Lay Me Down (The Dirty Heads song)

Last updated
"Lay Me Down"
The Dirty Heads - Lay Me Down.jpg
Promotional CD cover.
Single by Dirty Heads featuring Rome Ramirez
from the album Any Port in a Storm
Released2010
Recorded2009
Studio Hurley Studios
Genre Reggae rock [1]
Length3:35
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Dirty Heads singles chronology
"Stand Tall"
(2008)
"Lay Me Down"
(2010)
"Check the Level"
(2010)

"Lay Me Down" is a 2010 single by reggae rock band Dirty Heads featuring Rome Ramirez of Sublime with Rome. The song appears as a bonus track on the band's album Any Port in a Storm , and has peaked at number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.

Contents

Critical reception

Billboard's Connor McKnight wrote in April 2010 that the song is a "solid contender" for song of the summer. [2] McKnight compared the song's opening to that of "Hope" by Jack Johnson, and said the song "lifts the energy with chugging guitar riffs, a freewheeling chorus and feel-good lyrics delivered with rhythmic punch". [2] David Hall of the Orange County Register listed it among the band's "positively charged, island-influenced tunes ... which ride on the coattails of similar acts like 311 and Slightly Stoopid". [3] The song was included on Rolling Stone's "Hot List" in early 2010. [4]

Chart performance

In March, the single entered the Billboard Alternative Songs chart at number 24. [5] It reached number one in May, [5] and nine weeks later it established a record as the song with the longest stint atop the chart for an independently released title, surpassing the previous mark set in 1999 by Everlast's "What It's Like". [6] "Lay Me Down" peaked at number 93 on the U.S. Hot 100 and number 76 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart. [5] The Dirty Heads performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on May 13. [7]

In late 2023, for the 35th anniversary of Alternative Songs (which by then had been renamed to Alternative Airplay), [8] Billboard published a list of the top 100 most successful songs in the chart's history; "Lay Me Down" was ranked at number 39. [9]

Music video

The music video was directed by Thomas Mignone and filmed in various playa and mercado locations throughout Mexico. Filming was interrupted by border patrol agents objecting to the actors' portrayal of escaping across the United States and Mexico border. Bandmembers Dustin Bushnell and Jared Watson taught local mariachis the song and were filmed live for several of the scenes.

Charts

See also

Related Research Articles

Ska punk is a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music together. Ska punk tends to feature brass instruments, especially horns such as trumpets, trombones and woodwind instruments like saxophones, making the genre distinct from other forms of punk rock. It is closely tied to third wave ska which reached its zenith in the mid-1990s.

Alternative Airplay is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played songs on alternative and modern rock radio stations. Introduced as Modern Rock Tracks, the chart served as a companion to the Mainstream Rock chart, and its creation was prompted by the explosion of alternative music on American radio in the late 1980s. During the first several years of the chart, it regularly featured music that did not receive commercial radio airplay anywhere but on a few modern rock and college rock radio stations. This included many electronic and post-punk artists. Gradually, as alternative rock became more mainstream, alternative and mainstream rock radio stations began playing many of the same songs. By the late 2000s, the genres became more fully differentiated with only limited crossover. The Alternative Airplay chart features more alternative rock, indie pop, and pop punk artists while the Mainstream Rock chart leans towards more guitar-tinged blues rock, hard rock, and heavy metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paralyzer</span> 2007 single by Finger Eleven

"Paralyzer" is a song by Canadian rock band Finger Eleven. It was released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Them vs. You vs. Me, on March 1, 2007. The song received high airplay in both the United States and Canada, and was performed live on the March 14, 2007 episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and again ten months later on January 9, 2008. The song has surpassed "One Thing" to be Finger Eleven's most successful single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">311 discography</span>

The comprehensive discography of 311, a rock band, originally from Omaha, Nebraska, consists of thirteen studio albums, one live album, twenty-four live concerts released via Live311 four compilation albums, five extended plays, thirty-three singles, and seven video albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aimee Allen</span> American singer-songwriter

Aimee Allen is an American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. She is currently the lead vocalist for the ska-punk band the Interrupters under the moniker Aimee Interrupter. As a singer-songwriter, she has collaborated with Mark Ronson, Sublime with Rome, Tim Armstrong of Rancid, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Linda Perry, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Jimmy Cliff, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Travis Barker, Dirty Heads, and Tom Morello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death Cab for Cutie discography</span>

Death Cab for Cutie has released ten studio albums, five extended plays (EPs), a demo tape, a digital album, one live album, thirty-two singles, nine music videos, and two DVDs. Death Cab for Cutie is an American indie rock group from Bellingham, Washington and was formed in 1997 by Ben Gibbard as a side project from Pinwheel. After releasing a demo tape, he added guitarist Chris Walla, bassist Nick Harmer, and drummer Nathan Good to the band. Death Cab signed to Barsuk Records and released four extended plays (EPs) and four studio albums through the label. The fourth album, Transatlanticism, reached number 97 on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified gold in the United States. The group also issued nine singles and a demo tape through Barsuk.

Reggae rock is a subgenre of reggae fusion and rock music that primarily uses the genres reggae, rock, and ska. Typical lyrics of reggae rock songs incorporate love, personal awareness, and life challenges while incorporating music and beat elements of rock, punk, and hip-hop. The term "reggae rock" has been used to categorize bands like the Police, Men at Work, Sublime, Sublime with Rome, No Doubt, Pepper, Slightly Stoopid, the Expendables, Iration, Dirty Heads, Rebelution, 311, SOJA, and, to some extent, heavier bands such as Bad Brains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirty Heads</span> American reggae rock band

Dirty Heads is an American reggae rock band from Huntington Beach, California. Their debut album, Any Port in a Storm, was released on September 23, 2008, by Executive Music Group (Fontana/Universal). Their newest album, Midnight Control, was released on August 26, 2023, by Better Noise Music. They have been associated with music groups such as Sublime with Rome, 311, and Pepper, and have toured with groups including Cobra Starship, Aer, and Gym Class Heroes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The All-American Rejects discography</span>

American rock band the All-American Rejects have released four studio albums, 22 singles, 21 music videos, 4 video albums, and 7 extended plays.

Hot Rock & Alternative Songs is a record chart published by Billboard magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alternative, mainstream rock, and triple A radio stations in the United States. Beginning with the chart dated October 20, 2012, the chart has followed the methodology of the Billboard Hot 100 by incorporating digital download sales, streaming data, and radio airplay of rock songs over all formats. From that time until mid-2020, only the performance of core rock songs, including those with an "alternative bent", were tabulated and ranked for the chart. With the chart dated June 13, 2020, Billboard revamped the chart to permit a broader selection of songs considered alternative "hybrids" with other genres and renamed it to Hot Rock & Alternative Songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Time Low discography</span>

American rock band All Time Low has released nine studio albums, six EPs, two live albums, twenty-nine singles and thirty-nine music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halfway Gone</span> 2009 single by Lifehouse

"Halfway Gone" is a song by American band Lifehouse. It is the first single released from their fifth studio album, Smoke & Mirrors (2010). It was first released via digital download in the United States and Canada on October 26, 2009. It was then solicited to mainstream radio on January 12, 2010. Several remixes of the song were later released on iTunes on April 6, 2010 in an album called Halfway Gone Remixes. The song was a commercial success, charting in Canada, the United States, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. The accompanying music video portrays Lifehouse lead singer Jason Wade singing most of the lyrics in a park, and also features band cohorts and various people lip-syncing the lyrics as the song plays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sublime with Rome</span> American reggae rock band

Sublime with Rome is a musical collaboration between Eric Wilson, formerly of the American ska punk band Sublime, and singer and guitarist Rome Ramirez. The group's name is not only a reference to the singer's first name, but to the fact that they chiefly perform songs by the original Sublime, which was fronted by Bradley Nowell until his death in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Time (Dirty Bit)</span> 2010 single by the Black Eyed Peas

"The Time (Dirty Bit)" is a song by American musical group the Black Eyed Peas from their sixth studio album, The Beginning. It was written by group members will.i.am and apl.de.ap along with DJ Ammo, who produced the song with will.i.am. Additionally, Franke Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz received co-writing credits since the chorus interpolates 1987's Dirty Dancing soundtrack "(I've Had) The Time of My Life", performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes.

<i>Thank You, Happy Birthday</i> 2011 studio album by Cage the Elephant

Thank You Happy Birthday is the second studio album by American rock band Cage the Elephant. It was released on January 11, 2011 to positive critical reception. The album was produced by Jay Joyce, who worked in the same capacity on the band's eponymous debut album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young the Giant</span> American rock band

Young the Giant is an American rock band that formed in Irvine, California, in 2004. The band's line-up consists of Sameer Gadhia, Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar), Payam Doostzadeh, and Francois Comtois (drums). Formerly known as the Jakes, Young the Giant was signed by Roadrunner Records in 2009, and they released their eponymous debut album in 2010. The band's first three singles, "My Body", "Cough Syrup", and "Apartment", all charted on the US Alternative Songs chart.

<i>Any Port in a Storm</i> 2008 studio album by The Dirty Heads

Any Port in a Storm is the debut album released by the Reggae band The Dirty Heads in 2008. The Special Edition was released in 2010. This is the only album without Matt Ochoa as the band's drummer. Any Port in a Storm was initially set to be released on Warner Bros. Records until the label and band mutually separated. The Dirty Heads, having kept the master recordings, later released the album through Executive Music Group (EMG), a division of Universal Music Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackout (Breathe Carolina song)</span> 2011 single by Breathe Carolina

"Blackout" is a song by American electronic rock duo Breathe Carolina. It is the lead single from their third studio album Hell Is What You Make It. It was written by David Schmitt, Kyle Even, Eric Armenta, Joshua Aragon, and Luis Bonet, whilst production was handled by Ian Kirkpatrick. Recorded between late 2010 and early 2011, it was one of the first tracks recorded for the album. On December 22, 2010, a snippet of the song was previewed in a YouTube video by Fearless Records. It premiered via MTV Buzzworthy on June 13, 2011, while it was available for digital download the following day.

Katherine Nestel is an American recording artist and songwriter from Orange County, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirty Heads discography</span>

The discography of American reggae rock band Dirty Heads consists of eight studio albums and twenty-two singles.

References

  1. Giantino, Linda (July 29, 2021). "The 10 Best Reggae Rock Songs of All-Time".
  2. 1 2 McKnight, Connor (2010-04-23). "The Dirty Heads featuring Rome, "Lay Me Down"". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.). Retrieved 2010-05-01.
  3. Hall, David (2010-04-21). "Sublime with Rome's 4/20 Hollywood Bash Ends with Scuffles, Projectiles and Rounds of Boos". Orange County Register . Retrieved 2010-05-01.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. "Dirty Heads – 'I Got No Time'". CWG Magazine. 2010-03-26. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
  5. 1 2 3 "'Lay Me Down' - Dirty Heads". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.). Retrieved 2010-05-01.
  6. Trust, Gary (2010-07-08). "Chart Beat Thursday: Katy Perry, Lee Brice, Judy Collins". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.). Retrieved 2010-07-13.
  7. Hill, Victoria (2010-04-16). "The Dirty Heads Set To Play Jimmy Kimmel Live". CWG Magazine. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
  8. Rutherford, Kevin (September 7, 2023). "Alternative Airplay Chart's 35th Anniversary: Foo Fighters Remain No. 1 Act, 'Monsters' New Top Song". Billboard . Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  9. "Greatest of All Time Alternative Songs". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  10. https://www.billboard.com/artist/dirty-heads/chart-history/billboard-canadian-hot-100
  11. https://www.billboard.com/artist/dirty-heads/chart-history/hot-100
  12. https://www.billboard.com/artist/dirty-heads/chart-history/alternative-songs
  13. 1 2 https://www.billboard.com/artist/dirty-heads/chart-history/rock-songs
  14. "Rock Songs – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  15. "Decade-End Charts: Hot Rock Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2019.