I Alone
| "I Alone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Live | ||||
| from the album Throwing Copper | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | May 22, 1994 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, post-grunge | |||
| Length | 3:48 | |||
| Label | Radioactive Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Live | |||
| Live singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"I Alone" is the second single from Live's album, Throwing Copper. The single was released to radio stations in Canada and the United States, but was only released commercially overseas. It reached #6 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[1] The song was ranked 62nd best song of the 1990s by VH1.[2]
Lead singer Ed Kowalczyk said of the song's lyrics, "People think 'I Alone' is a love song but it really wasn't. The lyrics were more abstract, encompassing a much larger message."[3] He explained the line, "The greatest of teachers won't hesitate to leave you there by yourself chained to fate," by saying that a profound lesson he derived from studying spiritual teachings was that religion and truth must be found for oneself and practiced, rather than just accepting the word of others.[4]
Live performed "I Alone" at the Woodstock '99 festival on July 23, 1999 in Rome, New York.[5] The song was featured in the TV shows Homicide: Life on the Street, Beavis and Butt-head,[6] Hindsight, My So-Called Life, and Silicon Valley.
Composition
"I Alone" is written in the key of G major (recorded a half step lower in G♭ major). Kowalczyk's vocal range spans from C#3-G4.[7]
Charts
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[8] | 97 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] | 20 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 48 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay | 38 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[11] | 6 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[12] | 6 |
Track listings
All songs written by Live:
- Australian releases
- "I Alone" - 3:55
- "Pain Lies on the Riverside" - 5:11
- "Selling the Drama" (Acoustic) - 3:40
- UK releases and German CD
- "I Alone" - 3:56
- "I Alone" (Acoustic) - 3:48
- "Pain Lies on the Riverside" - 5:13
References
- ^ "Thowing Copper > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles" Allmusic
- ^ "Top 100 Songs of the 90s" Archived 2012-02-14 at the Wayback Machine VH1 - December 13, 2007
- ^ "Men With A Message". Retrieved 2008-02-23. Yahoo! Music (link no longer working)
- ^ "Live -- interview page". Archived from the original on 2008-02-18. Retrieved 2008-02-23. - Listenin.org (link no longer working)
- ^ "Live - I Alone (Woodstock 1999)" YouTube
- ^ "Soundtracks for Beavis and Butt-Head: Oil Change (1995)" IMDb
- ^ Live "I Alone" Sheet Music musicnotes.com
- ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 22 Jan 1995". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved 2016-08-13.
- ^ "dutchcharts.nl > Live – I Alone" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Live Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
- ^ "Live Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
