Lifeline (Papa Roach song)
Encyclopedia
"Lifeline" is the second single from California
n rock
band Papa Roach
's sixth album, Metamorphosis
, and eleventh released single in total. The song was originally titled "Hanging On", and was changed to "Lifeline" after lead singer Jacoby Shaddix
decided to alter the lyrics of the chorus. It was released to iTunes
on January 27, 2009 and as a Hot Topic
exclusive CD single on February 10. An accompanying music video
was released on March 6, 2009. To launch this song in its truest form, the band filmed "Lifeline" live during Crüe Fest
.
and was directed by Chris Sims.
The video opens with a man leaving an industrial area with and after packing a box of items. As he enters his car we find out about an eviction notice and unpaid bills along with a cut to his wife and child. Various shots of the band playing (along with a solitary side shot of Jacoby) in front of the same industrial area the man was seen leaving are edited into the story. As he enters his car the image turns black and white and shows him being chased by another man with cuts and bruises, which turns out to be him. The injured man eventually calls out to the other during the "I'm never gonna fade away" section of the song and the running man stops, turns, faces him and they collide as the same man now back in his car drives past many homes with "For Lease" signs on them. He smiles however as his child and wife run towards him upon returning home.
's Best Video of 2009 contest, beating Metallica
's "All Nightmare Long
", Daughtry's "No Surprise
", Shinedown
's "Sound of Madness", and Paramore
's "Ignorance
", before finishing 2nd to Britney Spears
for her song "Circus
" in the final round. VH1
voted it the Top Rock Song of the Year, and also finished 1st in Rolling Stone's Top Ten Alternative Songs of 2009.
, often switching between this and G minor
. It has often been related to AC/DC
's type of quick fret style music.
Lead singer Jacoby Shaddix
said in an interview relating to "Lifeline"'s changing of their genre from their old style, "We ain't rapping anymore, all I wanted to do when I was a child was rock it out, which we are starting to do now."
Many music fans on the internet have also stated the main riff of the song bears strong resemblance to that of the piano riff of "Everybody's Changing
" by British rock band Keane.
Continuing, he also stated this about his motives for "Lifeline":
"We know right now America is crazy times. People are hurting. Sacramento, near where we are from, is the leading region for home foreclosures in America, so they are setting up tent cities and shit is going down. We want to send love to people going through hardships."
Jacoby also commented in a interview about "Lifeline", saying, once again, the meaning was "of the tough economic times America is facing".
said about the single: Too many times the band takes one step forward and two steps back, at least showing some minimal signs of life in a dying genre built on repetition. Shaddix has a solid voice for this sound, and Horton seems to be discovering a new use for his distortion pedal, there are just far too many cliches in the ocean Papa Roach is trying to swim across, and the band can't seem to cope with their identity.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that the song has "a dire determination to its purported good times". "Lifeline" is Papa Roach's first song to top the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and lasted for six weeks. Unlike "Last Resort
", "Lifeline" did not reach #1 on Hot Modern Rock Tracks, but instead, reached #3 and never reached any higher rank. The song is available as a downloadable song for the Rock Band
video games and later appeared as a playable track in Band Hero
. It is also on the iPhone
and iPod Touch
game Tap Tap Revenge 2
. Therefore increasing sales of "Lifeline". As of May 21, 2009, "Lifeline" has sold over 135,000 digital copies.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Papa Roach
Papa Roach
Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
's sixth album, Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis (Papa Roach album)
Metamorphosis is the sixth album by California rock band Papa Roach. It was released by DGC/Interscope on March 24, 2009. The album was originally planned to be titled Days of War, Nights of Love, which is a lyrical quote from the song "No More Secrets" on the band's previous album, The Paramour...
, and eleventh released single in total. The song was originally titled "Hanging On", and was changed to "Lifeline" after lead singer Jacoby Shaddix
Jacoby Shaddix
Jacoby Dakota Shaddix is the lead singer of Californian rock band Papa Roach, and along with bassist Tobin Esperance, is the main songwriter for the band.-Early life:...
decided to alter the lyrics of the chorus. It was released to iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on January 27, 2009 and as a Hot Topic
Hot Topic
Hot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
exclusive CD single on February 10. An accompanying music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was released on March 6, 2009. To launch this song in its truest form, the band filmed "Lifeline" live during Crüe Fest
Crüe Fest
Crüe Fest was a summer 2008 tour by Mötley Crüe, which commenced on July 1, 2008 and concluded on August 31, 2008. It featured Mötley Crüe themselves, Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Sixx:A.M., and Trapt. Crüe Fest was said to be "the Loudest Show on Earth"...
.
Music video
The music video was released on March 6. It was filmed in Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
and was directed by Chris Sims.
The video opens with a man leaving an industrial area with and after packing a box of items. As he enters his car we find out about an eviction notice and unpaid bills along with a cut to his wife and child. Various shots of the band playing (along with a solitary side shot of Jacoby) in front of the same industrial area the man was seen leaving are edited into the story. As he enters his car the image turns black and white and shows him being chased by another man with cuts and bruises, which turns out to be him. The injured man eventually calls out to the other during the "I'm never gonna fade away" section of the song and the running man stops, turns, faces him and they collide as the same man now back in his car drives past many homes with "For Lease" signs on them. He smiles however as his child and wife run towards him upon returning home.
Awards
"Lifeline" was nominated for Fuse TVFuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
's Best Video of 2009 contest, beating Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
's "All Nightmare Long
All Nightmare Long
"All Nightmare Long" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica, the song is released as their fifth single from their ninth album Death Magnetic, and their forty-fourth single overall. The single was released on December 15, 2008...
", Daughtry's "No Surprise
No Surprise (Daughtry song)
"No Surprise" is the first single from Daughtry's second album Leave This Town. The band first performed the song live on American Idol on Wednesday, May 6, 2009. Chris Daughtry wrote this song with Chad Kroeger from Nickelback, along with Eric Dill and Rune Westberg.-Release:The band began...
", Shinedown
Shinedown
Shinedown is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed in 2001 and founded by members Brent Smith , Brad Stewart , Jasin Todd , and Barry Kerch . A few line-up changes followed, and the band's current line-up consists of Smith and Kerch, the band's only two remaining original...
's "Sound of Madness", and Paramore
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
's "Ignorance
Ignorance (song)
"Ignorance" is a song by the American rock band Paramore. "Ignorance" was released by Fueled by Ramen in July 2009, as the lead single from the bands 2009 studio album entitled, Brand New Eyes. The single was written by Paramore band members Hayley Williams and Josh Farro; Paramore is also credited...
", before finishing 2nd to Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
for her song "Circus
Circus (song)
"Circus" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on December 2, 2008, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. "Circus" was written by Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly and Benny Blanco as a metaphor for the public's perception of...
" in the final round. VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
voted it the Top Rock Song of the Year, and also finished 1st in Rolling Stone's Top Ten Alternative Songs of 2009.
Track listing
7" singleSound
"Lifeline" begins in the key of D majorD major
D major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature consists of two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor....
, often switching between this and G minor
G minor
G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. For the harmonic minor scale, the F is raised to F. Its relative major is B-flat major, and its parallel major is G major....
. It has often been related to AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
's type of quick fret style music.
Lead singer Jacoby Shaddix
Jacoby Shaddix
Jacoby Dakota Shaddix is the lead singer of Californian rock band Papa Roach, and along with bassist Tobin Esperance, is the main songwriter for the band.-Early life:...
said in an interview relating to "Lifeline"'s changing of their genre from their old style, "We ain't rapping anymore, all I wanted to do when I was a child was rock it out, which we are starting to do now."
Many music fans on the internet have also stated the main riff of the song bears strong resemblance to that of the piano riff of "Everybody's Changing
Everybody's Changing
"Everybody's Changing" is a song performed and composed by English rock band Keane, from their debut album Hopes and Fears, on which it appears as the fourth track. After a single release on Fierce Panda in May 2003, which peaked at #122 in the UK Singles Chart, it was re-released on Island on 3...
" by British rock band Keane.
Song meaning
Jacoby Shaddix told the story of the song in a video interview: "We were packing up our equipment. I was upstairs packing up my room and I heard this riff ringing up the hallway and it was like Damn! That's sick. So we went down there and jammed it out in about an hour, got the beef to the song, tweaked it in a bunch of different ways. It's a very uplifting song. Lyrically it's about progressing as a human being, as a spiritual being in this crazy shit. It sounds clichéd as this band is my lifeline to humanity, its what connects me to the flow of life."Continuing, he also stated this about his motives for "Lifeline":
"We know right now America is crazy times. People are hurting. Sacramento, near where we are from, is the leading region for home foreclosures in America, so they are setting up tent cities and shit is going down. We want to send love to people going through hardships."
Jacoby also commented in a interview about "Lifeline", saying, once again, the meaning was "of the tough economic times America is facing".
Reception
"Lifeline" received mixed reviews by critics. Chris Fallon of AbsolutePunk.netAbsolutePunk.net
AbsolutePunk is a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate . The website mainly focuses on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it has been known to feature artists who have eventually achieved crossover success, including Fall...
said about the single: Too many times the band takes one step forward and two steps back, at least showing some minimal signs of life in a dying genre built on repetition. Shaddix has a solid voice for this sound, and Horton seems to be discovering a new use for his distortion pedal, there are just far too many cliches in the ocean Papa Roach is trying to swim across, and the band can't seem to cope with their identity.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that the song has "a dire determination to its purported good times". "Lifeline" is Papa Roach's first song to top the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and lasted for six weeks. Unlike "Last Resort
Last Resort (song)
"Last Resort" is the debut single from Californian rock band Papa Roach's second album, Infest. The song was very popular and a huge success and shot the band into the mainstream. The song charted on many charts around the world and reached number 1 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks number 57 on the U.S...
", "Lifeline" did not reach #1 on Hot Modern Rock Tracks, but instead, reached #3 and never reached any higher rank. The song is available as a downloadable song for the Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
video games and later appeared as a playable track in Band Hero
Band Hero
Band Hero is a spinoff video game as part of the Guitar Hero series of music video games, released by Activision on November 3, 2009, for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS consoles...
. It is also on the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
game Tap Tap Revenge 2
Tap Tap Revenge 2
Tap Tap Revenge 2 is an installment in the Tap Tap Series. It is a game developed and published by Tapulous for iOS. It is the sequel to Tap Tap Revenge.-Gameplay:...
. Therefore increasing sales of "Lifeline". As of May 21, 2009, "Lifeline" has sold over 135,000 digital copies.
Chart performance
| Chart (2009) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
81 |
| U.S. 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 Modern Rock Tracks |
3 |
| U.S. 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 Mainstream Rock Tracks |
1 |
| U.S. 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... Rock Songs Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... |
5 |
| U.S. 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... Adult Pop Songs |
33 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
95 |