Nothing In My Way
Encyclopedia
"Nothing in My Way" is a song
performed and composed by English
rock
band Keane and is featured as the third track on their second studio album
, Under the Iron Sea
. The song was also released 30 October 2006 as the third commercial and fourth overall single
from that album in the United Kingdom
(see 2006 in British music
). After the French pop-rock band Bubblies
, the single's release is notable as being the first ever commercial music release in USB format, a special edition limited to 1,500 copies.
"Nothing in My Way" was included as part of the FIFA 07
video game soundtrack.
in late 2004, debuting at the Rolling Stone Roadshow, Germany
along with "Hamburg Song" in 20 October 2004. From 2004 to late 2005 (during the final sprint of the Hopes and Fears Tour
) was called "Nothing in Your Way" though the lyrics remain almost the same.
Chaplin plays his Hammond
organ on live performances for the outro of this song.
It was recorded and at the Heliosentric Studios, Rye, East Sussex
and at The Magic Shop, New York
in late 2005.
The reminiscent "Somewhere Only We Know
" intro (because of the "piano hammering") includes since then the distorted piano effect sound used in most songs on the album.
Vocals are introduced with 24 seconds of playback.
The introduction includes a riff created with Keane's distortion piano instrument.
The song drives almost the same until the last chorus, when drumming becomes soft and Rice-Oxley plays a small riff with the piano to finally let Chaplin sing again becoming Rice-Oxley the backing vocalist of the outro.
gave this meaning in 16 May 2006:
" single, which could mean it was composed sometime in 2004. The song supposedly talks again about the Rice-Oxley-Chaplin relationship. It follows a chord playing similar to that of "Ladder To The Sun" by Coldplay
with the alternance of a major chord with a major seventh (C + Fmaj7)
, and was recorded at his home.
well on most charts. On the UK Singles Chart
, the song entered the Top 20 at #19, which would become its peak. Over the next month, it dropped out of the Top 40 completely. It did well in Argentina, peaking at #3 and in Greenland, where it hit #7. In Most charts, the song charted in lower places in the Top 40.
for White House Pictures.
The US release music video for "Nothing in My Way" is the identical video for the UK single "Crystal Ball", without clips of the band interspersed through the story, and with subtitles added. At around the time of this single release it was announced that Tom Chaplin had gone into rehab for 'drug and alcohol addiction'. It is noticeable that the original video does not feature any close up shots of Chaplin, but several of Tim Rice-Oxley and Richard Hughes, though it is unknown whether this is deliberate.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
performed and composed by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Keane and is featured as the third track on their second studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, Under the Iron Sea
Under the Iron Sea
Under the Iron Sea is the second studio album by English rock band Keane, released in 2006. During its first week on sale in the UK, the album went to #1, selling 222,297 copies according to figures from the Official Chart Company...
. The song was also released 30 October 2006 as the third commercial and fourth overall 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...
from that album in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(see 2006 in British music
2006 in British music
This is a summary of 2006 in music in the United Kingdom including the official single and album charts.-Summary:*At both ends of the year, the chart was dominated by acts from series 2 and series 3 of the television show The X Factor...
). After the French pop-rock band Bubblies
Bubblies
Bubblies is a French musical group, made up of Carine , Jean-Louis , and Eric . They formed in Toulouse in 1992. They have a pop-sound-Albums:* Llama! * No brain, no headache.....
, the single's release is notable as being the first ever commercial music release in USB format, a special edition limited to 1,500 copies.
"Nothing in My Way" was included as part of the FIFA 07
FIFA 07
FIFA 07 is the 2007 edition of EA Sports' series of football simulator video games. Developed by EA Canada, it is published by Electronic Arts....
video game soundtrack.
CD Single
Catalogue number: 1712175- "Nothing in My Way"
- "Thin Air"
- "Tyderian"
512 MB USB memory stick content
-
- "Nothing in My Way" (Audio)
- "Nothing in My Way" (Video)
- Three screensavers: Tube animations by Corin Hardy
- Link to special page on the website to view an alternative version of "Nothing in My Way" (including a competition to see the band in the US next year)
Composition and recording
It was composed by Tim Rice-OxleyTim Rice-Oxley
Timothy James Rice-Oxley , is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as co-founder, the principal composer and pianist, backing vocalist of piano rock band Keane.-Life and career:...
in late 2004, debuting at the Rolling Stone Roadshow, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
along with "Hamburg Song" in 20 October 2004. From 2004 to late 2005 (during the final sprint of the Hopes and Fears Tour
Hopes and Fears Tour
The Hopes and Fears Tour was the first tour made by English piano rock band Keane after the release of their debut album Hopes and Fears- Keane :. Tom Chaplin - Vocals. Tim Rice-Oxley - Piano, Synths, Backing Vocals...
) was called "Nothing in Your Way" though the lyrics remain almost the same.
Chaplin plays his Hammond
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
organ on live performances for the outro of this song.
It was recorded and at the Heliosentric Studios, Rye, East Sussex
Rye, East Sussex
Rye is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede...
and at The Magic Shop, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in late 2005.
Musical structure
While the first demos and performances of this song were played in the key of C, the final studio version was recorded with a C sharp tuned 20 cts. above. For live performances this configuration is used too.The reminiscent "Somewhere Only We Know
Somewhere Only We Know
"Somewhere Only We Know" is a song performed and composed by English alternative rock band Keane, officially released as their third commercial single, and appearing as the opening track of their debut album, Hopes and Fears as the first single...
" intro (because of the "piano hammering") includes since then the distorted piano effect sound used in most songs on the album.
Vocals are introduced with 24 seconds of playback.
The introduction includes a riff created with Keane's distortion piano instrument.
The song drives almost the same until the last chorus, when drumming becomes soft and Rice-Oxley plays a small riff with the piano to finally let Chaplin sing again becoming Rice-Oxley the backing vocalist of the outro.
Information about song's meaning
Pianist Tim Rice-OxleyTim Rice-Oxley
Timothy James Rice-Oxley , is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as co-founder, the principal composer and pianist, backing vocalist of piano rock band Keane.-Life and career:...
gave this meaning in 16 May 2006:
Thin Air
This song was originally listed on Under the Iron Sea but was later retired. It was also set to appear on the second "This Is the Last TimeThis Is The Last Time
"This Is the Last Time" is a song performed and composed by British rock band Keane released in 13 October 2003 as their second commercial single, first released with Fierce Panda Records and later in 2004 as a different version with Island Records....
" single, which could mean it was composed sometime in 2004. The song supposedly talks again about the Rice-Oxley-Chaplin relationship. It follows a chord playing similar to that of "Ladder To The Sun" by Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
with the alternance of a major chord with a major seventh (C + Fmaj7)
Tyderian
This is Keane's second instrumental, after "The Iron Sea". It has an unusual house-styled dance rhythm never seen before in their material. "Tyderian" is also Keane's first song totally produced, composed, recorded and mixed only by Rice-OxleyTim Rice-Oxley
Timothy James Rice-Oxley , is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as co-founder, the principal composer and pianist, backing vocalist of piano rock band Keane.-Life and career:...
, and was recorded at his home.
Technical information on songs
| Song | Length | Tempo Tempo In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:... |
Key Key (music) In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the... |
Time signature Time signature The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat.... |
Genre Music genre A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music... |
| "Nothing in My Way" | 4:00 | 86bpm | Bbm/Db + 0.20 (Si flat minor, Re flat on bass, detuned + 20 cents) | 4/4 on 16 beats | Rock |
| "Thin Air" | 3:58 | 122bpm | C (Do major) | 4/4 on 8 beats | Piano rock |
| "Tyderian" | 4:39 | 120bpm | G (Sol major) | 4/4+ on 32 beats | House rock |
| "Nothing in Your Way" (Demo) | 4:00 | 86bpm | C6 (Do sixth major) | 4/4 on 8 beats | Piano rock |
Chart performance
"Nothing In My Way", although not one of Keane's highest-charting songs did reasonablywell on most charts. On the 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 ...
, the song entered the Top 20 at #19, which would become its peak. Over the next month, it dropped out of the Top 40 completely. It did well in Argentina, peaking at #3 and in Greenland, where it hit #7. In Most charts, the song charted in lower places in the Top 40.
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Mix Chart | 1 |
| Mexican airplay (Alfa Radio) Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
3 |
| Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
3 |
| Greenland Greenland Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for... |
7 |
| 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 ... |
19 |
| Nedelandse Tippeparade | 18 |
| UK Official Download Chart UK Official Download Chart The UK Official Download Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the music industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being published on a Wednesday afternoon, so as to not to clash with the release of the main UK Singles Chart... |
20 |
| Top France Airplay 100 France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
20 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
20 |
| M4B Charts | 21 |
| Slovakia Singles Chart | 26 |
| Chile Charts | 35 |
| Latvian airplay Latvia Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden... |
36 |
| Polish Singles Chart Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
43 |
| Russian Singles Chart Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
95 |
Music video
The music video for "Nothing in My Way" is a live performance shot at ULU directed by Dick Carruthers and produced by Kit HawkinsKit Hawkins
Kit Hawkins is an English entertainment entrepreneur and producer.Along with Adam Tudhope, he co-founded the music management company, . Clients include Keane, Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons...
for White House Pictures.
The US release music video for "Nothing in My Way" is the identical video for the UK single "Crystal Ball", without clips of the band interspersed through the story, and with subtitles added. At around the time of this single release it was announced that Tom Chaplin had gone into rehab for 'drug and alcohol addiction'. It is noticeable that the original video does not feature any close up shots of Chaplin, but several of Tim Rice-Oxley and Richard Hughes, though it is unknown whether this is deliberate.