Over My Head (Cable Car)

"Over My Head (Cable Car)" (originally performed as "Cable Car") is a song by American rock band The Fray. It was released in October 2005 as the lead single from their debut album How to Save a Life (2005) and hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single helped propel their album from the Top Heatseekers chart to the top 20 of The Billboard 200 chart. The CD single was backed with "Heaven Forbid" and a live version of "Hundred". In the UK, "Over My Head (Cable Car)" was released as the second single from the album, following "How to Save a Life".

"Over My Head (Cable Car)"
Single by The Fray
from the album How to Save a Life, Stealth: Music from the Motion Picture
ReleasedOctober 7, 2005
Recorded2004 (Demo Version) July 24th, 2005 (Official Version)
StudioBloomington, Indiana
GenrePop rock
Length3:58
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Fray singles chronology
"Over My Head (Cable Car)"
(2005)		 "How to Save a Life"
(2006)
Audio sample
  • file
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The song sold over two million digital downloads in the United States and was certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA in May 2006.[1] The song was the fifth most-downloaded single of 2006 and was ranked number 13 on the Hot 100 singles of 2006 by Billboard.[2] It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 2007 but lost to "My Humps" by The Black Eyed Peas.[3]

The song was ranked No. 43 on Billboard's Best Adult Pop Songs of the Decade list[4] and No. 100 on Billboard's Top 100 Digital Tracks of the Decade list.[5]

After comparisons were drawn between "Over My Head (Cable Car)" and The Chainsmokers' "Closer", Isaac Slade and guitarist Joe King of The Fray were credited as co-writers of "Closer" on September 2, 2016.[6]

Song meaning

The song "Over My Head" was written about lead singer and pianist Isaac Slade's relationship with his brother, Caleb, nicknamed "Cable Car". He wrote the song because he and his brother were allegedly not speaking and were at odds with each other:

"It is about a fight I got in with my brother, Caleb. After he graduated high school, we drifted apart and really hadn't spoken in a long time. One day we both realized that we needed to fight it out. We'd been friends for 20 years. That's a long time when you're only 23 years old. We fought it out, and he's one of my best friends today."[7][8][9]

The song was originally recorded as a demo early in the band's life. This demo version was picked up by Denver radio station KTCL, and became one of the station's most played songs of 2005.[10] There is also another slightly different version of the song which is 4:10 in length.

Reception

Critical

Billboard called the tune "a timeless pop-rock smash that soars with lightness and ease."[11] Stylus Magazine called it a "10/10, single of the year, instant classic track".[12]

Commercial

The song became a top 40 hit on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in late 2005. It lasted three weeks on the chart and peaked at position No. 37.[13] The single gained airplay nationally, entering the Billboard Hot 100 chart on the issue marked February 25, 2006. 14 weeks later it reached its peak position at No. 8 on the Hot 100 chart.[14] On the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, the single reached the No. 2 position.[15] The single also saw airplay on some Christian radio stations and spent several weeks on the R&R Christian charts, where it peaked at No. 27.

Internationally, the song was a Top 25 hit in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK. In the beginning of 2007, the song became popular in the Netherlands.

Music video
Micah Slade in the music video

The music video was directed by Elliott Lester and was filmed on July 24, 2006 at East High School and at Fox Theatre in Denver and Boulder, respective. The video shows the members of the band as children, who attract the attention of other children by playing various instruments. Micah Slade, the youngest brother of Isaac Slade, assumes the role of Isaac as a child in the music video. While the video was not granted much airplay on MTV, it peaked at No. 2 in the VH1 Top 20 Countdown. It was ranked number 8 on VH1's "Top 40 Videos of 2006."[16]

Charts and certifications

A Day to Remember version
"Over My Head (Cable Car)"
Single by A Day to Remember
from the album Attack of the Killer B-Sides
ReleasedMay 25, 2010
Recorded2007-2009
StudioThe Wade Studio, Ocala, Florida
Genre
Length3:31
LabelVictory
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Andrew Wade
A Day to Remember singles chronology
"Since U Been Gone"
(2009)		 "Over My Head (Cable Car)"
(2010)		 "All I Want"
(2010)

"Over My Head (Cable Car)" was covered by American rock band A Day to Remember and included on their EP, Attack of the Killer B-Sides. It was also previously released on the Punk Goes Pop Volume Two compilation album.[41]

See also

References
  1. "Yahoo Music".
  2. "First half sales: Downloads up; CDs, revenues down". USA Today. July 13, 2006. Archived from the original on July 15, 2006.
  3. http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/49th_Show/list.aspx#01
  4. "Billboard - Music Charts, News, Photos & Video".
  5. "Billboard - Music Charts, News, Photos & Video".
  6. Fekadu, Mesfin (September 2, 2016). "2 Fray members get writing credit on Chainsmokers' No.1 hit". Associated Press. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  7. "Yamaha Corporation of America". www.yamaha.com.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-03-17. Retrieved 2010-02-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Into the Fray".
  10. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/08/the-new-air-power/
  11. Philipp, Sven (2006-03-25), "Over My Head (Cable Car)". Billboard. 118 (12):66
  12. "Stylus Magazine". stylusmagazine.com.
  13. "Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. October 22, 2005.
  14. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. October 7, 2006.
  15. "Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks". Billboard. October 7, 2006.
  16. "Shows: Top 40 of 2006". VH1. Last accessed February 14, 2007.
  17. "Australian-charts.com – The Fray – Over My Head (Cable Car)". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  18. "Ultratop.be – The Fray – Over My Head (Cable Car)" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  19. "Danishcharts.com – The Fray – Over My Head (Cable Car)". Tracklisten.
  20. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Fray – Over My Head (Cable Car)". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  21. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Fray – Over My Head (Cable Car)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  22. "Charts.nz – The Fray – Over My Head (Cable Car)". Top 40 Singles.
  23. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  24. "Swisscharts.com – The Fray – Over My Head (Cable Car)". Swiss Singles Chart.
  25. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  26. "The Fray Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  27. "The Fray Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  28. "The Fray Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  29. "The Fray Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  30. "The Fray Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  31. "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2006". ARIA. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  32. "Year End Charts - Year-end songs - The Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  33. "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  34. "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  35. "Official UK Singles Chart of 2007" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-04-15.
  36. "Greatest of All Time Adult Pop Songs : Page 1". US Adult Pop Songs. March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  37. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2007 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020.
  38. "Canadian single certifications – The Fray – Over My Head (Cable Car)". Music Canada. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  39. "British single certifications – The Fray – Over My Head (Cable Car)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 31, 2017. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Over My Head (Cable Car) in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  40. "American single certifications – The Fray – Over My Head (Cable Car)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 31, 2017. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  41. "Punk Goes Pop 2 at MySpace". MySpace, Fearless Records. Archived from the original on 2009-01-23. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
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