Kryptonite (3 Doors Down song)

This article is about the song by 3 Doors Down. For the song by the Purple Ribbon All-Stars, see Kryptonite (I'm on It).
"Kryptonite"
Single by 3 Doors Down
from the album The Better Life
Released January 11, 2000
Format CD
Recorded 1999 in New York, New York
Genre Post-grunge
Length 3:53
Label Republic
Writer(s)
  • Brad Arnold
  • Todd Harrell
  • Matt Roberts
Producer(s) Paul Ebersold
Certification 3x Platinum (RIAA)[1]
3 Doors Down singles chronology
"Kryptonite"
(2000)		 "Loser"
(2000)

"Kryptonite" is a song by the American rock band 3 Doors Down. It was originally released as a demo for local play by 97.9 WCPR-FM in Biloxi, Mississippi.[2] It charted well internationally and peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was also featured in the music video game Guitar Hero 5 and Rock Band Unplugged.

Composition and inspiration

The song was written by drummer/vocalist Brad Arnold in a mathematics class when he was fifteen and was one of the first songs he ever wrote.[3]

In terms of 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."[3]

Music video

Directed by Dean Karr, 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 trusty 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 with several other elderly people dressed as caricatures of comic villains. 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.

Release and reception

After the song's release, it began to garner significant radio play. This allowed it to reach its high position in the charts and give 3 Doors Down their breakthrough hit. As a result of the popularity of the single, along with the fame of the other less known singles, The Better Life went on to sell over six million copies. The song still remains 3 Doors Down's most well known song to this day, and many fans consider it to be their signature song. The song plays during the freestyle of Superman monster truck at Monster Jam events. The song first charted on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart hitting number one for 9 weeks, then it hit the Modern Rock Tracks also hitting number one at an outstanding 11 weeks being one of the longest-running songs on the chart. It also hit number one on the Pop Songs chart for 5 non-consecutive weeks, it hit number 4 on the Adult Top 40 chart and hit number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart being the band's highest-charting single there.

Track listing

U.S. version
  1. "Kryptonite" (Top 40 Edit) – 3:44
  2. "Kryptonite" (LP version) – 3:54
U.S. version enhanced
  1. "Kryptonite" (LP version) – 3:55
  2. "Wasted Me" (Previously unreleased) – 3:11
  3. "Duck and Run" (LP version) – 3:52
  4. "Kryptonite" (Video) – 3:53
UK version
  1. "Kryptonite" (LP version) – 3:55
  2. "Smack" (LP version) – 2:30
AUS version enhanced
  1. "Kryptonite" (LP version) – 3:55
  2. "Wasted Me" – 3:11
  3. "Duck and Run" (LP version) – 3:52
  4. "Kryptonite" (Video) – 3:53
German version
  1. "Kryptonite" (LP version) – 3:55
  2. "Wasted Me" – 3:11
  3. "Life of My Own" (Live from Atlanta) – 4:36
  4. "Kryptonite" (Acoustic)
Dutch version enhanced
  1. "Kryptonite" (LP version) – 3:55
  2. "Wasted Me" – 3:11
  3. "Duck and Run" (LP version) – 3:52
  4. "Kryptonite" (Video) – 3:53

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2000) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[4] 8
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[5] 6
Canada Rock (RPM) 1
Germany (Official German Charts)[6] 85
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] 21
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] 13
UK Rock (Official Charts Company) 1
US Billboard Hot 100[9] 3
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[10] 1
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[11] 1
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[12] 4
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[13] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2000) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[14] 15
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 1
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 1

Preceded by
"Stiff Upper Lip" by AC/DC		 Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks number-one single
April 8, 2000 – June 3, 2000 		Succeeded by
"I Disappear" by Metallica
Preceded by
"Otherside" by Red Hot Chili Peppers		 Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single
May 20, 2000 – July 29, 2000 		Succeeded by
"Last Resort" by Papa Roach
Preceded by
"Jumpin', Jumpin'" by Destiny's Child		 Billboard Mainstream Top 40 number-one single
September 30, 2000 – October 21, 2000
November 4, 2000 		Succeeded by
"With Arms Wide Open" by Creed
Preceded by
"Everything You Want" by Vertical Horizon		 Canadian RPM Rock/Alternative 30 number-one single
May 8, 2000 – June 5, 2000
June 26, 2000 – July 24, 2000 		Succeeded by
"Bent" by Matchbox 20
"With Arms Wide Open" by Creed

See also

References

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