Far Away (Nickelback song) explained

Far Away
Cover:Far Away.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Nickelback
Album:All the Right Reasons
Studio:Mountainview (Abbotsford, British Columbia)
Length:
  • 3:59 (album version)
  • 3:42 (edit version)
Label:Roadrunner
Producer:Nickelback
Prev Title:Animals
Prev Year:2005
Next Title:Savin' Me
Next Year:2006

"Far Away" is a song by Canadian band Nickelback. First released on January 23, 2006, in Australia, it was the second international single, fourth US single, and third single overall from the band's fifth album, All the Right Reasons (2005). "Far Away" peaked at number eight in the United States, making All the Right Reasons the only Nickelback album to date to have more than one top-10 hit. The band's lead singer and guitarist Chad Kroeger described this song on the Tour when in Australia as the "only real love song" that Nickelback has. He described many others as "being about love" but not solely about "being in love".[1]

The song was re-released in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2008, following the success of "Rockstar" and the re-release of "Photograph". This release also reached number 40 in the UK singles chart, equalling its original chart peak, although this re-release was download-only.[2]

Background

"Far Away" was a huge success in the U.S. and became the band's fourth top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 8. The song was the second top-10 single from their latest album All the Right Reasons after the leading single of the album, "Photograph", which peaked at number two on the chart.

Composition

The song is written in the key of B major and follows a slow tempo of 67 beats per minute in common time. It follows a chord progression of Bmaj7FsusGm7E, and the vocals span from E3 to A4. In the final chorus of the song, the key changes to D major.[3]

Music video

The music video for "Far Away" was first shown on VH1's V-Spot. Filmed at Green Timbers Park in Surrey, British Columbia just outside Vancouver, the video starts with a couple in bed, when a cellphone rings and the husband is forced to leave. It is revealed that he is a firefighter, and has been called to help fight a forest fire.

As the song moves on, we see the firefighters dropped right into the middle of the fire by a helicopter, which quickly overwhelms them and forces them to retreat. The husband goes back to help a fallen firefighter, and watches the helicopter leave without him. After the husband sees the helicopter leave, a large, fiery tree is seen falling, presumably onto him. This footage is inter-cut with his wife watching the news about the fire.

Later, she receives a phone call, and breaks down, as it appears that she has been informed that her husband has died. She rushes outside to see several firefighters emerge from a truck...including her husband, covered in soot. She rushes to him and hugs him, and the video ends.

The entire song also features inter-cuts to the band playing in a large, strobe light-filled red and orange room.

VH1 later named this video as the third-best song on the Top 40 Videos of 2006, behind "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira and ahead of "SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake.

Track listings and formats

CD single (UK)

  1. "Far Away" [Album Version] – 4:01
  2. "Far Away" [Edit Version] – 3:42
  3. "Mistake" [Live in Edmonton] – 5:11
  4. "Photograph" [Acoustic] Rolling Stone Original – 6:55
  5. "Far Away" [Video]

CD single

  1. "Far Away" [Edit Version] – 3:42
  2. "Mistake" [Live in Edmonton] – 5:11
  3. "Photograph" [Acoustic] Rolling Stone Original – 6:55

Deluxe edition

  1. "Far Away" [Album Version] – 4:01
  2. "Far Away" [Edit Version] – 3:42

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2006)Position
Australia (ARIA)[5] 53
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 53
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[7] 17
Chart (2007)Position
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 94
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[9] 10
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[10] 22

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
AustraliaJanuary 23, 2006CDRoadrunner[11]
United KingdomFebruary 13, 2006[12]
United StatesAugust 1, 2006Contemporary hit radio[13]
August 7, 2006Hot adult contemporary radio[14]
United Kingdom (re-release)September 22, 2006[15]

Notes and References

  1. News: Top 5 Nickelback hits. Genting Arena. July 24, 2017. Birmingham.
  2. Web site: Roadrunner Records UK. RoadrunnerRecords.co.uk. August 6, 2008. September 29, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110929040142/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.co.uk/page/News?artist_id=685. dead.
  3. Web site: Far Away. www.musicnotes.com. February 6, 2016. Nickelback. April 18, 2006.
  4. Web site: Nielsen Music Control Airplay - Germany Top 5. Nielsen Music Control on behalf of BVMI. February 17, 2023. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20060207032004/http://www.nielsenmusiccontrol.com/. February 7, 2006.
  5. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2006. Australian Recording Industry Association. September 19, 2019.
  6. Hot 100 Songs - Year-End 2006. Billboard.
  7. Web site: Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2006. Billboard. September 19, 2019.
  8. Hot 100 Songs - Year-End 2007. Billboard.
  9. Web site: Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2007. Billboard. September 19, 2019.
  10. Web site: Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2007. Billboard. September 19, 2019.
  11. Web site: The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 23rd January 2006. ARIA. 28. January 23, 2006. dead. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20060219130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20060220-0000/issue829.pdf. February 19, 2006. October 20, 2021.
  12. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 27. February 11, 2006.
  13. Web site: FMQB Airplay Archive: CHR. FMQB. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130322142506/http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239. March 22, 2013. January 28, 2022.
  14. Web site: ACQB: Available for Airplay. FMQB. https://web.archive.org/web/20070207084832/http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=64265. February 7, 2007. March 27, 2022.
  15. Web site: Featured Releases. RoadrunnerRecords.co.uk. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080908003046/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.co.uk:80/page/Releases. September 8, 2008.