Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)
"Drops of Jupiter," initially released as "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)," is a song written and recorded by American rock band Train. It was released in March 2001 as the lead single from their second album Drops of Jupiter (2001). The song hit the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also charted in the top 40 for 29 weeks.[4] The single from Europe had tracks "It's Love," "This Is Not Your Life," and "Sharks" as its B-sides.
"Drops of Jupiter" | ||||
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Single by Train | ||||
from the album Drops of Jupiter | ||||
B-side |
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Released | March 27, 2001[1] July 23, 2001 (commercial)[2] | |||
Recorded | 2000 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:20 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Brendan O'Brien | |||
Train singles chronology | ||||
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Audio sample | ||||
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The recording features the signature strings of arranger Paul Buckmaster, who won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for "Drops of Jupiter."
Background and writing
Lead singer Patrick Monahan has stated that the song was inspired by his late mother, who had died after a struggle with cancer, and that the opening lines "came to [him] in a dream." He said, "The process of creation wasn't easy. I just couldn't figure out what to write, but then I woke up from a dream about a year after my mother passed away with the words 'back in the atmosphere...It was just her way of saying what it was like – she was swimming through the planets and came to me with drops of Jupiter in her hair."[5][6] The verse has a noted resemblance to the chorus of "Drift Away", a song most famously performed by Dobie Gray.[7]
Critical reception
Chuck Taylor of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that it "demonstrates a truly artistic lyrical bent that merits instant acceptance of this credible rock-edged song." He sums up the review saying "add piano, a splendid orchestral backdrop, and a vocal shimmering with passion and personality, and this is a runaway track for Train."[6]
Chart performance
"Drops of Jupiter" ascended to the top 10 of the Adult Contemporary chart in its 49th week, marking the longest climb to the top 10 on that tally by any act.[8] The song has spent over 100 weeks on the Adult Contemporary charts, and is still charting on the Recurrents chart. Although the song was released years before digital download became commonplace, the song has sold over 1,000,000 downloads (it was also certified Gold by the RIAA), and hit the top 50 of the Digital Songs charts five years after its release due to Ace Young singing it on the fifth season of American Idol.
The track re-entered the UK Singles Chart for the week ending on April 7, 2012 at number 53 following a performance from contestant Phil Poole on The Voice UK. On the week ending April 28, 2012, "Drops of Jupiter" climbed to number 34, marking its ninth non-consecutive week inside the top 40.[9] As of January 2017, the song has sold 564,460 copies in the UK.[10]
Music video
There are two music videos for this song. The first one shows the band performing it on a stage, with a large banner reading "TRAIN" in the green-lit background. Clips of a woman performing various actions in various backgrounds related to the lyrics (e.g., Jupiter, holding her hands out in the rain) are inserted into various parts of the song.
The second, more famous video shows the band performing the song on a stage backed by a string ensemble. As the video progresses, people come in to watch the song being performed. The video was shot at Union Station in Los Angeles, California, and was directed by Nigel Dick. It was released in July.[1] The first version of this particular video also featured the story of a girl who ran away from home and, upon arriving at the station where the band was playing, was so moved that she decided to return home. However, this storyline was dropped during the editing process.
Track listing
- "Drops of Jupiter"
- "It's Love"
- "This Is Not Your Life"
- "Drops of Jupiter" (Video Version)
Awards
The song was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and won two for "Best Rock Song" and "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)".
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
All-time charts
Certifications
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Covers
- Judy Collins released a cover version of the song on her 2005 album, Portrait of an American Girl. The song was also included on the soundtrack for the 2009 film All About Steve.
- Taylor Swift covered the song on her Speak Now World Tour in 2011, and released the cover on her 2011 live album Speak Now World Tour – Live.
- Allstar Weekend released a cover of the song on their 2013 EP Kevin's Place.
- With Confidence released a cover of the song for the Songs That Saved My Life Vol. 2 cover album for Hopeless Records.
In popular culture
The song was made available to download on May 1, 2012 for play in Rock Band 3 for Basic and Pro modes. The song was also played in the Netflix series Daredevil, during a flashback college scene between the two main characters Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson). It was also played in the American Dad! episode "Bully for Steve". The song is also featured heavily in the 2016 film Other People.
References
- http://www.mtv.com/news/1445446/train-readying-second-video-for-drops-of-jupiter/
- https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Train&titel=Drops+Of+Jupiter+%28Tell+Me%29&cat=s
- https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8236630/train-pat-monahan-rocktopia-broadway-interview
- Billboard Drops of Jupiter Facts
- "Train". Behind the Music. Season 15. Episode 1. September 16, 2012. Vh1.
- Billboard, February 3, 2001 - Vol. 113, No. 5, Page 38.
- https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/train-the-little-band-that-could-20020328
- Drops of Jupiter Songfacts
- "Official Charts Company - Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) by Train Search". Official Charts Company. 6 May 2013.
- Jones, Alan (February 3, 2017). "Official Charts Analysis: La La Land hits top of the albums chart". Music Week. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- "Australian-charts.com – Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- "Austriancharts.at – Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- "Ultratop.be – Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- "Ultratop.be – Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" (in French). Ultratip.
- "Hitlisten.NU – Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" (in Danish). Tracklisten.
- "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 19 no. 34. August 18, 2001. p. 15. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- "Lescharts.com – Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" (in French). Les classement single.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- "Irish-charts.com – Discography Train". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- "Italiancharts.com – Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)". Top Digital Download.
- "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 38, 2001" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- "Charts.nz – Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)". Top 40 Singles.
- "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- "Swedishcharts.com – Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)". Singles Top 100.
- "Swisscharts.com – Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)". Swiss Singles Chart.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
- "Train Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- "Train Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
- "Train Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- "Train Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
- "Train Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
- "Train Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
- "Train Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
- "Train Chart History (Tropical Airplay)". Billboard.
- "Train Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2001". ARIA. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- "Jaaroverzichten 2001" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2001". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2001" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- "End of Year Charts 2001". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- "The Official UK Singles Chart 2001" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- "Top 100 Songs of 2001 – Billboard Year End Charts". Bobborst.com. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- "Greatest of All Time Adult Pop Songs : Page 1". Billboard. March 18, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020.
- "Italian single certifications – Train – Drops of Jupiter" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Drops of Jupiter" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli online" under "Sezione".
- "British single certifications – Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- "American single certifications – Train – Drops of Jupiter". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 9, 2017. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.
External links
- "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" Official music video on YouTube
- Lyrics of Taylor Swift cover from Speak Now: World Tour Live
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics