Released 2000 Label 550, Epic | Length 3:11 Writer(s) John Hampson | |
Format CD single, digital download Genre Alternative rock, pop punk | ||
"Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" is a song by American alternative rock group Nine Days. It was released in 2000 as the lead single from their debut album The Madding Crowd (2000). The song entered the top ten on the majority of the charts it appeared on, including the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S., where it reached number 6. Because of the success of the song, it made an appearance on 2000 compilation album Now That's What I Call Music! 5.
Contents
Background and writing
The lyrics of "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" portray John Hampson's love towards his girlfriend, despite her tears and sadness. "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" is the presentation of an undying declaration of love between Hampson and his girlfriend at the time. Hampson and his girlfriend supply the basis for the characters. Hampson's relationships with people, including himself, provided the inspiration for most of Nine Day's "The Madding Crowd".
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 a demo of "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)". "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 pop from the 1970s, and its lyrics describe a man's declaration of love towards a girl who appears sad in photographs. Parallels have been drawn between the song's lyrical content and the romantic relationship that John Hampson had with his girlfriend.
Cover versions
The song was covered by the band Four Year Strong for their cover album Explains It All. Despite various online discussions and rumors, the song has never publicly been performed by either 3 Doors Down or Third Eye Blind, which can be seen by reviewing their respective discographies and concert set lists. The misconception that these bands were ever involved with this song was spread by a mislabeling of MP3 files in the early days of peer-to-peer file sharing. The misconception continues to this day, with many lyrics sites and videos displaying the incorrect artist name.