Be Like That (3 Doors Down song)

"Be Like That" is a song by American post-grunge band 3 Doors Down. It was released on May 29, 2001, as the fourth single from their debut album, The Better Life (2000). The ballad^[1] peaked at number 24 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending November 10, 2001. A version of the song with minor lyrical changes was made for the film American Pie 2 and was featured on the film's soundtrack.

"Be Like That"
Single by 3 Doors Down
from the album The Better Life
Released	May 29, 2001 (2001-05-29)
Length	4:25 (album version) 3:57 (radio edit)
Label	Republic
Composer(s)	Brad Arnold Matt Roberts Chris Henderson
Lyricist(s)	Brad Arnold
Producer(s)	Paul Ebersold
3 Doors Down singles chronology
"Duck and Run" (2001) "Be Like That" (2001) "When I'm Gone" (2002)
Music video
"Be Like That" on YouTube

Content

Lead singer Brad Arnold said, "This song was strange, because I wrote the verses and the choruses at two completely different times. And I couldn't think of the verse for the chorus, or the chorus for the verse. I always sing in my vehicle on my way home from band practice, and one night I was sitting there singing, and I put those two together, and I was like, Duh. And like I said, I don't play guitar at all. But I can just like sit down and chicken peck a note out or something. I went home and got a three chord structure going for the melody of it, and took it to practice the next day. I asked Chris [Henderson] to make something out of it, and he came back the next day and he had it, and it just went from there. But that song is just really about following your dreams. And I know everybody has 'em. It's not just about following your dreams, though. It's a little bit about dreams that you've missed, and a little notion of regret, also."^[2]

The person in the first verse of the song is fictional, and Arnold left it open to interpretation on whether that person is older or younger. He said: "The difference in a good song and a great song, to me, is the difference in a good book and a good movie: They're both telling you the same story. They both have the same outcome. But whereas the movie is telling you exactly what to see and be heard, the book kind of lets you see whatever your mind comes up with, and it makes it a lot more applicable to your life in a lot of ways."^[2]

The songs second verse makes a reference to Northpark Mall in Ridgeland, Mississippi (adjacent to their hometown), a place the band frequented during their youth.^[2]

Music video

A music video directed by Liz Friedlander and Nigel Dick and was filmed at Black Park in Wexham, Bucks, England.^[3] An alternate version of the video was also made by Friedlander featuring clips from American Pie 2 throughout the video.

Live performances

"Be Like That" was first performed live on April 10, 2000 at WAAF studios in Westborough, Massachusetts. As of April 1, 2019, it has been performed 277 times, making it the tenth most performed song by 3 Doors Down.^[4]

Track listings

Australian CD1[5] "Be Like That" (radio edit of original version) – 3:57 "Loser" (album version) – 4:22 "Be Like That" (acoustic version) – 4:25 "Be Like That" (video) Australian CD2[6] "Be Like That" (radio edit of original version) – 3:57 "Be Like That" (album version) – 4:25 "Be Like That" (acoustic version) – 4:26 "Duck and Run" (video) "Be Like That" (video)

UK CD single[7] "Be Like That" (radio edit) – 3:57 "Be Like That" (acoustic version) – 4:26 German maxi-CD single[8] "Be Like That" (radio edit) – 3:57 "Be Like That" (acoustic version) – 4:26 "Be Like That" (American Pie edit) – 3:57 "Not Enough" (live) – 3:08

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the US promo CD liner notes.^[9]

• Brad Arnold – lyrics, music
• Matt Roberts – music
• Chris Henderson – music
• Paul Ebersold – production
• Toby Wright – mixing

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2001) Peak position UK Singles (OCC)[10] 144 UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[11] 12 US Billboard Hot 100[12] 24 US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[13] 5 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[14] 22 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[15] 14 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[16] 10

Year-end charts Chart (2001) Position Canada Radio (Nielsen BDS)[17] 64 US Billboard Hot 100[18] 96 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[19] 25 US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)[20] 30 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[21] 40 US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[22] 87 Chart (2002) Position US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[23] 22

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	May 29, 2001	Contemporary hit hot AC mainstream rock active rock alternative triple A radio	Republic	[24]
Australia	August 20, 2001	CD		[25]
United Kingdom	November 5, 2001			[26]

References

1. "3 Doors Down, Sum41, Green Day On 'Pie 2' Soundtrack". MTV. June 4, 2001. Archived from the original on April 25, 2015.
2. Ortega, Shawna (March 20, 2009). "Brad Arnold from 3 Doors Down : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
3. "Productions 2001".
4. "Be Like That by 3 Doors Down song statistics". Setlist.fm. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
5. Be Like That (Australian CD1 liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records. 2001. 044001541926.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
6. Be Like That (Australian CD2 liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records. 2001. 015 330-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. Be Like That (UK CD single liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records. 2001. 015 102-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. Be Like That (German maxi-CD single liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records. 2001. 015 103-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. Be Like That (US promo CD liner notes). 3 Doors Down. Republic Records. 2001. UNIR-20540-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. "Chart Log UK 1994–2010 !!! – 99th Floor Elevators". Zobbel. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
11. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
12. "3 Doors Down Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
13. "3 Doors Down Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
14. "3 Doors Down Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
15. "3 Doors Down Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
16. "3 Doors Down Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
17. "BDS CHART : Top 100 of 2001". Jam!. Archived from the original on July 26, 2002. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
18. "Billboard Top 100 – 2001". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
19. "The Year in Music 2001: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 52. December 29, 2001. p. YE-82.
20. "The Year in Music 2001: Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 52. December 29, 2001. p. YE-70.
21. "Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2001". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 9, no. 51. December 21, 2001. p. 60.
22. "Most-Played Modern Rock Songs of 2001". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 9, no. 51. December 21, 2001. p. 40.
23. "Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2002". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 10, no. 51. December 20, 2002. p. 16.
24. "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1403. May 25, 2001. pp. 87, 114, 125, 129, 140, 146. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
25. "The ARIA Report: ARIA New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 20th August 2001" (PDF). ARIA. August 20, 2001. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2002-02-20. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
26. "New Releases – For Week Starting November 5, 2001: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. November 3, 2001. p. 29. Retrieved August 22, 2021.