"For the First Time" is a song by Irish

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

band

the Script The Script are an Irish rock band formed in 2001 in Dublin, consisting of lead vocalist and keyboardist Danny O'Donoghue, lead guitarist Mark Sheehan, and drummer Glen Power. The band moved to London after signing to Sony Label Group imprin ...

. Written by band members Danny O'Donoghue and Mark Sheehan, the song was released on 20 August 2010 as the lead single from the band's second studio album '' Science & Faith''. It debuted at number one on the

Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are b ...

, becoming the Script's first number-one single. The Wanted covered this song live on BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge and used that version in their EP Lose My Mind.

Background

Danny O'Donoghue told the story behind the song in an interview with Merrick, Dools & Ricki-Lee on Sydney radio station Nova 96.9. Said O'Donoghue: "The song 'For the First Time' was about a time when we got back after touring around the world. We wanted to press palms with the people who had really gotten us there, and we got home and realised there's a stark reality out there, the

recession In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...

, people are losing their jobs and their valuable things, and we thought, it almost pales in comparison to your news. We started the song, and it ended up being a bit bleak and we felt we really needed a great message in these, to turn it around... so we needed a message of hope, as people are being stripped of all these things they're realizing what's really important. It's all about going back to basics: drinking cheap wine, eating your dinner off the floor. That's when you meet each other for the first time, when you have nothing." The song was sampled by the band on the track "Good Ol' Days" from their third studio album ''3'' (2012). The song was also sampled by rapper

Machine Gun Kelly George Kelly Barnes (July 18, 1895 – July 18, 1954), better known by his pseudonym "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster from Memphis, Tennessee, active during the Prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thomp ...

, or MGK, for his track "Her Song" off of the "EST 4 Life" (2012) mixtape.

Music video

The music video features band members of the Script within a studio and clips of a couple who have emigrated from

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

. The characters in the music video are played by Eve Hewson, daughter of U2's

Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Born and raised in Dublin, he attended ...

, and Luke Treadaway. The video was inspired by

O. Henry William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer known primarily for his short stories, though he also wrote poetry and non-fiction. His works include "The Gift of the M ...

's short story '' The Gift of the Magi''.

Chart performance

"For the First Time" debuted on the

at number one on 10 September 2010, knocking

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her campy style, she has been referred to ...

's "

Teenage Dream Teenage Dream may refer to: Music Albums * ''Teenage Dream'' (IQU album), 2000 * ''Teenage Dream'' (Katy Perry album), 2010 *''Teenage Dream'', a 1990 EP by Thrilled Skinny *''Teenage Dream'' a 1998 album by Michiyo Heike *''Teenage Dreams'', a 2 ...

" from the top spot. This marks the band's first number-one single and third top-ten hit in Ireland. On its second week on the chart, the single remained at the top spot. The single debuted at number five on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

before moving up to number four the following week. In Australia, "For the First Time" debuted and peaked at number 12 on the Australian

ARIA In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...

Singles Chart. It reached number four on the US ''Billboard'' Adult Top 40 chart and number 23 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. This is their third song that has hit both of these charts. The song was certified Gold in the U.S. by the RIAA, meaning the song has been downloaded 500,000 times. As of June 2011, the song was sold 1,000,000 times in the United States.

Track listing

* CD single # "For The First Time" – 4:11 # "Breakeven" (Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire) – 4:30 * Digital download # "For The First Time" – 4:11 # "For The First Time" (Music Video) – 4:41

Personnel

Songwriting A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

and production – Danny O'Donoghue, Mark Sheehan * Additional production, additional keyboards and guitars – Andrew Frampton *

Drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

s, keyboards and

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...

–

Bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

– Ben Sargeant

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:For The First Time (The Script Song) 2010s ballads 2010 songs Songs written by Danny O'Donoghue Songs written by Mark Sheehan Phonogenic Records singles Epic Records singles 2010 singles The Script songs Rock ballads Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Songs about alcohol