Song for the Lonely
Encyclopedia
"Song for the Lonely", also known as "(This Is) A Song for the Lonely", is a single and track by American
singer-actress Cher
from her 25th studio album, Living Proof. It was released in 2002 by Warner Bros.
and WEA
. The song was performed in some American television programs and in her 2002–2005 Farewell Tour
.
single
, second Canadian
single and was meant to follow "Alive Again"
as the third Europe
an single, but it was dropped due to complications with Cher's record company. However, the song was released as a promo CD and sent to European radio stations. The song was a hit, although only peaking at #85 on the Hot 100, it managed top 40 on some U.S airplay charts.
According to Cher's official web site and album liner notes
, "Song for the Lonely" is 'dedicated to the courageous people of New York especially the fire fighters, the police, Mayor Giuliani
, Governor Pataki and my friend Liz'.
The song had been released in the US in March 2002, just 6 months after the September 11 attacks.
s on U2's
euphoric "Beautiful Day
".
setlist and was sung for the first four legs of the tour. After dropping it for five legs, the song was re-added only on the last show, where it was used as tour finale.
Cher performed the song on Cher at the Colosseum
for the first week of shows only.
In 2005, "Song for the Lonely" was used internationally in television advertisements for Weight Watchers
. However, the choice of song, suggesting that the overweight were desperate, lonely and unloved, raised complaints, and the advert was soon edited to include only an instrumental of the song.
. The video features Cher walking around the streets of New York City. While the setting for the start of the video is in the 1800s, Cher is dressed in modern day clothes. The video is also in Sepia
. The video progresses to black and white, and then to color, as the times for the setting of the video change to the 1900s through various eras to the present day. As the timeline changes, buildings around New York are shown being constructed. The video is intercept with shots of Cher dressed in white as an angel or God-like figure, which is overlaid in some shots, as well as shots of New York from the air. People from each stage of the development of New York join Cher as she walks the streets until at the end, there is a large crowd of people from all eras.
The popularity of "Song for the Lonely" in the clubs proved to be very successful and because of this, two remix videos were created by Dan-O-Rama, one for the almighty remix and one for the Thunderpuss
remix. The remix videos only use footage of the 'white' angel/goddess Cher, overlaid with visual effects, clouds and photos and graphics from the Living Proof artwork, as well as silhouette
s of 2 dancers.
The video projection screen during the performance of "Song for the Lonely" on Cher's Farewell Tour included elements from both the original and remix videos. Elements were also incorporated into the projection for the "Love Medley" which replaced "Song for the Lonely" on the European leg of the tour.
In 2002, the video was released on VHS
to serve as promotion in the United States.
The video for "Song For The Lonely" was included on the DVD The Very Best of Cher: The Video Hits Collection. The ending of this video is slightly different to the one previously released. The video ends with a shot of New York from above. In the video on the DVD collection, Cher is superimposed on top of this shot, this was not the case in the original version.
When the American version of Living Proof was released in 2002
, the track name, which was originally "(This Is) A Song for the Lonely" on European pressings of Living Proof, had been changed to simply "Song for the Lonely". Later US pressings of the album also substituted the radio edit of the song for the longer album version.
US CD Maxi-Single (9 42422-2)
US 12" Vinyl Promo (PRO-A-100859)
US 2 x 12" Vinyl (PRO-A-100803)
US 2 x 12" Vinyl (9 42422-0)
Same tracklist of the US 2 x 12 Vinyl but, without the "Thunderpuss Radio" and "Thunderpuss Sunrise Radio" remixes.
UK 12" Vinyl Promo (SAM00620)
US Promo CD
UK Promo CD
Promo CD Colombian (SID43)
Almighty Mixes
Thunderpuss Remixes
Illicit Mixes
Metro Mixes
Rapino Mixes
Mindtrap Mixes
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-actress Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
from her 25th studio album, Living Proof. It was released in 2002 by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
and WEA
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
. The song was performed in some American television programs and in her 2002–2005 Farewell Tour
Living Proof: The Farewell Tour
Living Proof: The Farewell Tour is the seventh concert tour by American singer, Cher. The tour supported her twenty-fourth studio album, Living Proof and eleventh compilation album, The Very Best of Cher...
.
Song information
"Song for the Lonely" served as the first AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, second Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
single and was meant to follow "Alive Again"
Alive Again (Cher song)
"Alive Again" is a song performed by American singer-actress Cher from her twenty-fifth studio album, Living Proof. It was released as a third and final European single from the album on June 11, 2002 by WEA, and is current, the song remains unreleased in North America. The song has never been...
as the third Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an single, but it was dropped due to complications with Cher's record company. However, the song was released as a promo CD and sent to European radio stations. The song was a hit, although only peaking at #85 on the Hot 100, it managed top 40 on some U.S airplay charts.
According to Cher's official web site and album liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
, "Song for the Lonely" is 'dedicated to the courageous people of New York especially the fire fighters, the police, Mayor Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
, Governor Pataki and my friend Liz'.
The song had been released in the US in March 2002, just 6 months after the September 11 attacks.
Critical reception
"Song for the Lonely" received neutral reviews from critics including one, critic Beth Massa, who claims that, "There are brief moments where the track riffRIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
s on U2's
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
euphoric "Beautiful Day
Beautiful Day
"Beautiful Day" is a song by the rock band U2. It is the first track from their 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, and it was released as the album's lead single. It was a commercial success, helping launch the album to multi-platinum status, and is one of U2's biggest hits to date...
".
Live performance
In June 2002, "Song for the Lonely" was added to Cher's Living Proof: The Farewell TourLiving Proof: The Farewell Tour
Living Proof: The Farewell Tour is the seventh concert tour by American singer, Cher. The tour supported her twenty-fourth studio album, Living Proof and eleventh compilation album, The Very Best of Cher...
setlist and was sung for the first four legs of the tour. After dropping it for five legs, the song was re-added only on the last show, where it was used as tour finale.
Cher performed the song on Cher at the Colosseum
Cher at the Colosseum
'Cher at the Colosseum was a series of concerts by Cher at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the three years engagement, Cher received $180 million. Performing at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the first show occurred on May 6, 2008 and the last show was on February 5, 2011...
for the first week of shows only.
In 2005, "Song for the Lonely" was used internationally in television advertisements for Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers is an international company that offers various dieting products and services to assist weight loss and maintenance. Founded in 1963 by Brooklyn homemaker Jean Nidetch, it operates in about 30 countries around the world, generally under names that are local translations of “Weight...
. However, the choice of song, suggesting that the overweight were desperate, lonely and unloved, raised complaints, and the advert was soon edited to include only an instrumental of the song.
Music video
The music video for "Song for the Lonely" was directed by Stu MaschwitzStu Maschwitz
Stuart T. Maschwitz, commonly known as Stu Maschwitz, was the co-founder and chief technology officer of The Orphanage, a visual effects company that was based in California. He has worked as senior visual effects supervisor on several films...
. The video features Cher walking around the streets of New York City. While the setting for the start of the video is in the 1800s, Cher is dressed in modern day clothes. The video is also in Sepia
Sepia
-Marine life:* Sepia , a genus of cuttlefish* Cephalopod ink, a dark pigment released into water by Sepia cuttlefish-Media and entertainment:* Sepia , an African Americans focused Photojournalism magazine...
. The video progresses to black and white, and then to color, as the times for the setting of the video change to the 1900s through various eras to the present day. As the timeline changes, buildings around New York are shown being constructed. The video is intercept with shots of Cher dressed in white as an angel or God-like figure, which is overlaid in some shots, as well as shots of New York from the air. People from each stage of the development of New York join Cher as she walks the streets until at the end, there is a large crowd of people from all eras.
The popularity of "Song for the Lonely" in the clubs proved to be very successful and because of this, two remix videos were created by Dan-O-Rama, one for the almighty remix and one for the Thunderpuss
Thunderpuss
Thunderpuss was the remix/productionteam of music producers Barry Harris and Chris Cox. Harris had previously worked as part of several music groups including Kon Kan, Top Kat, Killer Bunnies and Outta Control and had also released several singles himself...
remix. The remix videos only use footage of the 'white' angel/goddess Cher, overlaid with visual effects, clouds and photos and graphics from the Living Proof artwork, as well as silhouette
Silhouette
A silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. Although the art form has been popular since the mid-18th century, the term “silhouette” was seldom used until the early decades...
s of 2 dancers.
The video projection screen during the performance of "Song for the Lonely" on Cher's Farewell Tour included elements from both the original and remix videos. Elements were also incorporated into the projection for the "Love Medley" which replaced "Song for the Lonely" on the European leg of the tour.
In 2002, the video was released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
to serve as promotion in the United States.
The video for "Song For The Lonely" was included on the DVD The Very Best of Cher: The Video Hits Collection. The ending of this video is slightly different to the one previously released. The video ends with a shot of New York from above. In the video on the DVD collection, Cher is superimposed on top of this shot, this was not the case in the original version.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of all single releases of "Song for the Lonely".When the American version of Living Proof was released in 2002
2002 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...
, the track name, which was originally "(This Is) A Song for the Lonely" on European pressings of Living Proof, had been changed to simply "Song for the Lonely". Later US pressings of the album also substituted the radio edit of the song for the longer album version.
US CD Maxi-Single (9 42422-2)
- "Song for the Lonely" (AlmightyAlmighty RecordsAlmighty Records is a British recording label and remix production team founded in 1989, releasing their first single in the same year. Producing mainly Dance-Pop and Hi-NRG music, the label is best known for releasing remakes and remixes of mainstream pop songs...
Mix) - "Song for the Lonely" (Illicit Vocal Mix)
- "Song for the Lonely" (ThunderpussThunderpussThunderpuss was the remix/productionteam of music producers Barry Harris and Chris Cox. Harris had previously worked as part of several music groups including Kon Kan, Top Kat, Killer Bunnies and Outta Control and had also released several singles himself...
Club Mix) - "Song for the Lonely" (Thunderpuss Sunrise Mix)
- "Song for the Lonely" (Almighty Radio Edit)
- "Song for the Lonely" (Illicit Radio)
- "Song for the Lonely" (Thunderpuss Club Mix Radio Edit)
US 12" Vinyl Promo (PRO-A-100859)
- A1. "Song For The Lonely" (Illicit Vocal Remix)
- A2. "Song For The Lonely" (Album Version)
- B1. "Song For The Lonely" (Almighty Mix)
- B2. "Song For The Lonely" (Almighty Radio Edit)
US 2 x 12" Vinyl (PRO-A-100803)
- A1. "Song For The Lonely" (Thunderpuss Club Mix)
- A2. "Song For The Lonely" (Almighty Mix)
- B1. "Song For The Lonely" (Thunderpuss Sunrise Mix)
- B2. "Song For The Lonely" (Illicit Vocal Remix)
- C1. "Song For The Lonely" (Thunderpuss Dirty Dub)
- C2. "Song For The Lonely" (Illicit Dub)
- D1. "Song For The Lonely" (ThunderDub)
- D2. "Song For The Lonely" (Thunderpuss Radio)
- D3. "Song For The Lonely" (Thunderpuss Sunrise Radio)
US 2 x 12" Vinyl (9 42422-0)
Same tracklist of the US 2 x 12 Vinyl but, without the "Thunderpuss Radio" and "Thunderpuss Sunrise Radio" remixes.
UK 12" Vinyl Promo (SAM00620)
- A1. "Song For The Lonely" (Thunderpuss Club Mix)
- B1. "Song For The Lonely" (Thunderpuss Dirty Dub)
- B2. "Song For The Lonely" (Radio Edit)
US Promo CD
- "Song for the Lonely" (Radio Edit)
- "Song for the Lonely" (Album Version)
UK Promo CD
- "(This Is) A Song for the Lonely" (Radio Edit)
- "(This Is) A Song for the Lonely" (Album Version)
Promo CD Colombian (SID43)
- "Song for the Lonely" (Album Version)
- "Song for the Lonely" (Almighty Mix)
- "Song for the Lonely" (Almighty Radio Edit)
- "Song for the Lonely" (Almighty Mix - PA)
- "Song for the Lonely" (Almighty Radio Edit - PA)
- "Song for the Lonely" (Metro 12" Mix)
- "Song for the Lonely" (Rapino-Carrara Extended)
- "Song for the Lonely" (Rapino-Carrara 7)
Official Mixes
Album Mixes- Main Version (4:01)
- Main Version (Fade Out) (3:21)
- Radio Mix (3:29)
- Live Version (from Live! The Farewell TourLive! The Farewell Tour-Production:*Executive Producers: Cher, Roger Davis, and Lindsay Scott*Music Editor: John Van Nest*Recorded: Paul Sandweiss and Dave Zeller*Mastered: Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot*Art Direction: Jeri Heiden and Hugh Brown*Design: Jeri Heiden and Sara Cumings...
) (6:47)
Almighty Mixes
- Almighty Definitive Mix (8:47)
- Almighty Radio Edit (3:34)
- Almighty PA Mix (8:50)
- Almighty PA Edit (3:57)
Thunderpuss Remixes
- Thunderpuss Club Mix (8:24)
- Thunderpuss Club Dub
- Thunderpuss Club Radio Edit (4:06)
- Thunderpuss Club Radio Edit Instrumental
- Thunderpuss Club Mixshow
- Thunderpuss Dark Mix
- Thunderpuss Video Edit
- Thunderpuss TV Track
- Thunderpuss Anthem
- Thunderpuss Sunrise Club Mix (8:25)
- Thunderpuss Sunrise Radio Edit (4:05)
- Thunderpuss Sunrise Radio Edit 2
- Thunderpuss Sunrise Radio Instrumental
- Thunderpuss Sunrise Mixshow
- Thunderpuss Dirty Club Mix
- Thunderpuss Dirty Dub (7:14)
- Thunderdub (6:32)
- Thunderpuss Tribe-A-Pella (7:33)
- Beats Of Thunderpuss
Illicit Mixes
- Illicit Vocal Mix (8:09)
- Illicit Edit (3:51)
- Illicit Vocal Dub (8:37)
- Illicit Instrumental Dub (8:36)
- Illicit Alternate Vocal
- Illicit Alternate Edit
- Illicit Acapella (6:27)
Metro Mixes
- Metro Club Mix (6:16)
- Metro Mixshow Club Mix (6:02)
- Metro Radio Mix (4:12)
- Metro Radio Edit (3:30)
Rapino Mixes
- Rapino Carrera Mix = Rapino-Carrara Extended (5:25)
- Rapino Carrera 7" Edit (4:11)
Mindtrap Mixes
- Mindtrap Dark Journey Mix (11:27)
- Mindtrap Club Mix (6:07)
- Mindtrap Radio Edit (4:00)
- Mindtrap Tribal Mix
Charts
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (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... Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
85 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
31 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 38 |
| Argentinian Singles Chart | 63 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 18 |
| Czech Airplay/Singles Chart | 9 |
| Romanian Singles Chart | 39 |