Far Away (Nickelback song)

"Far Away" is a song by Canadian band Nickelback. First released on January 23, 2006, in Australia, it was the second international single, fourth US single, and third single overall from the band's fifth album, All the Right Reasons (2005). "Far Away" peaked at number eight in the United States, making All the Right Reasons the only Nickelback album to date to have more than one top-10 hit. The band's lead singer and guitarist Chad Kroeger described this song on the Tour when in Australia as the "only real love song" that Nickelback has. He described many others as "being about love" but not solely about "being in love".^[2]

"Far Away"
Single by Nickelback
from the album All the Right Reasons
Released	January 23, 2006 (2006-01-23)[1]
Studio	Mountainview (Abbotsford, British Columbia)
Genre	Soft rock
Length	3:59 (album version) 3:42 (edit version)
Label	Roadrunner
Songwriter(s)	Chad Kroeger Ryan Peake Mike Kroeger Daniel Adair
Producer(s)	Nickelback
Nickelback singles chronology
"Animals" (2005) "Far Away" (2006) "Savin' Me" (2006)
Nickelback British singles chronology
"Photograph" (2005) "Far Away" (2006) "Savin' Me" (2006)
Nickelback British singles chronology
"Photograph" (2008) "Far Away" (2008) "Gotta Be Somebody" (2008)
Music video
"Far Away" on YouTube

The song was re-released in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2008, following the success of "Rockstar" and the re-release of "Photograph". This release also reached number 40 in the UK singles chart, equalling its original chart peak, although this re-release was download-only.^[3]

Background

"Far Away" was a huge success in the U.S. and became the band's fourth top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 8. The song was the second top-10 single from their latest album All the Right Reasons after the leading single of the album, "Photograph", which peaked at number two on the chart.

Composition

The song is written in the key of B major and follows a slow tempo of 67 beats per minute in common time. It follows a chord progression of Bmaj7 – F♯sus – G♯m7 – E⁶
₉, and the vocals span from E₃ to A♭₄. In the final chorus of the song, the key changes to D♭ major.^[4]

Music video

The music video for "Far Away" was first shown on VH1's V-Spot. Filmed at Green Timbers Park in Surrey, British Columbia just outside Vancouver, the video starts with a couple in bed, when a cellphone rings and the husband is forced to leave. It is revealed that he is a firefighter, and has been called to help fight a forest fire.

As the song moves on, we see the firefighters dropped right into the middle of the fire by a helicopter, which quickly overwhelms them and forces them to retreat. The husband goes back to help a fallen firefighter, and watches the helicopter leave without him. After the husband sees the helicopter leave, a large, fiery tree is seen falling, presumably onto him. This footage is inter-cut with his wife watching the news about the fire.

Later, she receives a phone call, and breaks down, as it appears that she has been informed that her husband has died. She rushes outside to see several firefighters emerge from a truck...including her husband, covered in soot. She rushes to him and hugs him, and the video ends.

The entire song also features inter-cuts to the band playing in a large, strobe light-filled red and orange room.

VH1 later named this video as the third-best song on the Top 40 Videos of 2006, behind "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira and ahead of "SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake.

Track listings and formats

CD single (UK)

1. "Far Away" [Album Version] – 4:01
2. "Far Away" [Edit Version] – 3:42
3. "Mistake" [Live in Edmonton] – 5:11
4. "Photograph" [Acoustic] Rolling Stone Original – 6:55
5. "Far Away" [Video]

CD single

1. "Far Away" [Edit Version] – 3:42
2. "Mistake" [Live in Edmonton] – 5:11
3. "Photograph" [Acoustic] Rolling Stone Original – 6:55

Deluxe edition

1. "Far Away" [Album Version] – 4:01
2. "Far Away" [Edit Version] – 3:42

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2006–2008) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[5] 2 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 22 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 45 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[8] 50 Canada AC (Billboard)[9] 18 Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[10] 3 Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[11] 1 Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[12] 56 European Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[13] 69 Germany Airplay (BVMI)[14] 4 Ireland (IRMA)[15] 17 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 18 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 31 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] 2 Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[19] 56 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 51 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 41 UK Singles (OCC)[22] 40 US Billboard Hot 100[23] 8 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[24] 5 US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[25] 1 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[26] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2006) Position Australia (ARIA)[27] 53 US Billboard Hot 100[28] 53 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[29] 17 Chart (2007) Position US Billboard Hot 100[30] 94 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[31] 10 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[32] 22

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[33]	Gold	35,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[34]	Gold	45,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[35]	Gold	400,000‡
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Australia	January 23, 2006	CD	Roadrunner	[1]
United Kingdom	February 13, 2006			[36]
United States	August 1, 2006	Contemporary hit radio		[37]
	August 7, 2006	Hot adult contemporary radio		[38]
United Kingdom (re-release)	September 22, 2006	—		[39]

References

1. "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 23rd January 2006" (PDF). ARIA. January 23, 2006. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 19, 2006. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
2. "Top 5 Nickelback hits". Birmingham: Genting Arena. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
3. "Roadrunner Records UK". RoadrunnerRecords.co.uk. Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
4. Nickelback (April 18, 2006). "Far Away". www.musicnotes.com. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
5. "Nickelback – Far Away". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
6. "Nickelback – Far Away" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
7. "Nickelback – Far Away" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
8. "Nickelback Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
9. "Nickelback Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
10. "Nickelback Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
11. "Nickelback Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
12. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 18. týden 2006 in the date selector.
13. "Nickelback – Chart Search" Billboard European Hot 100 Singles for Nickelback. Retrieved September 17, 2010. ^{[dead link]}
14. "Nielsen Music Control Airplay - Germany Top 5". Nielsen Music Control on behalf of BVMI. Archived from the original on February 7, 2006. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
15. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Far Away". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
16. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Nickelback" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
17. "Nickelback – Far Away" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
18. "Nickelback – Far Away". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
19. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200639 into search.
20. "Nickelback – Far Away". Singles Top 100. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
21. "Nickelback – Far Away". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
22. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
23. "Nickelback Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
24. "Nickelback Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
25. "Nickelback Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
26. "Nickelback Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
27. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2006". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
28. "Hot 100 Songs - Year-End 2006". Billboard.
29. "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
30. "Hot 100 Songs - Year-End 2007". Billboard.
31. "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
32. "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
33. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
34. "Danish single certifications – Nickelback – Far Away". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
35. "British single certifications – Nickelback – Far Away". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
36. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. February 11, 2006. p. 27.
37. "FMQB Airplay Archive: CHR". FMQB. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
38. "ACQB: Available for Airplay". FMQB. Archived from the original on February 7, 2007. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
39. "Featured Releases". RoadrunnerRecords.co.uk. Archived from the original on September 8, 2008.