Times Like These (song)

"Times Like These"
Song

"Times Like These" is the second single released off the Foo Fighters' fourth album One by One. It was released on two main discs in 2003. It is notable for its use of the 7/4 irregular time signature. The lyric "I'm a new day rising" is a reference to an album by Hüsker Dü, one of Dave Grohl's favourite groups.

The song was used by George W. Bush for his 2004 re-election campaign. When Dave Grohl found out about it, it prompted him and the rest of the band to get more politically active, and they helped John Kerry's campaign as a result.[1]

After the album version ended its run on the charts, an acoustic version of the song was released, and had some success on pop and AC radio.

It was used in the trailer for the film The Benchwarmers and the soundtrack for American Wedding. The song was also used in SPEED Channel's season-ending montage for its coverage of Formula 1 in 2006.

The song has also been used to provide an additional layer of foreboding at the end of Coalition of the Willing (Jericho episode) (season 1, episode 21).

Track listings

CD1:

1. "Times Like These"
2. "Life of Illusion" (Joe Walsh cover)
3. "Planet Claire" (Live, featuring Fred Schneider of The B-52's)
4. Enhanced Section ("Nice Hat")
5. Enhanced Section ("Black Slapper")

CD2:

1. "Times Like These"
2. "Normal"
3. "Learn to Fly" (Live)
4. Enhanced Section ("Japanese Grunge")

Japanese EP:

1. "Times Like These"
2. "Life of Illusion"
3. "The One"
4. "Normal"
5. "Planet Claire" (Live, featuring Fred Schneider of The B-52's)
6. "Learn to Fly" (Live)

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
2003	UK Singles Chart	No. 12
2003	U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks	No. 5
2003	U.S. Modern Rock Tracks	No. 5
2003	Australian Singles Chart	No. 19
2003	Irish Singles Chart	No. 27
2003	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	No. 65
2003	Holland Singles Chart	No. 90
2003	Official Euro Hot 100 Singles Chart	No. 43

Music videos

File:Foo-times.JPG

Foo Fighters in the first version of the video.

Version 1

Directed by Liam Lynch. It shows the band performing the song against changing backgrounds, consisting mainly of brightly colored kaleidoscopic forms, giving the video a psychedelic, hopeful, joyful mood. In the end, the backgrounds blink out to reveal that the band are performing against a greenscreen. This version was shown mainly in the UK and Europe.

File:Foo-times2.JPG

Dave Grohl in the second version of the music video.

Version 2

Directed by Marc Klasfeld, it features the band performing the song below a bridge. Gradually, people show up at the bridge and start throwing inanimate objects like a Game Boy Advance, though the things never hit the band and it's not implied that the people want to. In the end, an entire house (only with walls and ceiling) is thrown onto the band, and it falls apart without anyone getting hurt. A continuity error occurs at the end: when the house falls apart, the ceiling is missing.

File:Foo-times3.JPG

Dave Grohl in the acoustic version of the video.

Version 3

A music video was produced for the acoustic version. It consists solely of Dave Grohl performing the song in the studio. It was co-directed by Dave and Bill Yukich.