Nobody's Home (Avril Lavigne song)

Last updated

"Nobody's Home"
Avril Lavigne Nobody's Home single cover.jpg
Single by Avril Lavigne
from the album Under My Skin
B-side
ReleasedOctober 25, 2004 (2004-10-25)
Studio NRG Recording (Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length3:32
Label
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s) Avril Lavigne
Producer(s) Don Gilmore
Avril Lavigne singles chronology
"My Happy Ending"
(2004)		"Nobody's Home"
(2004)		"He Wasn't"
(2005)
Music video
"Nobody's Home" on YouTube

"Nobody's Home" is the third single released from Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne's second studio album, Under My Skin (2004). The track was written by Lavigne and former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody, who also plays guitar on the song. "Nobody's Home", produced by Don Gilmore, is generally slower-paced than Lavigne's previous singles from Under My Skin.

Contents

The song was well-received critically and commercially, reaching number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaking within the top 40 on the charts of Australia and nine European countries, including Austria, Greece, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. One of the song's B-sides, "I Always Get What I Want", was released as a single on the iTunes Store on October 31, 2004. [1]

Composition and lyrics

"Nobody's Home" is an alternative rock and emo song written by Avril Lavigne and Ben Moody, a former guitarist of Evanescence, and produced by Don Gilmore. [2] [3] Mike DeWald of RIFFMagazine described the song, along with the album's lead single, "Don't Tell Me", as having influences of post-grunge. [4]

The lyrics are about a depressed girl and the problems on her mind. Lavigne has claimed the song was inspired by a friend she knew from high school, who was “on the wrong way." [3]

Chart performance

"Nobody's Home" reached number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100, spending 17 weeks on the chart. [5] It peaked higher in the UK and Australia, reaching number 24 in both countries; it was her lowest-charting UK single before "Hot" charted in 2007 and peaked at number 30. [6]

Critical reception

In an AOL Radio listener's poll, "Nobody's Home" was voted Lavigne's seventh-best song. [7] Tim O'Neil of PopMatters implied that the song's title "should tell you that the dominant mood is one of anger and defensiveness." [8] Kathryn Milewski of Live365 opines the song is better live, and is "just one of the many emo bops you can cry to on Under My Skin." [3]

Music video

Lavigne plays a troubled and homeless girl who runs away from home after problems with her parents. Nobody's Home video.jpg
Lavigne plays a troubled and homeless girl who runs away from home after problems with her parents.

The music video was filmed on July 29 and 30, 2004, in Los Angeles, California, directed by Diane Martel. [9] The video of "Nobody's Home" premiered on October 20 on MTV's Total Request Live . [10]

In the music video for "Nobody's Home", Lavigne plays a homeless teenager who appears to live street-to-street with a friend. She hitch-hikes by the side of a highway and tries playing the guitar on the street to try to earn money. She also tries to call someone on a payphone, but is rebuffed. A store manager kicks her out of his store, but she ends up going back into the store and is shown washing herself in a convenience store bathroom. Towards the end of the video, she is seen trying to get inside parked cars, eventually finding an unlocked one, during heavy rain. At the end of the video, the girl, with dirty clothes and messy hair, is shown with a tear rolling down her cheek. She then turns around and walks away as the camera fades out. The video is interspersed with sepia-toned shots of a more glamorous Lavigne wearing a dress with long, curled hair, singing the song with an orchestra behind her.

During the video, Lavigne wears a T-shirt with logo of Moscow and the Russian word "Москва."

References in the video

At the beginning of the video, one can see "A+D", for Lavigne's then-boyfriend, now ex-husband, Deryck Whibley. Next, in the bathroom scene where Lavigne is using the hand dryer, "A+D" can be seen inside a heart that is written on the bathroom wall. The other outcast runaway is real-life friend Monique, who also appeared as one of the young women in the "My Happy Ending" video.

Track listings

Australian CD single [11]
No.TitleLength
1."Nobody's Home"3:33
2."Nobody's Home" (live acoustic)3:42
3."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:51
4."I Always Get What I Want"2:31
German and Taiwanese CD single [12] [13]
No.TitleLength
1."Nobody's Home"3:33
2."Nobody's Home" (live acoustic)3:42
3."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:51
4."I Always Get What I Want"2:31
5."Nobody's Home" (video)3:33
Japanese maxi-CD single [14]
No.TitleLength
1."Nobody's Home"3:33
2."My Happy Ending" (live acoustic version)3:56
3."Take Me Away" (live acoustic version)2:55
4."Nobody's Home" (video)3:33
UK CD1 [15]
No.TitleLength
1."Nobody's Home"3:33
2."Nobody's Home" (live acoustic)3:42
UK CD2 [16]
No.TitleLength
1."Nobody's Home"3:33
2."Nobody's Home" (live acoustic)3:42
3."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:51
4."Nobody's Home" (video)3:33

Personnel

Personnel are adapted from the US promo CD liner notes and inlay. [17]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Nobody's Home"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [43] Platinum60,000*
Canada (Music Canada) [44] Gold40,000‡
United States (RIAA) [45] Gold500,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Nobody's Home"
RegionDateFormatLabel(s)Ref.
United StatesOctober 25, 2004 Contemporary hit radio Arista [46]
JapanNovember 4, 2004 CD
[30]
AustraliaNovember 15, 2004 [47]
United Kingdom [48]
GermanyNovember 29, 2004 [49]

References

  1. ↑ [ dead link ]
  2. ↑ Johnson, Michele (February 18, 2021). "Top 10 Avril Lavigne Songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Milewski, Kathryn (July 6, 2022). "Top 10 Avril Lavigne Songs". Live365 . Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  4. ↑ DeWald, Mike (September 17, 2019). "INTERVIEW: Avril Lavigne finds strength in her inner warrior for 'Head Above Water'". Riff Magazine. Retrieved June 29, 2021. The post-grunge-influenced Under My Skin (2004) featured empowering songs like 'Don't Tell Me' and 'Nobody's Home.'
  5. 1 2 "Avril Lavigne Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Avril Lavigne: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  7. ↑ Cheung, Nadine. "Top 10 Avril Lavigne Songs". AOL Radio . Archived from the original on January 18, 2011. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  8. ↑ O'Neil, Tim (August 24, 2004). "Avril Lavigne, Under My Skin". PopMatters. Archived from the original on September 23, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Avril Tries Her Hand at Acting In 'Nobody's Home' Video". MTV. MTV Networks. July 29, 2004. Archived from the original on September 23, 2004. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  10. ↑ "TRL Archives – October 2004". ATRL.net. October 20, 2004. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  11. ↑ Nobody's Home (Australian CD single liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records, RCA Records, Bertelsmann Music Group. 2004. 82876665912.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ Nobody's Home (German CD single liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records, RCA Records, Bertelsmann Music Group. 2004. 82876 653182.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ↑ Nobody's Home (Taiwanese CD single disc notes). Avril Lavigne. BMG Taiwan. 2004.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ↑ Nobody's Home (Japanese maxi-CD single liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records, RCA Records, Bertelsmann Music Group. 2004. 82876-65243-2, BVCP-29047.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ↑ Nobody's Home (UK CD1 liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records. 2004. 82876 66364 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ↑ Nobody's Home (UK CD2 liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records, RCA Records. 2004. 82876 66365-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ↑ Nobody's Home (US promo CD liner notes). Avril Lavigne. RCA Records. 2004. 82876 65631-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ↑ "Avril Lavigne – Nobody's Home". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Avril Lavigne – Nobody's Home" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Avril Lavigne – Nobody's Home" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Avril Lavigne – Nobody's Home" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  22. ↑ "R&R Canada CHR/Pop Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records . No. 1589. January 14, 2005. p. 28. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  23. ↑ "R&R Canada Hot AC Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records . No. 1588. January 7, 2005. p. 47. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Avril Lavigne – Chart Search" Billboard European Hot 100 Singles for Avril Lavigne. Retrieved January 29, 2011. [ dead link ]
  25. ↑ "Avril Lavigne – Nobody's Home" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  26. ↑ "Avril Lavigne – Nobody's Home" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Top 50 Singles Εβδομάδα 9–15/01" (in Greek). IFPI. Archived from the original on January 15, 2005. Retrieved July 2, 2020.See Best Position column.
  28. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  29. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Nobody's Home". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  30. 1 2 "アヴリル・ラヴィーンのシングル売り上げランキング" [Avril Lavigne's Singles Sales Ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  31. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 50, 2004" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  32. ↑ "Avril Lavigne – Nobody's Home" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  33. ↑ "Top Radio Hits Russia Weekly Chart: Nov 4, 2004". TopHit . Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Avril Lavigne – Nobody's Home". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  36. ↑ "Avril Lavigne Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  37. ↑ "Avril Lavigne Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Avril Lavigne Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart: 2004". TopHit. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  40. ↑ "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 2005". Crowley Broadcast Analysis. April 3, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  41. ↑ "2005 The Year in Charts: Top Adult Top 40 Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor . Vol. 13, no. 50. December 16, 2005. p. 31.
  42. ↑ "2005 The Year in Charts: Top Mainstream Top 40 Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 13, no. 50. December 16, 2005. p. 26.
  43. ↑ "Brazilian single certifications – Avril Lavigne – Nobody's Home" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil.
  44. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Avril Lavigne – Nobody's Home". Music Canada.
  45. ↑ "American single certifications – Avril Lavigne – Nobody's Home". Recording Industry Association of America.
  46. ↑ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records . No. 1578. October 22, 2004. p. 19.
  47. ↑ "New Releases". BMG Australia. Archived from the original on December 4, 2004. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  48. ↑ "Reviews: Singles". Music Week . November 6, 2004. p. 23.
  49. ↑ "Nobody's Home". Amazon Germany.
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