Chariot (song)

For the song by Petula Clark, see I Will Follow Him.

"Chariot" is a song by American singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw. It appears on his 2003 debut studio album, Chariot, and was released as the album's second single in February 2005. The song addresses the overwhelming feeling Gavin felt when he moved to New York from his rural hometown; in the songs, he pleads for a (metaphorical) chariot to come and take him home.^{[citation needed]}

"Chariot"
Single by Gavin DeGraw
from the album Chariot
Released	February 22, 2005 (2005-02-22)[1]
Length	3:59
Label	J
Songwriter(s)	Gavin DeGraw
Producer(s)	Gavin DeGraw
Gavin DeGraw singles chronology
"I Don't Want to Be" (2004) "Chariot" (2005) "Follow Through" (2005)

Upon its release, "Chariot" peaked at number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in July 2005 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Worldwide, the song reached the top 20 in the Netherlands and Norway and peaked at number 30 on Radio & Records' Canadian CHR/Pop Top 30 chart.

Content

Gavin DeGraw said of "Chariot":

"Chariot" is a metaphorical vehicle for getting to a place in your mind that is a more broken down and laid back. It's somewhere to be just for a moment—instead of being wrapped up and living wherever you're living and consumed with what you're doing. It's a place to release and chill out.^[2]

Music video

The music video for "Chariot" was directed by Zach Braff, who also directed music videos for Joshua Radin. It stars model and actress Jaime King and also features a brief cameo from Donald Faison, who plays the role of Christopher Turk in the TV show Scrubs, in which Braff is also a cast member.

Track listing

European CD single^[3]

1. "Chariot" (album version) – 3:54
2. "W.B.T." – 4:31

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2005–2006) Peak position Canada CHR/Pop Top 30 (Radio & Records)[4] 30 Canada Hot AC Top 30 (Radio & Records)[5] 8 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[6] 12 Norway (VG-lista)[7] 19 US Billboard Hot 100[8] 30 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[9] 27 US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[10] 5 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[11] 17

Year-end charts Chart (2005) Position US Billboard Hot 100[12] 96 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[13] 18 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[14] 59 Chart (2006) Position Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] 61

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16]	Platinum	1,000,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1594. February 18, 2005. p. 23. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
2. "What If Your Favorite Song Was Actually About God?". Trend Chaser. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
3. Chariot (European CD single liner notes). Gavin DeGraw. J Records, Sony BMG. 2005. 82876851472.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
4. "R&R Canada CHR/Pop Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1612. June 24, 2005. p. 40. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
5. "R&R Canada Hot AC Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1613. July 1, 2005. p. 50. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
6. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 3, 2006" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
7. "Gavin DeGraw – Chariot". VG-lista. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
8. "Gavin DeGraw Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
9. "Gavin DeGraw Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
10. "Gavin DeGraw Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
11. "Gavin DeGraw Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
12. "Billboard Top 100 – 2005". billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
13. "2005 The Year in Music & Touring: Hot Adult Top 40 Songs". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 52. December 24, 2005. p. YE-76.
14. "2005 The Year in Charts: Top Mainstream Top 40 Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 13, no. 50. December 16, 2005. p. 26.
15. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2006". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
16. "American single certifications – Gavin Degraw – Chariot". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 31, 2022.