Help I'm Alive
| "Help I'm Alive" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Help I'm a B-side"[1] |
"Help I'm Alive" is the lead single from Canadian rock group Metric's fourth studio album Fantasies. The song was released digitally on December 23, 2008.
Song information
The song was written by Emily Haines and produced by John O'Mahony. The song was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, being one of the first songs Haines had written in months.
On November 5, 2008 Metric updated their website with a video on how Haines writes a song. The video follows Haines through Argentina on a soul searching journey to find creativity and herself. "The songs that I wrote here were the simplest and clearest writing that I've done in I think in my whole life", said Haines. "Help I'm Alive" was one of the first songs Haines had written in Buenos Aires.[3]
The song has been very well-received by contemporary rock music critics.
On January 28, 2009, the band made the acoustic version of the single available for download from their website. The acoustic version features Emily Haines on piano and James Shaw on acoustic guitar.[3]
This song is featured on Sega Sports NBA2K10 and was also featured on an episode of The Vampire Diaries.
Single Information
Promo
- "Help I'm Alive" (4.47)
Vinyl
- "Help I'm Alive"
- "Help I'm A B-side"
Free Download
- 'Help I'm Alive (Acoustic)' (4.49)
In the UK
- 'Help I'm Alive' (4.47)
- 'Sugar Mountain (sung by James Shaw)' (5.31)
Chart performance
The song reached #1 on CBC Radio 3's R3-30 chart the week of February 5, 2009.[4]
The song is currently on its eleventh week on the Canadian Hot 100, and first made a "Hot Shot Debut" at #21 based on high digital sales, falling just short of the Top 20. Had the song reached #20, it would have been Metric's third Top 20 single in Canada, following "Monster Hospital" and "Poster of a Girl". [5]
Downloads helped pushed the song onto the Hot Canadian Digital Singles chart, where it peaked at #18[6]
The song was also their first ever chart appearance in the United States, where it has risen to #17 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and to #30 on the Rock Songs chart. [7]
| Chart (2008-2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 | 21 |
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs | 17 |
| U.S. Billboard Rock Songs | 30 |
Short Film
On April 21, 2009, Metric released a "short film set in an imaginary landscape" with Help I'm Alive as the soundtrack to their official website and YouTube page.[8][9] The film was directed by Deco Dawson, who also edited the band's live DVD, Live at Metropolis.
The video features clips from various performances taken from the band's December 2008 "Jingle Bell Rock" tour set to random images, which singer Emily Haines compared to "Yo Gabba Gabba on acid".
References
- ^ http://ilovemetric.com/store/
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/01/27/metric-announce-plans-to-self-release-march-album/
- ^ a b http://www.ilovemetric.com
- ^ The R3-30, Chart #125.
- ^ http://www.billboard.com/charts/rock-songs#/artist/metric/chart-history/470323?f=793&g=Singles
- ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=346&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Canadian+Digital+Singles&ci=3106100&cdi=10130545&cid=02%2F14%2F2009
- ^ http://www.billboard.com/charts/rock-songs#/artist/metric/chart-history/470323?f=902&g=Singles
- ^ http://ilovemetric.com
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/metricmusic