Kryptonite (3 Doors Down song)

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"Kryptonite"
3-Doors-Down-Kryptonite-437099.jpg
Single by 3 Doors Down
from the album The Better Life
ReleasedJanuary 18, 2000 (2000-01-18)
Recorded1999 (New York, New York)
Genre
Length3:53
Label
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)Brad Arnold
Producer(s)Paul Ebersold
3 Doors Down singles chronology
"Kryptonite"
(2000) 		"Loser"
(2000)
Music video
"Kryptonite" on YouTube

"Kryptonite" is the debut single of American rock band 3 Doors Down. It was originally released as a demo for local play by 97.9 WCPR-FM in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was picked up by several radio stations during November and December 1999[2][3] and was officially serviced to radio on January 18, 2000. The song first charted on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, reaching number one for nine weeks, then hit number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart for 11 weeks. It also reached number one on the Mainstream Top 40 chart for five non-consecutive weeks, number four on the Adult Top 40 chart, and number three on the Billboard Hot 100, the band's highest-charting single on the listing.

Composition and inspiration[]

The song was written by the band's vocalist and drummer, Brad Arnold, in a mathematics class when he was fifteen and was one of the first songs he ever wrote.[4]

About the song's meaning, Arnold has said:

"That song seems like it's really just kind of like asking a question. Its question is kind of a strange one. It's not just asking, "If I fall down, will you be there for me?", because it's easy to be there for someone when they're down. But it's not always easy to be there for somebody when they're doing good. And that's the question it's asking. It's like, "If I go crazy, will you still call me Superman?" It's asking, "If I'm down, will you still be there for me?" but at the same time, "If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand?" That's kind of asking, "If I'm doing good, will you be there for me? Will you not be jealous of me?" That's the basic question that song's asking, and maybe throughout the years of singing that song, I might have come up with more meanings for it than it actually might have originally had."[4]

Music video[]

Directed by Dean Karr and filmed in March,[5] the music video presents an old man who was a big-time action hero on 1950s TV. The scene cuts between the band hanging around on the roof of the apartments where the old man lives, spying on a man harassing a woman. When the man drags her away, the old man dons his superhero suit and follows. In between shots of the old hero chasing the bad guy and failing to protect himself against a group of goths, the band is shown playing in a club (the Cowboy Palace Saloon in LA) with several other elderly people dressed as caricatures of comic villains. Several of these people are seen riding a mechanical bull during the final chorus. The video comes to a close when the old man dives through the skylight and catches the bad guy off guard, possibly knocking him out by falling on top of him. The video ends with the old man smiling, giving a thumbs up to the camera, having successfully completed his mission.

Live performances[]

"Kryptonite" was first performed live in Pascagoula, Mississippi on January 15, 1997. As of April 1, 2019, it has been performed 493 times, making it the most performed song by 3 Doors Down.[6]

In the media[]

"Kryptonite" has been featured in several television shows, including Roswell, Cold Case, Unsolved and Dancing with the Stars. The song can also be heard in films Corky Romano (2001) and Kick-Ass (2010), and in the video games SingStar Pop (2007), Guitar Hero 5 (2009), and is available as DLC for the Rock Band series.

Track listings[]

Personnel[]

Credits are taken from the US promo CD liner notes.[7]

  • Brad Arnold – vocals, drums, lyricist, composer
  • Matt Roberts – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, composer
  • Chris Henderson – rhythm guitar
  • Todd Harrell – bass guitar, composer
  • Paul Ebersold – producer

Charts[]

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[33] Platinum 70,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[34] Gold 45,000double-dagger
United Kingdom (BPI)[35] Silver 200,000double-dagger
United States (RIAA)[36] 5× Platinum 5,000,000double-dagger

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
double-dagger Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States January 18, 2000 (2000-01-18)
[37]
June 5, 2000 (2000-06-05) Hot adult contemporary radio [38]
June 6, 2000 (2000-06-06) Contemporary hit radio [39]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit From Worst to Best". Consequence of Sound. March 28, 2016. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  2. ^ Hay, Carla (March 25, 2000). "The Better Life Ahead for Republic/Uni's 3 Doors Down". Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), p. 633.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Brad Arnold from 3 Doors Down : Songwriter Interviews". songfacts.com.
  5. ^ Hay, Carla (March 25, 2000). "'The Better Life' Ahead for Republic/Uni's 3 Doors Down" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 112 no. 13. p. 13. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  6. ^ "Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down song statistics". Setlist.fm. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Kryptonite (US promo CD liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records, Universal Records. 2000. U5P-1611.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ Kryptonite (European CD single liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Universal Records. 2000. 158 286-2.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ Kryptonite (German CD single liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records, Universal Records. 2000. 158 456-2.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ Kryptonite (European & Australian enhanced maxi-single liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records, Universal Records. 2000. 158 261-2.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ "Australian-charts.com – 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7094." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 7244." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  14. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  15. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 43, 2000" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  16. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  17. ^ "Charts.nz – 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite". Top 40 Singles.
  18. ^ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  19. ^ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  20. ^ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  21. ^ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  22. ^ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  23. ^ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  24. ^ "3 Doors Down Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  25. ^ "End of Year Charts 2000". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  26. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 2000". Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  27. ^ "The Year in Music 2000 – Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard. 112 (53): YE-87. December 30, 2000. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  28. ^ "The Year In Music 2000: Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 112 (52): 88. December 30, 2000. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  29. ^ "2001 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  30. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 2001". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  31. ^ "The Decade in Music – Hot 100 Songs" (PDF). Billboard. December 19, 2009. p. 159. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  32. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  33. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  34. ^ "Danish single certifications – 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  35. ^ "British single certifications – 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  36. ^ "American single certifications – 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  37. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1333. January 14, 2000. pp. 101, 105, 115. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  38. ^ "Hot AC: Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1353. June 2, 2000. p. 88. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  39. ^ "CHR/Pop: Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1353. June 2, 2000. p. 47. Retrieved May 25, 2021.

External links[]

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