Pain (Three Days Grace song)

Last updated
"Pain"
Three days grace pain.png
Single by Three Days Grace
from the album One-X
ReleasedSeptember 19, 2006 (2006-09-19)
Studio
  • Bay 7 Studios (Valley Village, CA) [1]
  • Sparky Dark Studios (Calabasas, CA) [1]
Genre Alternative rock [2]
Length3:22
Label Jive
Songwriter(s) Adam Gontier
Producer(s) Howard Benson
Three Days Grace singles chronology
"Animal I Have Become"
(2006)		"Pain"
(2006)		"Never Too Late"
(2007)
Music video
"Pain" on YouTube

"Pain" is a song by Canadian rock band Three Days Grace. It was released on September 19, 2006, as the second single from their second studio album, One-X . [3] The song topped the Canada Rock, as well as the US Mainstream Rock and Alternative Airplay charts. It was certified Platinum by Music Canada and the Recording Industry Association of America in February 2018.

Contents

Background and composition

"Pain" was written by Adam Gontier and was produced by Howard Benson. [1] The song came together when the group was in Bancroft, Ontario, at their friend's cottage in Stiemer's Lake. [4] It was influenced from Gontier's rehab stint in 2005 after struggling with addiction to OxyContin. [5] According to Gontier, the song describes "feeling like you're constantly numb to things around you, thanks to your own actions, and it's about being sick of that feeling." He also stated that the chorus has "one of the strongest lyrics" on the album. [4]

According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, by Alfred Music Publishing, the track runs at 81 BPM and is in the key of G major. [6] Gontier's range in the song spans from the notes E4 to B5. [6]

Versions

There are three versions of the song "Pain". The first version is the album version of song. [1] The second version is an acoustic version of the song that is available for download along with an acoustic version of "Animal I Have Become" and the main version of "Pain". It is included on the Pain EP, a digital exclusive release. [7] The third version runs 3:28 long and is titled "Pain (Pleasure Mix)". [8] The song was serviced to contemporary hit radio on June 3, 2008. [9]

Chart performance

"Pain" peaked at number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for four consecutive weeks. [10] It stayed on the chart for 30 weeks where the prior single "Animal I Have Become" and next single, "Never Too Late" stayed longer on the chart at 41 weeks and 43 weeks respectively. [10] On the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, it reached number one and stayed there for thirteen consecutive weeks. [11] It also reached a peak of number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their first single to chart in the top 50 of the Hot 100 and their highest-charting single to date. [12]

"Pain" also peaked at number one on the Canadian rock chart for two weeks. [13] The song peaked at number 52 on the Canadian Hot 100. [14] It also reached number one on the MuchMusic Countdown . [15]

Music video

The music video for "Pain" was directed by Tony Petrossian and was shot in August 2006. [16] It was released on the day before the single's release. [17] The video features the band playing the song in what looks to be an abandoned mansion or warehouse, and it also features shots of troubled youths who are lip-syncing to the song. At the end of the song, everyone (youths and the band members alike) is shown to be tattooed with a red "X" on the back of their necks, signifying the name of the parent album, One-X.

Awards and nominations

"Pain" was nominated for "Best International Video By A Canadian" at the 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards and won the BMI Awards in 2006, along with their other single "Animal I Have Become". [18] [19] The song also won a BDS Certified Spin Award based on the 100,000 spins it received. [20] Billboard ranked the song at number 25 on their "Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Songs" list. [21]

Track listing

Canada CD single [22]
No.TitleLength
1."Pain"3:22
US CD single [23]
No.TitleLength
1."Pain" (radio mix)3:22
2."Pain" (album version)3:22
Pain (EP) [7]
No.TitleLength
1."Pain"3:22
2."Pain" (stripped acoustic version)3:18
3."Animal I Have Become" (stripped acoustic version)3:44

Personnel

Credits for "Pain" adapted from the album's liner notes. [1]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Pain"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [31] Platinum80,000‡
United States (RIAA) [32] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Pain"
RegionDateFormatVersionLabelRef(s).
VariousSeptember 19, 2006 Digital download Main Jive [3]
United StatesSeptember 25, 2006 Alternative radio [33]
Mainstream rock [34]
CanadaNovember 7, 2006 CD [22]
VariousFebruary 25, 2007Digital downloadAcoustic EP [7]
United StatesJune 8, 2008 Contemporary hit radio Main [9]
VariousOctober 14, 2008Digital downloadPleasure Mix [8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 One-X (booklet). Jive. 2006.
  2. ↑ Philip Cosores (July 5, 2017). "Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best". Conseqeunce.net . Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Pain - Single by Three Days Grace". Spotify . Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Three Days Grace Tour Diary - Week 2". threedaysgrace.com. Sony Music Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2008-10-05. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  5. ↑ "Adam Gontier Doesn't Rule Out Saint Asonia Tour With Three Days Grace". Blabbermouth.net . July 25, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Three Days Grace "Pain" Sheet Music". musicnotes.com. Alfred Music Publishing . Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 "Pain (+ Acoustic) - Single by Three Days Grace". Apple Music . Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Pain (Pleasuremix) - Single by Three Days Grace". Spotify . Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  9. 1 2 "FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". Archived from the original on January 1, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. 1 2 3 "Three Days Grace Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Three Days Grace Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  12. 1 2 "Three Days Grace Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  13. 1 2 "Three Days Grace Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Canadian Hot 100: Week of April 21, 2007". Billboard . April 21, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Canada's (MuchMusic) Weekly Music Charts For 2007". Hits of All Decades. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Tour Diary - Week 5". threedaysgrace.com. August 23, 2006. Archived from the original on July 20, 2008. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Pain (2006) by Three Days Grace". IMVDb.com. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  18. ↑ "MuchMusic Awards 2007 - Nominees". MuchMusic . Archived from the original on April 16, 2008. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  19. ↑ "2008 BMI Pop Awards - Award Winning Songs". Broadcast Music, Inc. May 21, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  20. ↑ "BB-2007-05-05" (PDF). p. 32. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  21. 1 2 "Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard . Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  22. 1 2 Pain (Canada CD booklet). Three Days Grace. Jive Records. 2006.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. ↑ Pain (US CD booklet). Three Days Grace. Jive Records. 2006. 88697-05874-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. ↑ "Three Days Grace Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  25. ↑ "Three Days Grace Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  26. ↑ "Three Days Grace Singles & Awards". AllMusic . Archived from the original on May 3, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Three Days Grace: CZ - Radio - Top 20 Modern Rock". hitparada.ifpicr.cz. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Top Canada Rock Songs" (PDF). Radio & Records. p. 86. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Alternative Airplay Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  30. ↑ "Mainstream Rock Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 12, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  31. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Three Days Grace – Pain". Music Canada.
  32. ↑ "American single certifications – Three Days Grace – Pain". Recording Industry Association of America.
  33. ↑ "Available for Airplay Archive: 2006 – September". FMQB . Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  34. ↑ "Available for Airplay Archive: 2006 – September". FMQB . Archived from the original on November 25, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
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