The Story (song)
Encyclopedia
"The Story" is a song written by Phil Hanseroth. It was released as a single by American folk rock singer Brandi Carlile
in 2006, from her 2007 album The Story
. The song has been covered by Sara Ramírez
for Grey's Anatomy
and on her 2011 extended play Sara Ramirez
, Canada and produced by T-Bone Burnett
.
' Download of the Week in March 2007. Carlile has performed the song live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
, Late Night with Conan O'Brien
and The Early Show
.
Along with other songs by Carlile, "The Story" received exposure to a wider audience by being played on the soundtrack to medical drama series Grey's Anatomy
. The song, and parts of the video, appeared in 2007 in a special recap episode titled "Every Moment Counts". The song was also used in a General Motors
commercial that aired during television coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
. "The Story" has become the most popular song from Carlile's album.
chart, as well as No. 35 on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart, No. 68 on the Pop 100
chart and No. 48 on the Hot Digital Songs chart. The song peaked at No. 44 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart
, No. 3 on the Norwegian VG-lista
chart, No. 16 on the Swiss singles chart
and No. 38 on the Ö3 Austria Top 40
chart.
Tom Scanlon of The Seattle Times
describes a live performance of "The Story" as "stunning" and "spine-chilling". He notes the transition within the song between acoustic pop-rock and "scream-singing" that remsembles Janis Joplin
. A writer for Indianapolis Monthly
also draws a comparison between Carlile's vocals and those of Joplin.
episode "Song Beneath the Song
" was a special musical episode that included renditions of popular songs performed by the show's characters. In the episode Sara Ramírez
, in the role of Callie Torres
, sings "The Story". Ramírez' version of the song was included as a track on her 2011 extended play, Sara Ramirez
.
Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile is an American singer and songwriter.-Early life:At age eight, Carlile performed a rendition of the country music song "Tennessee Flat Top Box" with her mother. She began to play the guitar and write songs at fifteen. At sixteen, she began to perform as a backup singer for an Elvis...
in 2006, from her 2007 album The Story
The Story (Brandi Carlile album)
The Story is the second album by folk rock singer Brandi Carlile, and was released on April 3, 2007. The album peaked at #58 in the Billboard 200 on May 5, 2007....
. The song has been covered by Sara Ramírez
Sara Ramírez
Sara Ramírez is a Mexican-American singer/songwriter and actress. She is known for her role as Callie Torres in Grey's Anatomy and as the original Lady of the Lake in the 2005 Broadway musical Spamalot, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.-Early life:Ramírez...
for Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
and on her 2011 extended play Sara Ramirez
Sara Ramirez (EP)
Sara Ramirez is the debut extended play by the Mexican-American recording artist and actress of the same name, released on March 27, 2011...
Composition and recording
"The Story" was written by Phil Hanseroth, who also plays bass in Carlile's band. It has a 16-bar melody. It was recorded in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada and produced by T-Bone Burnett
T-Bone Burnett
Joseph Henry Burnett , widely known as T-Bone Burnett, is an American musician, songwriter, and soundtrack and record producer.He was a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band on the Rolling Thunder Revue...
.
Release and promotion
"The Story" was released as a single in 2006. It was iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
' Download of the Week in March 2007. Carlile has performed the song live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
, Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
and The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
.
Along with other songs by Carlile, "The Story" received exposure to a wider audience by being played on the soundtrack to medical drama series Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. The song, and parts of the video, appeared in 2007 in a special recap episode titled "Every Moment Counts". The song was also used in a General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
commercial that aired during television coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. "The Story" has become the most popular song from Carlile's album.
Chart performance and reception
In the United States "The Story" reached No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
chart, as well as No. 35 on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart, No. 68 on the 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...
chart and No. 48 on the Hot Digital Songs chart. The song peaked at No. 44 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, No. 3 on the Norwegian VG-lista
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...
chart, No. 16 on the Swiss singles chart
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...
and No. 38 on the Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann...
chart.
Tom Scanlon of The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
describes a live performance of "The Story" as "stunning" and "spine-chilling". He notes the transition within the song between acoustic pop-rock and "scream-singing" that remsembles Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
. A writer for Indianapolis Monthly
Indianapolis Monthly
Indianapolis Monthly is a magazine published in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, Indianapolis Monthly brings readers information on every facet of Indianapolis life, including arts and entertainment, fashion, real estate, business, dining, education, travel, politics,...
also draws a comparison between Carlile's vocals and those of Joplin.
Sara Ramírez version
In 2011, "The Story" was again featured in an episode of Grey's Anatomy. The series 7Grey's Anatomy (season 7)
Season seven of Grey's Anatomy, an American medical drama television series developed by Shonda Rhimes, began airing on September 23, 2010 on ABC. The season concluded on May 19, 2011.-Main cast:*Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey...
episode "Song Beneath the Song
Song Beneath the Song
"Song Beneath the Song" is the 18th episode of the seventh season of the American medical drama Grey's Anatomy, and the 144th episode overall, it was named after a song by American singer Maria Taylor. Written by series creator Shonda Rhimes and directed by Tony Phelan, it premiered on ABC on...
" was a special musical episode that included renditions of popular songs performed by the show's characters. In the episode Sara Ramírez
Sara Ramírez
Sara Ramírez is a Mexican-American singer/songwriter and actress. She is known for her role as Callie Torres in Grey's Anatomy and as the original Lady of the Lake in the 2005 Broadway musical Spamalot, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.-Early life:Ramírez...
, in the role of Callie Torres
Callie Torres
Calliope Iphegenia "Callie" Torres, M.D., is a fictional character from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by actress Sara Ramírez...
, sings "The Story". Ramírez' version of the song was included as a track on her 2011 extended play, Sara Ramirez
Sara Ramirez (EP)
Sara Ramirez is the debut extended play by the Mexican-American recording artist and actress of the same name, released on March 27, 2011...
.