Away from the Sun (song)

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"Away from the Sun"
Single by 3 Doors Down
from the album Away from the Sun
ReleasedJanuary 12, 2004 (2004-01-12)
Studio
  • London Bridge (Seattle, Washington)
  • Greenhouse (Burnaby, British Columbia)
  • Ocean Way (Hollywood, California)
Length3:53
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rick Parashar
3 Doors Down singles chronology
"Here Without You"
(2003)
"Away from the Sun"
(2004)
"Let Me Go"
(2004)
Music video
"Away From The Sun" on YouTube

"Away from the Sun" is a song by American rock band 3 Doors Down. It was released on January 12, 2004, as the fourth single from their second studio album of the same name. It debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August of the same year.

Composition[edit]

In an interview with SongFacts, lead singer Brad Arnold spoke about the song's meaning:

"'Away from the Sun' is just about those days. A really important little phrase is at the beginning of the chorus, it says, 'Now again I found myself so far down.' It's like, yet again I've fallen. It's not like just once you're in a hole, it's like, here I am again. You watch the kid in the [music] video, it's over and over he's at the bottom again. It's like every time he crawls back up someone just pushes him down. And for about a two-to-three year period in my life, I really felt like that. I didn't even feel like climbing up the hill anymore, because every time I climbed up somebody was gonna push me back down it. That song is a reflection of that time period in my life. And thank God it's over. But I just felt away from the sun."[1]

Music video[edit]

The music video for "Away from the Sun" was directed by Noble Jones.[2]

The video begins with a young boy (played by Brad Arnold's nephew)[1] attempting to climb a mountain with boulders strapped to his ankles with ropes. As he climbs, a man rushes up to him and begins scolding the boy. The boy then falls down the mountain. As he falls, a group of schoolgirls look on. Most of them laugh at him, with the exception of one girl who silently stares with a blank expression on her face. Afterwards, the boy attempts to climb the mountain again. This time, however, a group of men begin throwing stones at the boy, except for one man who stares blankly at the boy and drops his stone. The boy then sees a woman dressed in white ahead of him, but the man from earlier in the video reappears and punches him down to the base of the mountain. As he reflects on the events that had transpired, the sun begins to rise over the mountain range on the horizon. Finally, the boy once again attempts to scale the mountain. He again sees the woman dressed in white, and he continues to climb to the top of the mountain. The scene cuts to the boy climbing the mountain from afar before the sunlight consumes the screen and the video ends.

Track listings[edit]

European CD single[3]

  1. "Away from the Sun" – 3:51
  2. "Away from the Sun" (acoustic) – 3:45

European enhanced CD single[4]

  1. "Away from the Sun" – 3:51
  2. "Away from the Sun" (acoustic) – 3:45
  3. "Kryptonite (live)" – 4:11
  4. "Away from the Sun" (video) – 3:45

Australian CD single[5]

  1. "Away from the Sun" – 3:53
  2. "The Road I'm On" – 4:01
  3. "When I'm Gone" – 4:23
  4. "Kryptonite" (live) – 4:11

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16] Gold 500,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States January 12, 2004 [17]
February 9, 2004 [18]
Australia April 5, 2004 CD [19]
Europe July 19, 2004 [8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Brad Arnold from 3 Doors Down : Songwriter Interviews". SongFacts. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  2. ^ "3 Doors Down - Away From The Sun (2004)". IMVDb. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  3. ^ Away from the Sun (European CD single liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records, Universal Records. 2004. 0602498629673.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ^ Away from the Sun (European enhanced CD single liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records, Universal Records. 2004. 0602498629666.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ Away from the Sun (Australian CD single liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records, Universal Records. 2004. 9862296.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ "Issue 738" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  7. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 33, 2004" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  8. ^ a b "3 Doors Down – Away from the Sun" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  9. ^ "3 Doors Down – Away from the Sun". Top 40 Singles.
  10. ^ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  11. ^ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  12. ^ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  13. ^ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  14. ^ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  15. ^ "Year in Music & Touring: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 52. December 25, 2004. p. YE-74. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  16. ^ "American single certifications – 3 Doors Down – Away from the Sun". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  17. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1537. January 9, 2004. p. 24.
  18. ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1541. February 6, 2004. p. 25.
  19. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 5th April 2004" (PDF). ARIA. April 5, 2004. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2008. Retrieved March 5, 2022.