With Arms Wide Open

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This article is about the song by Creed. For the compilation album, see With Arms Wide Open: A Retrospective.
"With Arms Wide Open"
Witharmswideopen.jpg
Single by Creed
from the album Human Clay
B-side
  • "One"
  • "Wash Away Those Years"
ReleasedApril 18, 2000
Length
  • 4:36 (album version)
  • 3:53 (radio version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Ron Saint Germain
  • John Kurzweg
Creed singles chronology
"What If"
(2000) 		"With Arms Wide Open"
(2000) 		"Are You Ready?"
(2000)
Music video
"With Arms Wide Open" on YouTube

"With Arms Wide Open" is a song by American rock band Creed. It was released on April 18, 2000, as the third single from their second studio album, Human Clay. The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November of 2000, becoming the band's first and only song to top the chart. The song also received honors at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2001, being nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, as well as Scott Stapp and Mark Tremonti winning the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.

Writing and recording[]

Scott Stapp began writing the lyrics to the song in early 1998 during the My Own Prison tour, when he found out that his then wife Hillaree Burns was pregnant with his first child, Jagger. According to Stapp the song was written in 15 minutes at soundcheck. Stapp overheard guitarist Mark Tremonti playing and loved what he heard so much that he ran in and told Tremonti to just keep playing as Stapp began singing his lyrics.[1]

Lyrics and music[]

Stapp wrote the lyrics when he found out, with great surprise, that he was going to be a father. The original lyrics to the song were written from the perspective of having a daughter, even though his wife was pregnant with a boy, as Stapp used "she" during early live performances. This would eventually be changed when Stapp found out he would be having a son. In later years Stapp would not use "he" or "she" in reference to the child but rather "they" to refer to both his sons and daughter. In a 2013 interview with Songfacts, Stapp said of the song:

"It continues to have relevant meaning in my life because as I sing it now, I think of my daughter who's now on this planet and alive. And then I think of my newest son, my three-year-old, Daniel. And then I think back to the spirit and the somewhat naiveté, just that brutal honesty that that song expressed as me being a young man and approaching fatherhood for the first time. Now I'm a full-fledged father with a 14-year-old, a daughter who's going to be 7 in June and my youngest, who's 3. So those are still my feelings. And as a human being and as a father, my feelings haven't changed one bit from those that are expressed in that song. Every time I sing it, I can connect with it again and again and again because I'm no longer expressing fears in my thoughts about being a father; I'm a full-fledged living-it-every-day father. So it just rings true to me." — Stapp[2]

Three main versions of the song exist. One is the original album version. The second is the radio version, which adds additional hi-hat and drums, and also edits out the ending. The third is the video version (or "Strings Remix") which adds strings to the radio version.

Release and reception[]

The song topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart (most airplay of a track from an album) for four weeks in July 2000; a month later it reached the U.S. top 40 (in sales). In October, the song hit the top ten and topped the Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart for eight weeks. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on the issue dated November 11, 2000, for one week, becoming their first and only number one. The music video topped VH1's top ten countdown in 2000.

In February 2001, Scott Stapp and Mark Tremonti were nominated for and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song as the writers of "With Arms Wide Open". The song was also nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, but lost to U2 for "Beautiful Day".[3] In September, it was announced that Creed would release a limited edition single of "With Arms Wide Open" with some profits benefiting Scott Stapp's With Arms Wide Open Foundation to "promote healthy, loving relationships between children and their families".

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl described "With Arms Wide Open" as ""one of the most amazing songs of all time".[4]

Track listings[]

Charts[]

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[45] 2× Platinum 140,000^
United States (RIAA)[46] Gold 500,000double-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 April 18, 2000 (2000-04-18)
Wind-up [47]
April 24, 2000 (2000-04-24) Minimax CD [10]
August 28, 2000 (2000-08-28) Hot adult contemporary radio [48]
United Kingdom January 8, 2001 (2001-01-08)
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
[49]
Australia April 9, 2001 (2001-04-09) CD Wind-up [50]


References[]

  1. ^ Buchanan, Brett (April 18, 2019). "Creed Reveal How "Higher" Was Written, Did Grunge Play Role?". www.alternativenation.net. AlternativeNation. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  2. ^ MacIntosh, Dan (November 6, 2013). "Scott Stapp". www.songfacts.net. Songfacts. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  3. ^ https://www.upi.com/Archives/2001/02/21/43rd-Annual-Grammy-Award-winners/1345982731600/
  4. ^ Trapp, Philip (January 21, 2020). "Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl: Creed's 'With Arms Wide Open' One of 'Most Amazing Songs of All Time'". www.loudwire.com. Vanity. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  5. ^ With Arms Wide Open (US limited-edition minimax CD single liner notes). Creed. Wind-up Records. 2000. 60150-18004-2.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ With Arms Wide Open (UK CD single liner notes). Creed. Wind-up Records, Epic Records. 2000. 670695 2.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ With Arms Wide Open (UK limited 7-inch single sleve). Creed. Wind-up Records, Epic Records. 2000. 670695 7.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ With Arms Wide Open (European CD single liner notes). Creed. Wind-up Records, Epic Records. 2000. 670695 2.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ With Arms Wide Open (Australian and New Zealand enhanced CD single liner notes). Creed. Wind-up Records. 2000. 670739 2.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "Australian-charts.com – Creed – With Arms Wide Open". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  11. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Creed – With Arms Wide Open" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7292." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7262." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  14. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 9941." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  15. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 18 no. 5. January 27, 2001. p. 34. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  16. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Creed – With Arms Wide Open" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  17. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 20 (22.12–29.12 2000)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). December 22, 2000. p. 10. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  18. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Creed". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  19. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Creed – With Arms Wide Open" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  20. ^ "Charts.nz – Creed – With Arms Wide Open". Top 40 Singles.
  21. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Creed – With Arms Wide Open". VG-lista.
  22. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17 no. 44. October 28, 2000. p. 17. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  23. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  24. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Creed – With Arms Wide Open". Swiss Singles Chart.
  25. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  26. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  27. ^ "Creed Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  28. ^ "Creed Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  29. ^ "Creed Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  30. ^ "Creed Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  31. ^ "Creed Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  32. ^ "Creed Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  33. ^ "Creed Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  34. ^ "End of Year Charts 2000". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  35. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 2000". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  36. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Rock Songs of 2000" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 8 no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 33. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  37. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2000" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 8 no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 54. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  38. ^ "Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 2000" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 8 no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 38. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  39. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2000". ARIA. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  40. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 2001". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  41. ^ "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2001" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 9 no. 51. December 21, 2001. p. 54. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  42. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2000" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 9 no. 51. December 21, 2001. p. 60. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  43. ^ "The Decade in Music – Hot 100 Songs" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 121 no. 50. December 19, 2009. p. 158. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  44. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  45. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  46. ^ "American single certifications – Creed – With Arms Wide Open". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  47. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1346. April 14, 2000. pp. 90, 94. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  48. ^ "Hot AC: Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1365. August 25, 2000. p. 94. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  49. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. December 23, 2000. p. 32. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  50. ^ "The ARIA Report: ARIA New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 9th April 2001" (PDF). ARIA. April 9, 2001. p. 23. Retrieved April 19, 2021.

External links[]

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