Absolutely (Story of a Girl)
Encyclopedia
"Absolutely" is a power pop
song written by John Hampson for Nine Days
' debut solo album The Madding Crowd
(2000). The song was released as the album's first single
in early 2000 and entered the top ten on the majority of the chart
s it appeared on, including the Billboard Hot 100
chart in the US
, where it reached #6.
John Hampson started working on "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" after reading the Thomas Hardy
novel Far from the Madding Crowd
. In writing the song, John worked with fellow band member Brian Desveaux in Hampson’s apartment in Deer Park
to co-write songs that ultimately appeared on The Madding Crowd. John, Brian, and the rest of the members of Nine days recorded "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" at Cloud 9 recording studio
located in Long Island, New York. "After ‘Absolutely’ was written everything fell into place, creatively, and we recorded a three-song demo," Desveaux said.
from the 1970s, and its lyrics
describe a man's declaration of love towards a girl who appears sad in photographs. "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" received praise from power pop music critics, and the media have drawn parallels between the song's lyrical content and the romantic relationship that John Hampson has with Teresa Savino, his wife at the time.
for their cover album Explains It All
.
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
song written by John Hampson for Nine Days
Nine Days
Nine Days is an American rock band who were popular in the early 2000s. Formed in Oyster Bay by frontman John Hampson and Brian Desveaux, they released three independent albums in the 1990s before their mainstream debut album, The Madding Crowd, released in 2000...
' debut solo album The Madding Crowd
The Madding Crowd
The Madding Crowd is the major-label debut album by the band Nine Days. It spawned two major hit singles, "Absolutely " and "If I Am"...
(2000). The song was released as the album's first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in early 2000 and entered the top ten on the majority of the chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
s it appeared on, including the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it reached #6.
Background and writing
While many believe the lyrics of "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" reflect Hampson's relationship with his girlfriend at the time Teresa Savino, it actually reflects his feelings with his ex-girlfriend Jen Darougar. Although their romantic relationship continues on to the present, Hampson's lyrics portray his attitude that it does despite the fact that this girl is crying and looking sad he absolutely loves her. Hampson's relationships with people including himself had provided the inspiration for Nine Day's "The In Crowd" (2003), and while "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" presents an undying declaration of love between him and his girlfriend at the time, Hampson and his wife at the time supply the basis for the characters.John Hampson started working on "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" after reading the Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...
novel Far from the Madding Crowd
Far from the Madding Crowd
Far from the Madding Crowd is Thomas Hardy's fourth novel and his first major literary success. It originally appeared anonymously as a monthly serial in Cornhill Magazine, where it gained a wide readership. Critical notices were plentiful and mostly positive...
. In writing the song, John worked with fellow band member Brian Desveaux in Hampson’s apartment in Deer Park
Deer Park, New York
Deer Park is a hamlet and census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 27,745 at the 2010 census.-History:...
to co-write songs that ultimately appeared on The Madding Crowd. John, Brian, and the rest of the members of Nine days recorded "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" at Cloud 9 recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
located in Long Island, New York. "After ‘Absolutely’ was written everything fell into place, creatively, and we recorded a three-song demo," Desveaux said.
Content
The song's musical-style and production were heavily inspired by power popPower pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
from the 1970s, and its lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
describe a man's declaration of love towards a girl who appears sad in photographs. "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" received praise from power pop music critics, and the media have drawn parallels between the song's lyrical content and the romantic relationship that John Hampson has with Teresa Savino, his wife at the time.
Track listing
- "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" – 3:16
- "Resolve" (Live) – 4:10
- "Bitter" (Live) – 5:36
- "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" (Acoustic) – 3:14
Cover versions
The song was covered by the band Four Year StrongFour Year Strong
Four Year Strong is an American pop punk band from Worcester, Massachusetts, formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalists and guitarists Dan O'Connor and Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jackson Massucco...
for their cover album Explains It All
Explains It All
-Notes:The end of the song, "Spiderwebs" is taken from the song, "This Love" by Pantera.-External links:*...
.
Chart performance
| Chart (2000) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 31 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary | 50 |
| Canadian RPM Rock/Alternative | 14 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 3 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 75 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs | 10 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
89 |
Year-end charts
| End of year chart (2000) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 35 |