Absolutely (Story of a Girl)

"Story of a Girl" redirects here. For the novel by Sara Zarr, see Story of a Girl.
"Absolutely (Story of a Girl)"
Single by Nine Days
from the album The Madding Crowd
Released April 22, 2000
Format CD single, digital download
Recorded Long Island, New York (U.S.)
Genre Alternative rock, power pop
Length 3:11
Label 550, Epic
Writer(s) John Hampson
Producer(s) Nick DiDia
Nine Days singles chronology
"Absolutely (Story of a Girl)"
(2000)		 "If I Am"
(2000)

"Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" is a song by American alternative rock group Nine Days. It was released in April 2000 as the lead single from their debut album The Madding Crowd (2000). The song entered the top ten on the majority of the charts it appeared on, including the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S., where it reached number 6. Because of the success of the song, it made an appearance on 2000 compilation album Now That's What I Call Music! 5.

Background and writing

The lyrics of "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" portray John Hampson's love towards his girlfriend, despite her tears and sadness. "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" is the presentation of an undying declaration of love between Hampson and his girlfriend at the time.[1] Hampson and his girlfriend supply the basis for the characters. Hampson's relationships with people, including himself, provided the inspiration for most of Nine Day's "The In Crowd" (2003),[2]

John Hampson started working on "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" after reading the Thomas Hardy novel Far from the Madding Crowd.[3] In writing the song, John worked with fellow band member Brian Desveaux in Hampson’s apartment in Deer Park to co-write songs that ultimately appeared on The Madding Crowd.[4] John, Brian, and the rest of the members of Nine days recorded a demo of "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" at Sabella Studios in Rosyln, NY, in 1998. "After ‘Absolutely’ was written everything fell into place, creatively, and we recorded a three-song demo," Desveaux said.[5]

Content

The song's musical-style and production were heavily inspired by power pop from the 1970s, and its lyrics describe a man's declaration of love towards a girl who appears sad in photographs. Parallels have been drawn between the song's lyrical content and the romantic relationship that John Hampson had with his girlfriend.

Cover versions

The song was covered by the band Four Year Strong for their cover album Explains It All. Despite various online discussions and rumors, the song has never publicly been performed by either 3 Doors Down or Third Eye Blind, which can be seen by reviewing their respective discographies and concert set lists. The misconception that these bands were ever involved with this song was spread by a mislabeling of MP3 files in the early days of peer-to-peer file sharing. The misconception continues to this day, with many lyrics sites and videos displaying the incorrect artist name.

Chart performance

Chart (2000) Peak

Position

Australia (ARIA)[6] 31
Canada Top Singles (RPM) 3
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM) 14
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) 50
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] 75
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] 7
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) 89
US Billboard Hot 100 6
US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 1
US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay 5
US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 10
US Billboard Adult Top 40 Tracks 2

Year-end charts

End of year chart (2000) Position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] 39
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 35

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[11] Gold 500,000

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Retrieved September 14, 2008.
  2. ↑ Information on the inspiration for "The In Crowd". October 20, 2005. . Retrieved September 14, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Chronicle of Rock Bands: Nine Days". Angelfire.com. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  4. ↑ "Nine Days". Hiponline.com. 2008-02-19. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  5. ↑ "Nine Days Interview with Brian Desveaux of Nine Days: How They Escaped a Musical Deathtrap". Reviews.modernrock.com. 1980-01-01. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  6. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Nine Days – Absolutely (Story of a Girl)". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  7. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Nine Days – Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  8. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Nine Days – Absolutely (Story of a Girl)". Top 40 Singles.
  9. ↑ "Top Selling Singles of 2000". Retrieved 2015-10-10.
  10. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 2000". Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  11. ↑ "American single certifications – Nine Days – Absolutely (Story of a Girl)". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

External links

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