Say (All I Need)
Encyclopedia
"Say" is a song by American pop rock
band OneRepublic
. It is the third single released from their debut album Dreaming Out Loud
and follows the global success of their previous top ten singles, "Apologize
" and "Stop and Stare
". OneRepublic vocalist Ryan Tedder
has commented that "Say (All I Need") is his "favorite track on the album." All five members of the band Ryan Tedder, Zach Filkins
, Drew Brown, Eddie Fisher and Brent Kutzle
share writing and composing credits on the song. The single was released in the UK on June 2, 2008 and features their Live Lounge
cover of Duffy's single "Mercy". The single was released on June 24, 2008 in the United States.
The song was recorded at Rocket Carousel Studios in Culver City by producer Greg Wells
and engineer Drew Pearson. The chorus of the song was featured during the most recent season of The Hills. Also it featured in the pilot episode of the TV series, Vampire Diaries. On July 3, 2008, OneRepublic made a guest appearance on So You Think You Can Dance (Season 4)
for a live performance of "Say (All I Need)". In France, the song was recorded as a duet with the French R&B singer Sheryfa Luna
and was renamed as Say (À l'infini).
, France
and directed by Anthony Mandler
. Filmed partially in black and white the video begins with the sound of church bells waking up Ryan Tedder. He dons a jacket and grabs a small black journal and leaves the house. As he leaves the house he passes by Chris Cornell
, who makes a cameo appearance. The music begins and we see Tedder walking and sometimes running throughout the city near such famous Paris landmarks as the Sacre Coeur, seemingly in search of something, while other members of the band are seen in different locations throughout the city. Drew Brown is seen riding a Vespa scooter
and Zach Filkins, Eddie Fisher, and Brent Kutzle have individual close-ups on a bridge and walking down some graffiti covered alleys. The band is also seen performing the song in an ex-meat abattoir in Paris, now artists apartments. As the music swells and begins to climax Tedder races through the city, enters a building and climbs a winding staircase to the top. Reaching the top, he steps out onto a rooftop with a breathtaking view of the city at sunset. He then takes the small black journal from his pocket and writes, "just say," ending the music video.
Tedder has given this explanation for the meaning of the song, "This song is about being happy with what you have in life, and not obsessing over what you don't have. Whether it's a person or relationship, love, or success, or even fame." "We wanted to make a piece of art and do something beautiful and inspiring," said Tedder.
s Hot Digital Songs
, debuting at number seventy-five. It dropped out a few weeks after. The song reappeared on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs after its official release in the United Kingdom
and peaked at number fifty-one. The song made its way up the UK charts and a few other European charts, after its official release. The song was released to radio in the US in the third week of June 2008
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band OneRepublic
OneRepublic
OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved massive success on MySpace, becoming the most prominent unsigned act on the website then...
. It is the third single released from their debut album Dreaming Out Loud
Dreaming Out Loud (OneRepublic album)
Dreaming Out Loud is the debut album by American rock band OneRepublic. It was produced by Greg Wells, with two songs produced by singer Ryan Tedder, and was engineered and mixed by Joe Zook. The album was released on November 20, 2007, though many of the tracks were leaked months in advance of the...
and follows the global success of their previous top ten singles, "Apologize
Apologize (song)
"Apologize" is a song written by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder for OneRepublic's debut album Dreaming Out Loud. A remix version was included on the Timbaland album, Shock Value and on the deluxe version of Dreaming Out Loud...
" and "Stop and Stare
Stop and Stare
"Stop and Stare" is the second single by American pop rock band OneRepublic from their debut album Dreaming Out Loud. "Stop and Stare" was released to US radio on November 27, 2007...
". OneRepublic vocalist Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
has commented that "Say (All I Need") is his "favorite track on the album." All five members of the band Ryan Tedder, Zach Filkins
Zach Filkins
Zachary Douglas "Zach" Filkins is an American musician and model, but as of 2007 he is best known as the lead guitarist of the pop rock band OneRepublic.-Early life:...
, Drew Brown, Eddie Fisher and Brent Kutzle
Brent Kutzle
Brent Michael Kutzle is an American musician, born in Newport Beach, California. Brent is best known for playing the bass guitar and cello for OneRepublic, who are signed to Interscope Records...
share writing and composing credits on the song. The single was released in the UK on June 2, 2008 and features their Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
cover of Duffy's single "Mercy". The single was released on June 24, 2008 in the United States.
The song was recorded at Rocket Carousel Studios in Culver City by producer Greg Wells
Greg Wells
Greg Wells is a multiple Grammy nominated musician, record producer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Wells has produced and written hits with Adele, Weezer, Pink, Theophilus London, Deftones, Katy Perry, Rufus Wainwright, The All American Rejects, OneRepublic, Mika, Aerosmith, Burt Bacharach,...
and engineer Drew Pearson. The chorus of the song was featured during the most recent season of The Hills. Also it featured in the pilot episode of the TV series, Vampire Diaries. On July 3, 2008, OneRepublic made a guest appearance on So You Think You Can Dance (Season 4)
So You Think You Can Dance (Season 4)
So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season four premiered on May 22, 2008, with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy returning as permanent judges and Cat Deeley returning to host...
for a live performance of "Say (All I Need)". In France, the song was recorded as a duet with the French R&B singer Sheryfa Luna
Sheryfa Luna
Sheryfa Luna is a French R&B singer born to an Algerian father and a French mother.She won the fourth series of the French edition of popular Popstars in October 2007....
and was renamed as Say (À l'infini).
Track listing
- "Say (All I Need)" - 3:50
- "Mercy" (Radio 1 Live Lounge session DuffyDuffy (singer)Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold...
cover) - 3:43
French track listing
- "Say (À l'infini)" (feat. Sheryfa LunaSheryfa LunaSheryfa Luna is a French R&B singer born to an Algerian father and a French mother.She won the fourth series of the French edition of popular Popstars in October 2007....
) - 3:55 - "Say (All I Need)" - 3:51
Music video
The official music video for "Say (All I Need)" was filmed in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and directed by Anthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler is a commercial and music video director, who has written and directed music videos for several artists. His most notable and frequent collaborator is Rihanna...
. Filmed partially in black and white the video begins with the sound of church bells waking up Ryan Tedder. He dons a jacket and grabs a small black journal and leaves the house. As he leaves the house he passes by Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
, who makes a cameo appearance. The music begins and we see Tedder walking and sometimes running throughout the city near such famous Paris landmarks as the Sacre Coeur, seemingly in search of something, while other members of the band are seen in different locations throughout the city. Drew Brown is seen riding a Vespa scooter
Scooter (motorcycle)
A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
and Zach Filkins, Eddie Fisher, and Brent Kutzle have individual close-ups on a bridge and walking down some graffiti covered alleys. The band is also seen performing the song in an ex-meat abattoir in Paris, now artists apartments. As the music swells and begins to climax Tedder races through the city, enters a building and climbs a winding staircase to the top. Reaching the top, he steps out onto a rooftop with a breathtaking view of the city at sunset. He then takes the small black journal from his pocket and writes, "just say," ending the music video.
Tedder has given this explanation for the meaning of the song, "This song is about being happy with what you have in life, and not obsessing over what you don't have. Whether it's a person or relationship, love, or success, or even fame." "We wanted to make a piece of art and do something beautiful and inspiring," said Tedder.
Chart performance
Months before the single's official release, "Say (All I Need)" had already started appearing on the charts relying on downloads alone. Its first appearance was in November, (shortly after Dreaming Out Loud was released) on BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
, debuting at number seventy-five. It dropped out a few weeks after. The song reappeared on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs after its official release in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and peaked at number fifty-one. The song made its way up the UK charts and a few other European charts, after its official release. The song was released to radio in the US in the third week of June 2008
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
75 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
70 |
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
51 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
48 |
| German Singles Chart | 41 |