillip found the song the only one on the album "not to be missed". He called it a "catchy, colossal ballad that succeeds without any fireworks".<ref name="BILLB"/>
''[[Billboard]]'' magazine's Sven Phillip found the song the only one on the album "not to be missed". He called it a "catchy, colossal ballad that succeeds without any fireworks".<ref name="BILLB" />


===Commercial===
===Commercial===
It was released as an overlapping single in early June and the video was re-edited to include clips from the show. The video failed to catch on, regardless, so a third version was filmed for the edited single version of the song. On 13 September 2006, the song soared in the digital music charts to become the most-downloaded song in the U.S. [[iTunes Store]], just one day after the DVD release of the second season of ''Grey's Anatomy''.
It was released as an overlapping single in early June and the video was re-edited to include clips from the show. The video failed to catch on, regardless, so a third version was filmed for the edited single version of the song. On 13 September 2006, the song soared in the digital music charts to become the most-downloaded song in the U.S. [[iTunes Store]], just one day after the DVD release of the second season of ''Grey's Anatomy''.{{citation needed}}


The song was released as a download-only single on 17 July 2006 and entered the [[UK Singles Chart]] in the week ending 29 July at #25 on the strength of download sales alone. Its physical release had come on 24 July and this pushed the song up to #15, peaking six weeks later at #6. However, seven weeks after that, in November the CD single was deleted and, under the chart rules prevailing at that time, the song was removed from the chart two weeks after that, having clocked up 17 weeks in total. It was then absent from the chart for seven weeks, but in January 2007 a change to the chart rules meant that all downloads, with or without a physical equivalent, were now eligible to chart. "Chasing Cars" duly surged back in at a Top 10 position (#9, just three places below its peak), and remained on the chart for 48 consecutive weeks, entirely on downloads, only falling out again in December. After a three-week absence this time, in January 2008 it was back again, bowed out for a third time, re-entered the top 75 in late June 2008, again in August and then in October and yet again in November of that year before re-entering a year later in November 2009; since then the song's tally has gone up to an incredible 94 weeks on the UK Top 75, making it the 2nd longest runner of all time, bettered only by [[Frank Sinatra]]'s "[[My Way (song)|My Way]]" (124 weeks). For only 14 weeks out of those 94 was a physical copy of "Chasing Cars" officially available.
The song was released as a download-only single on 17 July 2006 and entered the [[UK Singles Chart]] in the week ending 29 July at #25 on the strength of download sales alone. Its physical release had come on 24 July and this pushed the song up to #15, peaking six weeks later at #6. However, seven weeks after that, in November the CD single was deleted and, under the chart rules prevailing at that time, the song was removed from the chart two weeks after that, having clocked up 17 weeks in total. It was then absent from the chart for seven weeks, but in January 2007 a change to the chart rules meant that all downloads, with or without a physical equivalent, were now eligible to chart. "Chasing Cars" duly surged back in at a Top 10 position (#9, just three places below its peak), and remained on the chart for 48 consecutive weeks, entirely on downloads, only falling out again in December. After a three-week absence this time, in January 2008 it was back again, bowed out for a third time, re-entered the top 75 in late June 2008, again in August and then in October and yet again in November of that year before re-entering a year later in November 2009; since then the song's tally has gone up to an incredible 94 weeks on the UK Top 75, making it the 2nd longest runner of all time, bettered only by [[Frank Sinatra]]'s "[[My Way (song)|My Way]]" (124 weeks). For only 14 weeks out of those 94 was a physical copy of "Chasing Cars" officially available.
The song was voted number one in a [[Virgin Radio]] Top 500 Songs of All Time poll.<ref>[http://www.virginradio.co.uk/music/charts/top_500/index.html Top 500 - Virgin Radio<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> After the popularity of its association with the ''Grey's Anatomy'' television show, the song peaked at #5 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] in the US, the band's first Top 10 hit in the US.
The song was voted number one in a 2006 [[Virgin Radio]] Top 500 Songs of All Time poll.<ref>{{cite web
| date = 2006
| url = http://www.virginradio.co.uk/music/charts/top_500/index.html <!-- {{deadlink}} -->
| title = Top 500
| publisher = Virgin Radio
| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20061231052705/http://www.virginradio.co.uk/music/charts/top_500/index.html/top_500/index.html
| archivedate = 2006-12-31
| accessdate = 2009-12-12
}} </ref>
After the popularity of its association with the ''Grey's Anatomy'' television show, the song peaked at #5 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] in the US, the band's first Top 10 hit in the US.


It was the fourth best selling digital single of 2006 in the UK, totaling 190,000 legal downloads<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5lSvPbxbo|title=Digital download factsheet|publisher=[[The Official Charts Company]]|accessdate=22 November 2009}}</ref> and is the ninth most downloaded song in the country of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5lXEQpGc5|title=Download chart toppers|date=7 September 2009|publisher=iAfrica|accessdate=24 November 2009}}</ref>
It was the fourth best selling digital single of 2006 in the UK, totaling 190,000 legal downloads<ref>{{cite web
| title = Digital download factsheet
| url = http://www.theofficialcharts.com/docs/Digital%20Download%20Factsheet_Jan_2007.pdf
| archivedate = 2009-11-21
| archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5lSvPbxbo
| publisher = [[The Official Charts Company]]
| format = PDF
| accessdate = 2009-12-11
}}</ref> and is the ninth most downloaded song in the country of all time.<ref>{{cite web
| date = September 7, 2009
| title = Download chart toppers
| url = http://technology.iafrica.com/news/technology/1908452.htm
| archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5lXEQpGc5
| archivedate = 2009-11-24
| publisher = iAfrica
| accessdate = 2009-12-11
}}</ref>


==Aftermath==
==Aftermath==
Lightbody acknowledges the success of the song, and accepts the criticism that followed it. He accepts that its their most visible work, but isn't unhappy with it. Connolly has noted that the song made the group known in the United States, and found that more US fans were coming to their concerts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5kvhEAV7s|title=Snow Patrol: 'We're not ready for greatest hits'|last=Heawood|first=Sophie|date=30 October 2009|publisher=[[The Times]]|accessdate=2009-10-31}}</ref>
Lightbody acknowledges the success of the song, and accepts the criticism that followed it. He accepts that its their most visible work, but isn't unhappy with it. Connolly has noted that the song made the group known in the United States, and found that more US fans were coming to their concerts.<ref>{{cite web
| date = October 30, 2009
| first = Sophie | last = Heawood
| title = Snow Patrol: 'We're not ready for greatest hits'
| url = http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article6895899.ece
| archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5kvhEAV7s
| archivedate = 2009-10-31
| publisher = [[The Times]]
| accessdate = 2009-12-11
}}</ref>


==Other appearances in the media==
==Other appearances in the media==
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The line "Those three words, Are said too much, They're not enough..." were mentioned in Harlan Coben's book ''[[Long Lost]]''.
The line "Those three words, Are said too much, They're not enough..." were mentioned in Harlan Coben's book ''[[Long Lost]]''.


The song is currently used as the backing track to the latest video produced by Dogs for the Disabled, a UK charity training and providing assistance dogs for mobility impaired children and adults.
The song is currently{{when}} used as the backing track to the latest video produced by Dogs for the Disabled, a UK charity training and providing assistance dogs for mobility impaired children and adults.{{cite}}


==Covers and samples==
==Covers and samples==
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{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!align="left"|Chart (2006)
!align="left"|Chart (2006)
!align="center"|Peak<br>position<ref name="charts">References for chart positions:
!align="center"|Peak <br />position<ref name="charts">References for chart positions:
* {{cite web|title=Dutch Top 40| url=http://www.megacharts.nl/|work=MegaCharts|accessdate = 6 October 2006}}
* {{cite web | title=Dutch Top 40| url=http://www.megacharts.nl/|work=MegaCharts|accessdate = 6 October 2006}}
* {{cite web|title=Irish Charts – Top 50 Singles| url=http://www.irma.ie/aucharts.asp|work=IRMA|accessdate = 20 August 2006}}
* {{cite web | title=Irish Charts – Top 50 Singles| url= http://www.irma.ie/aucharts.asp | publisher = IRMA |accessdate = 20 August 2006 }}
* {{cite web|title=Swiss Single Top 100 listing for "Chasing Cars"| url=http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Snow+Patrol&titel=Chasing+Cars&cat=s|work=swisscharts.com|accessdate = 20 August 2006}}
* {{cite web | title = Swiss Single Top 100 listing for "Chasing Cars" | url = http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Snow+Patrol&titel=Chasing+Cars&cat=s | work = swisscharts.com | accessdate = 20 August 2006 }}
* {{cite web|title=Official UK Download Chart| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/downloads.shtml|work=BBC Radio 1|accessdate = 1 October 2006}}
* {{cite web | title=Official UK Download Chart| url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/downloads.shtml | work = BBC Radio 1 | accessdate = 1 October 2006 }}
* {{cite web|title=Official UK Singles Chart| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles.shtml|work=BBC Radio 1|accessdate = 1 October 2006}}
* {{cite web | title = Official UK Singles Chart | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles.shtml | work = BBC Radio 1 | accessdate = 1 October 2006 }}
* {{cite web | title=Snow Patrol: Artist Chart History | work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | url=http://billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=306432&model.vnuAlbumId=772652|accessdate = 6 October 2006}}
* {{cite web | title=Snow Patrol: Artist Chart History | work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | url= http://billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=306432&model.vnuAlbumId=772652 | accessdate = 6 October 2006 }}
{{cite web|title=Official ARIA digital track chart| url=http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display.asp?chart=1DT40|work=[[ARIA Charts]]|accessdate = 6 November 2006}}
{{cite web | title=Official ARIA digital track chart| url = http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display.asp?chart=1DT40 | work=[[ARIA Charts]] | accessdate = 6 November 2006 }}
</ref>
</ref>
|-
|-
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|-
|-
|align="left"|Australian ARIA Singles Chart
|align="left"|Australian ARIA Singles Chart
|align="center"|53<ref>{{cite web
|align="center"|53<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5lRaJn0Ao|title=Chartifacts - Week Commencing: 16 November 2009|publisher=[[ARIA Charts]]. [[Australian Recording Industry Association]]|accessdate=21 November 2009}}</ref>
| title = Chartifacts - Week Commencing: 16 November 2009
| url = http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/chartifacts.htm
| archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5lRaJn0Ao
| archivedate = 2009-11-21
| publisher = [[ARIA Charts]]. [[Australian Recording Industry Association]]
| accessdate = 2009-12-11
}}</ref>
|-
|-
|align="left"|Austria Singles Chart
|align="left"|Austria Singles Chart
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{|class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!align="left"|Chart (2006)
!align="left"|Chart (2006)
!align="center"|Peak<br>position<ref name="charts"/>
!align="center"|Peak <br />position<ref name="charts" />
|-
|-
|align="left"|French Singles Chart
|align="left"|French Singles Chart
Line 231: Line 312:
!align="center"|Peak<br>position
!align="center"|Peak<br>position
|-
|-
|align="left"|UK Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web
|align="left"|UK Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5lSu6ltuE|title=Top 100 singles chart :: Chart week ending date 21/11/09|publisher=[[The Official Charts Company]]|accessdate=22 November 2009}}</ref>
| title = Top 100 singles chart :: Chart week ending date 21/11/09
| url = http://www.theofficialcharts.com/top40_singles.php
| archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5lSu6ltuE
| archivedate = 2009-11-21
| publisher = [[The Official Charts Company]]
| accessdate = 2009-12-11
}} </ref>
|align="center"|63
|align="center"|63
|}
|}
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| Australia
| Australia
| 70,000
| 70,000
| Platinum<ref>http://www.webcitation.org/5lRam64yt</ref>
| Platinum<ref>{{cite web
| title = Pandora <!-- placeholder title -->
| url = http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20090120-0000/issue985.pdf
| format = PDF
| archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5lRam64yt
| archivedate = 2009-11-21
}} </ref>
|-
|-
| Germany
| Germany
| 150,000
| 150,000
| Gold<ref>{{cite web
⚫
| Gold<ref>http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=1&strSuche=Chasing+Cars</ref>
| language = German
| title = Bundesverband Musikindustrie: Gold-/Platin-Datenbank:
⚫
| url = http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=1&strSuche=Chasing+Cars
| accessdate = 2009-12-11
}} </ref>
|}
|}


==References==
== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Reflist|2}}


==External links==
== External links ==
*{{YouTube|id=Ajy0w1XPJk8|title=Music video for "Chasing Cars (U.S. Version)"}}
* {{YouTube|id=Ajy0w1XPJk8|title=Music video for "Chasing Cars (U.S. Version)"}}
*{{YouTube|id=BSfw-qWAJ4w|title=Music video for "Chasing Cars (U.K. Version)"}}
* {{YouTube|id=BSfw-qWAJ4w|title=Music video for "Chasing Cars (U.K. Version)"}}
*{{YouTube|id=NNZV2C5bpmA|title=Music video for "Chasing Cars (Grey's Anatomy Version)"}}
* {{YouTube|id=NNZV2C5bpmA|title=Music video for "Chasing Cars (Grey's Anatomy Version)"}}<!-- copyright? -->


{{Snow Patrol}}
{{Snow Patrol}}

Revision as of 22:34, 5 December 2009

"Chasing Cars"
Song

"Chasing Cars" is the second single from Snow Patrol's fourth album, Eyes Open. It was recorded in 2005 and released on 6 June 2006 in the US and 24 July 2006 in the UK as the album's second single.[1] "Chasing Cars" gained significant popularity in the United States after being featured on season finale of the popular medical drama Grey's Anatomy.[2] It became notable as one of the songs that revealed the impact of legal downloads on single sales in the UK. The song is Snow Patrol's biggest-selling single to date, ending 2006 as the UK's fourteenth best-selling single of the year[3] and 2007, on the strength of downloads, as the UK's thirty-fourth best-selling single of 2007.[4]

As of 29 November 2009 the single has spent 94 weeks on the official UK Top 75 Singles Chart and 135 on the Top 100[5] and has sold 505,000 copies in the UK, despite missing the Top 5.

Writing

Lead singer Gary Lightbody wrote the song, drunk after a binge of white wine, in the garden of producer Jacknife Lee's Kent cottage.[6] The song has Lightbody singing a plain melody over sparse guitars, which has an ever-building crescendo.[7]

He stated it was his "purest love song".[8] The phrase "Chasing Cars" came from Lightbody's father, in reference to a girl Lightbody was infatuated with, "You're like a dog chasing a car. You'll never catch it and you just wouldn't know what to do with it if you did."[citation needed][9]

The song was first heard on the band's 2005 Final Straw Tour, when they began playing it, along with two other newly written songs ("Your Halo" and "It's Beginning to Get to Me") they had intended to release on their upcoming album. Since then, the composition of the song was changed slightly, and most of the lyrics were rewritten.

Promotion and release

Snow Patrol played "Chasing Cars" on an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. The song was also performed as the last live performance on long-running British music programme Top of the Pops. The band also performed the song when they were the musical guest on the 17 March 2007 episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Additionally, the band played the song live in their appearance at Live Earth. On 7 July 2007, this song was performed during the London leg of the Live Earth concert at Wembley Stadium and at Oxegen later on that night in Ireland.

"Chasing Cars" was heard on the TV show One Tree Hill episode "The Show Must Go On", which aired in the US on 3 May 2006. The show is popular amongst the teenage crowd,[citation needed] and the episode gained around 3.06 million viewers. It was not until several weeks later when the song appeared on the second season finale of Grey's Anatomy on 15 May 2006 that the song found a larger listening audience and pushed its way onto the download and pop charts in the United States. The song was made into a music video for the show, serving as a promotion for its third season. The music video shows scenes from the first and second seasons as well as previously unseen scenes from the third season, with clips in-between from the UK music video of the song.

Music video

There are two music videos: one for UK, one for the US. In the music video for UK, Gary Lightbody lies on the ground as cameras film him from different angles. It starts raining, Gary enters a pool of water next to him and in the end of the video, he gets out of the water, rises on his feet and looks up at the camera. In the US music video, Lightbody is shown lying down in busy places while singing. People ignore him and step over him. Among the places he lies is in an alley and at the end of an escalator.

Reception

Critical

Billboard called the song "a catchy, colossal ballad that succeeds without any fireworks."[2]

The song was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Song",[10] as well as for a 2007 BRIT Award for "Best Single".

In 2007, "Chasing Cars" was voted number 1 in the Top 500 Songs: The Words Behind the Music, on Bristol's GWR FM (and other stations in The One Network).

Yahoo! Music's Adam Webb, however had mixed feelings for the single, when he awarded it 5 stars out of 10, saying it was a "misguided attempt to recreate its breast-beating slo-motion scarf-waving formula." Further, he made comparisons of the song to Hollywood soundtracks, which in his words are "about as subtle as a rhino and too overt to be truly affecting."[11]

Billboard magazine's Sven Phillip found the song the only one on the album "not to be missed". He called it a "catchy, colossal ballad that succeeds without any fireworks".[7]

Commercial

It was released as an overlapping single in early June and the video was re-edited to include clips from the show. The video failed to catch on, regardless, so a third version was filmed for the edited single version of the song. On 13 September 2006, the song soared in the digital music charts to become the most-downloaded song in the U.S. iTunes Store, just one day after the DVD release of the second season of Grey's Anatomy.[citation needed]

The song was released as a download-only single on 17 July 2006 and entered the UK Singles Chart in the week ending 29 July at #25 on the strength of download sales alone. Its physical release had come on 24 July and this pushed the song up to #15, peaking six weeks later at #6. However, seven weeks after that, in November the CD single was deleted and, under the chart rules prevailing at that time, the song was removed from the chart two weeks after that, having clocked up 17 weeks in total. It was then absent from the chart for seven weeks, but in January 2007 a change to the chart rules meant that all downloads, with or without a physical equivalent, were now eligible to chart. "Chasing Cars" duly surged back in at a Top 10 position (#9, just three places below its peak), and remained on the chart for 48 consecutive weeks, entirely on downloads, only falling out again in December. After a three-week absence this time, in January 2008 it was back again, bowed out for a third time, re-entered the top 75 in late June 2008, again in August and then in October and yet again in November of that year before re-entering a year later in November 2009; since then the song's tally has gone up to an incredible 94 weeks on the UK Top 75, making it the 2nd longest runner of all time, bettered only by Frank Sinatra's "My Way" (124 weeks). For only 14 weeks out of those 94 was a physical copy of "Chasing Cars" officially available. The song was voted number one in a 2006 Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All Time poll.[12] After the popularity of its association with the Grey's Anatomy television show, the song peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, the band's first Top 10 hit in the US.

It was the fourth best selling digital single of 2006 in the UK, totaling 190,000 legal downloads[13] and is the ninth most downloaded song in the country of all time.[14]

Aftermath

Lightbody acknowledges the success of the song, and accepts the criticism that followed it. He accepts that its their most visible work, but isn't unhappy with it. Connolly has noted that the song made the group known in the United States, and found that more US fans were coming to their concerts.[15]

Other appearances in the media

It was used as the music for the 2006 series Big Brother UK's best bits and in June 2007 featured in the BBC hit comedy Gavin & Stacey as the first series climax in episode 6.

The song was further used on the BBC Three sitcom Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps in the 2008 episode When Johnny Met Sharky, when Janet learned that her husband, Jonny, had been eaten by a shark.

Also was used for advertising the UK premiere of The Notebook on Channel 4. There are scenes from the film, one being when the main characters are lying in the middle of the road.

This cover by Natasha Bedingfield was used on the So You Think You Can Dance 2007 tour as Jaimie Goodwin's solo performance.

When the Ten network in Australia ended its V8 supercars coverage at the end of the 2006 season (after losing the rights to channel 7), their last show ended with a montage of clips with "Chasing Cars" as the background music.

The line "Those three words, Are said too much, They're not enough..." were mentioned in Harlan Coben's book Long Lost.

The song is currently[when?] used as the backing track to the latest video produced by Dogs for the Disabled, a UK charity training and providing assistance dogs for mobility impaired children and adults. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help)

Covers and samples

A trance version of the song was remixed by Blake Jarrell & Topher Jones. It aired on the highly popular trance radio show A State of Trance on 17 August 2006.[16] It was later voted to be the 12th best track played on A State of Trance in 2006 by the listeners.[17] The song was also used in a mashup by Party Ben, who combined the song with "Every Breath You Take" by The Police.[18]

In March 2007, Natasha Bedingfield covered the song on Ray Foley's Today FM show. In June 2007, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw performed this song as a duet at a Soul2Soul 2007 concert.

The Chordials, a co-ed a cappella group at Cornell University, covered the song in 2007.

The X Factor Series 3 contestant Shaun Rogerson has also covered the song for his debut album.

Jo Frances covered the song on her 2007 Debut Album "Ultimately".

Shane Harper from Dance on Sunset covered the song for his Music MySpace.

Sarah Bettens (lead singer of K's Choice) included a cover of this song in her 2007-2008 tour setlist.

Dickie Rock covers the song on his 2007 album "Sings contemporary Irish Classic Hits".

Deutschland sucht den Superstar season 5 winner Thomas Godoj performed the song in the Top-15 Show and the finale as his highlight song of the season.

Actor Dave Coyne, known as DCLugi, created a parody titled Chasing Bars.

Formats and track listings

Chart performance

Chart (2009) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[24] 63

Certifications

Country Sales Certification
Australia 70,000 Platinum[25]
Germany 150,000 Gold[26]

References

  1. ^ Single release details
  2. ^ a b Philipp, Sven (2006-06-24), "Chasing Cars." Billboard. 118 (25):61
  3. ^ Top 40 Singles of 2006, from BBC Radio 1 website
  4. ^ Top 40 Singles of 2007, from the BBC Radio 1 website
  5. ^ http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=32613
  6. ^ "50 Years Of Great British Music". Q. Bauer Media Group. Archived from the original on 2009-11-20. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
  7. ^ a b Phillip, Sven (24 June 2006). "Singles - Pop". Billboard. 118 (25). Nielsen Business Media, Inc.: 61. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
  8. ^ van Ryn, Claire (November 30, 2009). "Remember to rest amid our busy world". The Examiner. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |archive-url= requires |url= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Unknown parameter |country= ignored (help)
  9. ^ Snow Patrol's MySpace profile [dead link]
  10. ^ "FOX Facts: Complete List of Grammy Award Nominations". Associated Press. 7 December 2006. Retrieved 9 December 2006.
  11. ^ Adam Webb (July 7, 2006). "Snow Patrol - 'Chasing Cars'". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  12. ^ "Top 500". Virgin Radio. 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-12-31. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
  13. ^ "Digital download factsheet". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-11-21. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
  14. ^ "Download chart toppers". iAfrica. September 7, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-11-24. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
  15. ^ Heawood, Sophie (October 30, 2009). "Snow Patrol: 'We're not ready for greatest hits'". The Times. Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
  16. ^ A State of Trance #264 Playlist
  17. ^ A State of Trance #280 Playlist
  18. ^ Party Ben official site
  19. ^ a b References for chart positions: "Official ARIA digital track chart". ARIA Charts. Retrieved 6 November 2006.
  20. ^ "Chartifacts - Week Commencing: 16 November 2009". ARIA Charts. Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 2009-11-21. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
  21. ^ Sweden Charting
  22. ^ http://zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK2006.HTM
  23. ^ "Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars (Chanson)". Hung Medien. ultratop.be. Retrieved 2009-11-09.
  24. ^ "Top 100 singles chart :: Chart week ending date 21/11/09". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 2009-11-21. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
  25. ^ "Pandora". Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-11-21.
  26. ^ "Bundesverband Musikindustrie: Gold-/Platin-Datenbank:" (in German). Retrieved 2009-12-11.
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