From Here to Eternity (Michael Peterson song)
Encyclopedia
"From Here to Eternity" is the title of a song recorded by American country music
artist Michael Peterson
, who co-wrote the song with Robert Ellis Orrall
. It was released in September 1997 as the second single from his first album, Michael Peterson
, becoming his first number one hit on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts that year.
in which the singer asks if his lover will be his "from here to eternity". Peterson claims that the single is a "pretty spiritual song" and that he wrote the song "about faith and it came out as a country song". It is set at a moderate tempo with a vocal range from D4 to A5. The song begins in the key of G major
, and transposes a whole step upward to A major
halfway through the final chorus.
magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it a "well-written ballad, ripe with sweet emotion." She goes on to say that Peterson's vocal "perfectly captures the warmth and feeling in the lyric."
. It was filmed in Point Reyes
and west Marin County, California
.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Michael Peterson
Michael Peterson (singer)
Michael James Peterson is an American country music artist. He made his debut on the country music scene in 1997 with his self-titled debut album, which produced five Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, including the Number One hit "From Here to Eternity"...
, who co-wrote the song with Robert Ellis Orrall
Robert Ellis Orrall
Robert Ellis Orrall is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Signed to RCA Records in 1980, Orrall debuted that year with the album "Fixation". His first Top 40 single was "I Couldn't Say No", a duet with Carlene Carter...
. It was released in September 1997 as the second single from his first album, Michael Peterson
Michael Peterson (album)
Michael Peterson is the debut album of American country music artist Michael Peterson. Released in 1997 on Reprise Records, it features the singles "Drink, Swear, Steal & Lie", "From Here to Eternity", "Too Good to Be True", "When the Bartender Cries" and "By the Book", all of which charted on the...
, becoming his first number one hit on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) charts that year.
Content
The song is a balladBallad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
in which the singer asks if his lover will be his "from here to eternity". Peterson claims that the single is a "pretty spiritual song" and that he wrote the song "about faith and it came out as a country song". It is set at a moderate tempo with a vocal range from D4 to A5. The song begins in the key of G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
, and transposes a whole step upward to A major
A major
A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps.Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor...
halfway through the final chorus.
Critical reception
Deborah Evans Price, of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it a "well-written ballad, ripe with sweet emotion." She goes on to say that Peterson's vocal "perfectly captures the warmth and feeling in the lyric."
Music video
The music video was directed by Steven GoldmannSteven Goldmann
Steven Goldmann is a Canadian music video and film director. He has directed over 200 music videos. Goldmann also directed the movies Broken Bridges and Trailer Park of Terror, and has additionally directed several television programs.-1990-1999:...
. It was filmed in Point Reyes
Point Reyes
Point Reyes is a prominent cape on the Pacific coast of northern California. It is located in Marin County approximately WNW of San Francisco. The term is often applied to the Point Reyes Peninsula, the region bounded by Tomales Bay on the northeast and Bolinas Lagoon on the southeast...
and west Marin County, California
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
.
Chart positions
"From Here to Eternity" debuted at number 56 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of September 13, 1997.| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 11 |