You Found Me (song)
Encyclopedia
"You Found Me" is the first single
by Denver-based piano rock band The Fray
from their eponymous second studio album
. Live performances of the song from concerts in Europe surfaced on YouTube
in late 2007, when the song was titled "Amistad". The band began streaming the song on their website on November 21, 2008. The single was digitally released in the U.S., Canadian, UK, Australian and French iTunes Stores and had a physical release later on.
The song became the group's third single to sell 2,000,000 downloads in the United States, after "How to Save a Life
" and "Over My Head (Cable Car)
". The single was certified double platinum
by the RIAA and the ARIA
in 2009.
The song was nominated for a Choice Music: Rock Track award at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards.
The song was ranked #13 on the Hot 100 Songs of 2009
list and #36 on Billboard
's Best Adult Pop Songs of the Decade list. It was also ranked #42 on Billboard's Top 100 Digital Tracks of the Decade list and #61 on the ARIA's list of the Top 100 Tracks of the Decade.
expressed his meaning behind the lyrics
of the song:
You Found Me is a tough song for me. It's about the disappointment, the heart ache, the let down that comes with life. Sometimes you’re let down, sometimes you’re the one who lets someone else down. It gets hard to know who you can trust, who you can count on. This song came out of a tough time, and I’m still right in the thick of it. There’s some difficult circumstances my family and friends have been going through over the past year or so and can be overwhelming. It wears on me. It demands so much of my faith to keep believing, keep hoping in the unseen. Sometimes the tunnel has a light at the end, but usually they just look black as night. This song is about that feeling, and the hope that I still have, buried deep in my chest.”
In another interview Isaac Slade declared that:
In a Reuters
article about the album, Slade stated that the lyrics for "You Found Me" were written in 2007, and that the song asks about the problem of evil
, why bad things happen to good people, after some of their friends and family went through very tough times.
, making it the band's highest debut on the chart to date. On the February 7, 2009, issue of Billboard magazine, the single jumped to number eight on the strength of a 91% digital single sales increase from the previous week and steady airplay gains on several radio formats, becoming The Fray's third career Billboard Hot 100 top ten hit after "Over My Head (Cable Car)
" and "How To Save A Life
". It peaked at number seven, their second highest peaking song on the chart. On the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
chart, the song reached number one, making it their third top five hit and second number one on that chart. The song has sold over 3,000,000 downloads in the US alone as of October 2011.
On the Canadian Hot 100
it debuted at number 51, and jumped to number 13 the following week also based on sales strength and would go on to peak at number 12 in mid-February. In the United Kingdom, the song reached number 35.
In its first week on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart
, the song debuted at number 15 and peaked at number one. It marks the Fray's first ever number-one song in Australia and second top-ten hit. The Fray held this spot for four weeks until Flo Rida
's "Right Round
" knocked it off the top spot. More than two and a half years since exiting the ARIA Top 50, it returned to the chart at #50 for the week starting 28 November, 2011, on the back of The X Factor Australia
runner-up Andrew Wishart collaborating with The Fray on the show's grand finale.
's "The Great Beyond
". The track was originally covered for BBC Radio 1
's compilation album, Radio 1 Established 1967
, in which 40 artists were asked to cover a song for each year from 1967 to 2007 to celebrate the station's 40th anniversary.
. It depicts scenes of the band members in different roles- playing the song on a steel bridge, unknown people, and the members of the band are standing on top of skyscrapers looking towards the sky, and at a car accident at which the band oversees those involved, somehow being their own "guardian angel". The video ends with all material objects being lifted into the air.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by Denver-based piano rock band The Fray
The Fray
-Literature:*Fray, a phenomenon in Terry Pratchett's The Carpet People*Fray , a comic book series by Joss Whedon**Melaka Fray, titular character of the comic book series-Music:*"Fray", a song from the album 14 Shades of Grey by Staind...
from their eponymous second studio album
The Fray (album)
The Fray is the second studio album by The Fray. Released on February 3, 2009, through Epic Records, the album debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200 chart, and became a top 5 hit in Australia and Canada. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2010...
. Live performances of the song from concerts in Europe surfaced on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
in late 2007, when the song was titled "Amistad". The band began streaming the song on their website on November 21, 2008. The single was digitally released in the U.S., Canadian, UK, Australian and French iTunes Stores and had a physical release later on.
The song became the group's third single to sell 2,000,000 downloads in the United States, after "How to Save a Life
How to Save a Life (song)
"How to Save a Life" is a song by American rock band The Fray. It is the title track from their debut album and was released as the second single from it. The song is one of their most popular airplay songs and peaked in the top 3 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States...
" and "Over My Head (Cable Car)
Over My Head (Cable Car)
"Over My Head " is a song by American rock band The Fray. It is included on their on their debut album How to Save a Life and was the debut single from the album and hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
". The single was certified double platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the RIAA and the ARIA
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
in 2009.
The song was nominated for a Choice Music: Rock Track award at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards.
The song was ranked #13 on the Hot 100 Songs of 2009
Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2009
Billboard magazine each year releases a Top Hot 100 songs of the year, counted from the first week of November to the final week in October. The 2009 list was dominated by The Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga, who shared the top four spots...
list and #36 on 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...
's Best Adult Pop Songs of the Decade list. It was also ranked #42 on Billboard's Top 100 Digital Tracks of the Decade list and #61 on the ARIA's list of the Top 100 Tracks of the Decade.
Song meaning
In an interview, lead singer and pianist Isaac SladeIsaac Slade
Isaac Edward Slade is the lead vocalist, main songwriter, pianist, and co-founder of Denver-based piano rock band The Fray.-Early years:...
expressed his meaning behind the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
of the song:
In another interview Isaac Slade declared that:
"I kept getting these phone calls from home - tragedy after tragedy... If there is some kind of Person in charge of this planet - are they sleeping? Smoking? Where are they? I just imagined running into God standing on a street corner like Bruce Springsteen, smoking a cigarette, and I'd have it out with Him."
In a Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
article about the album, Slade stated that the lyrics for "You Found Me" were written in 2007, and that the song asks about the problem of evil
Problem of evil
In the philosophy of religion, the problem of evil is the question of how to explain evil if there exists a deity that is omnibenevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient . Some philosophers have claimed that the existences of such a god and of evil are logically incompatible or unlikely...
, why bad things happen to good people, after some of their friends and family went through very tough times.
Chart performance
"You Found Me" debuted at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
, making it the band's highest debut on the chart to date. On the February 7, 2009, issue of Billboard magazine, the single jumped to number eight on the strength of a 91% digital single sales increase from the previous week and steady airplay gains on several radio formats, becoming The Fray's third career Billboard Hot 100 top ten hit after "Over My Head (Cable Car)
Over My Head (Cable Car)
"Over My Head " is a song by American rock band The Fray. It is included on their on their debut album How to Save a Life and was the debut single from the album and hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
" and "How To Save A Life
How to Save a Life
How to Save a Life is the debut album by The Fray. Released on September 13, 2005 through Epic Records, the record charted in the top 15 on the Billboard 200 and was a top ten hit in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK...
". It peaked at number seven, their second highest peaking song on the chart. On the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts...
chart, the song reached number one, making it their third top five hit and second number one on that chart. The song has sold over 3,000,000 downloads in the US alone as of October 2011.
On the 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...
it debuted at number 51, and jumped to number 13 the following week also based on sales strength and would go on to peak at number 12 in mid-February. In the United Kingdom, the song reached number 35.
In its first week on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, the song debuted at number 15 and peaked at number one. It marks the Fray's first ever number-one song in Australia and second top-ten hit. The Fray held this spot for four weeks until Flo Rida
Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from...
's "Right Round
Right Round
“Right Round” is a song performed by American rapper Flo Rida featuring pop singer Kesha from R.O.O.T.S., his second studio album. It was released to radio as the album's lead single on January 27, 2009 and was digitally released on February 10 by Poe Boy Entertainment and Atlantic Records...
" knocked it off the top spot. More than two and a half years since exiting the ARIA Top 50, it returned to the chart at #50 for the week starting 28 November, 2011, on the back of The X Factor Australia
The X Factor (Australia season 3)
The X Factor is an Australian television reality music competition, based on the original UK series, to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a management contract and a Sony Music Australia recording contract. The 2011 season premiered on the Seven Network on 29 August 2011 and...
runner-up Andrew Wishart collaborating with The Fray on the show's grand finale.
B-side
The B-side track to the single is a cover of R.E.M.R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
's "The Great Beyond
The Great Beyond
"The Great Beyond" is a song by R.E.M. It is not featured on an original studio album as it was written specifically for the 1999 movie Man on the Moon but was released as a single the following year for support of the film's soundtrack album. The single reached #3 in the UK singles chart, the...
". The track was originally covered for BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's compilation album, Radio 1 Established 1967
Radio 1 Established 1967
The compilation album Radio 1 Established 1967 is a collection of covers especially recorded for Radio 1 by a number of artists. The album celebrates the 40th anniversary of BBC Radio 1. There are 40 songs recorded by 40 different artists . Each artist was given a year, and were allowed to cover a...
, in which 40 artists were asked to cover a song for each year from 1967 to 2007 to celebrate the station's 40th anniversary.
Music video
The video was shot in Chicago with Josh Forbes as the director and premiered on December 9, 2008, on VH1 and on the VH1 website. The video was inspired by Wim Wenders' film Wings of DesireWings of Desire
Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
. It depicts scenes of the band members in different roles- playing the song on a steel bridge, unknown people, and the members of the band are standing on top of skyscrapers looking towards the sky, and at a car accident at which the band oversees those involved, somehow being their own "guardian angel". The video ends with all material objects being lifted into the air.
In popular culture
- The song had its official televised debut at the American Music AwardsAmerican Music Awards of 2008The 2008 American Music Awards were held on November 23, 2008 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.-Performers:-Presenters:* Jamie Foxx* Sarah Chalke* Akon* Julianne Hough* Ashley Tisdale...
on November 23, 2008. - The song has been used with clips of both the video and ABC's LostLost (TV series)Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
during the promotional trailers for the show's fifth season. - In AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the song has been used during the promotional trailer for the Seven Network'sSeven NetworkThe Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
medical drama All Saints, in the lead up to the commencement of the show's 12th and final season. - It was played after an audition on American Idol Season 8 and later the instrumental was used during Hollywood Week for Matt Giraud's performance. Matt Giraud also chose the song for "Top Downloads" week during the Top 9 performances, which garnered a lukewarm reception from the judges, however, he remained safe that week.
- It was played at the end of an One Tree HillOne Tree Hill (TV series)One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
episode aired on January 19, 2009. - It was used in a commercial for the February 10, 2009 episode MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's The Real World: BrooklynThe Real World: BrooklynThe Real World: Brooklyn is the twenty-first season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras document their lives and interpersonal relationships...
. - Australian radio hosts Hamish and Andy used "You Found Me" as the base for their parody song about God, titled "You Found God".
- Seth Drury performed the song for the Top 24 round of 2009's Australian Idol.
- Kayla Radomski performed a Dance For Your Life solo to this song in an episode of So You Think You Can DanceSo You Think You Can Dance (season 5)So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season five premiered on May 21, 2009, with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy returning as permanent judges and Cat Deeley returning to host...
that aired on July 29, 2009. - The song played at the end of episode 23 of the third season of Ugly BettyUgly Betty (season 3)The third season of the American dramedy television series Ugly Betty was confirmed in the ABC lineup, which was picked up for a full season on February 11, 2008. The season premiere aired on September 25, 2008 and ended with a special double-episode on May 21, 2009.In Australia, Season 3 premiered...
. - It was covered during the ninth seasonAmerican Idol (season 9)The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
by Lee DeWyzeLee DeWyzeLeon James "Lee" DeWyze, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter from Mount Prospect, Illinois, and the winner of the ninth season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, DeWyze had a solo career and formed the Lee DeWyze Band. He had also released two independent albums called So I'm Told in 2007 and...
, during Hollywood Week. - Goran Kos performed the song in the Top 15 round of Hrvatska traži zvijezduHrvatska traži zvijezduHrvatska traži zvijezdu is the second Croatian version of Pop Idol and is currently airing on RTL Televizija....
2011. - The Fray performed this song in collaboration with contestant Andrew Wishart on the Grand Final of the third season of The X Factor AustraliaThe X Factor (Australia season 3)The X Factor is an Australian television reality music competition, based on the original UK series, to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a management contract and a Sony Music Australia recording contract. The 2011 season premiered on the Seven Network on 29 August 2011 and...
.
Charts
| Chart (2008-09) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
1 |
| 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... |
12 |
| European Hot 100 | 64 |
| Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
52 |
| Greek Singles Chart | 7 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
4 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
18 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
35 |
| US 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... |
7 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
2 |
| US Billboard Adult Pop Songs Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
1 |
| US Billboard Christian Songs Hot Christian Songs Christian Songs is a Billboard chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.... |
16 |
| US Billboard Alternative Songs | 38 |
| US Billboard Pop Songs | 6 |
Year-end charts
| End of year chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 13 |
| 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... |
13 |