"So Far Away" is a song by American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

Staind Staind ( ) is an American rock band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and ...

, released to post modern radio on June 23, 2003 as the second single from their fourth album ''

14 Shades of Grey ''14 Shades of Grey'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band Staind, released on May 20, 2003. The album continues the post-grunge sound as seen on the band's previous album '' Break the Cycle'', but the songs on ''14 Shades of Grey'' ...

''. The song enjoyed much success on both rock and mainstream radio, reaching number-one on the US

Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the " active rock" and " heritage rock" ...

for fourteen consecutive weeks, one of the longest runs in the chart's history, and number-one on the

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...

for seven non-consecutive weeks. The song also became the band's second top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 24. In May 2021, for the 40th anniversary of Mainstream Rock Tracks, ''Billboard'' ranked "So Far Away" at number 20 on its list of the 100 most successful songs in the chart's history; in September 2023, the magazine ranked the song at number 89 on a similar retrospective list for the 35th anniversary of Modern Rock Tracks (which by then had been renamed to Alternative Airplay).

Reception

Bram Teitelman of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' reviewed the song favorably, predicting a rock radio smash due to "the lyrics' sunny disposition and a return to the sonic qualities that radio previously embraced." Teitelman called it a "

midtempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given composition, and is often also an indication of the composition's character or atmos ...

song anchored by frontman Aaron Lewis' expressive vocals." Katherine Turman described the song as "an honest and grateful musing on success"; fans however feel that the song represents

Aaron Lewis Aaron Francis Lewis (born April 13, 1972) is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and founding member of the alternative metal band Staind, with whom he released eight studio albums. Since 2010, he has p ...

moving on in life and speaking of hope and uncertainty,"So Far Away by Staind"
Songfacts. Retrieved 22 June 2006. along with the running theme of ''

''. The song was featured in the ninth episode of the third season of the series ''

Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produce ...

'', and was used for a TV spot for the 2004

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...

superhero film Superhero film/movie is a film genre categorized by the presence of superhero characters, individuals with extraordinary abilities who are dedicated to fighting crime, saving the world, or helping the innocent. It is sometimes considered a sub ...

The Punisher The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher mad ...

''. The song was also featured on twelfth episode of the fourth season of the TV series '' SEAL Team''.

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by

Nigel Dick Nigel Dick (born 21 March 1953) is an English music video director and filmmaker. Originally from Catterick, North Yorkshire, he is based in Los Angeles, California. He has directed music videos for artists such as Britney Spears, Toto, Ba ...

, and is a collage of clips of the band's live performances, some shots of

' oldest daughter Zoe Jane (who was 1 at the time of filming), and other tour footage. It was filmed during a live performance at

Freedom Hall Freedom Hall is a multi-purpose arena in Louisville, Kentucky, on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center, which is owned by the Kentucky State Fair Board. It is best known for its use as a basketball arena, previously serving as the home ...

in Louisville, KY.

Track listing

American release

#"So Far Away" #"So Far Away" (Radio Edit) #"Novocaine" (Non Album Track) #"Zoe Jane" (Live at

KROQ KROQ-FM (106.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Pasadena, California, serving Greater Los Angeles. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts an alternative rock format known as "The World Famous KROQ" (pronounced "kay-rock"). The sta ...

)

UK release

#"So Far Away" (Radio Edit) #" Mudshovel" (Live) #"Home-Grown Promo Footage" (Multimedia)

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 2003 singles Rock ballads Staind songs Music videos directed by Nigel Dick 2003 songs Elektra Records singles Songs written by Aaron Lewis Song recordings produced by Josh Abraham Songs written by Mike Mushok 2000s ballads