Released May 1999 (1999-05) Recorded 1998 Label Murmur | Format CD, 7" Length 3:42 | |
Genre Alternative rock, post-grunge | ||
"Ana's Song (Open Fire)" is an alternative rock song by Australian group Silverchair which was released in May 1999 as the second single from their third album, Neon Ballroom. The track earned Silverchair a Comet Award in Germany.
Contents
Background
"Ana's Song (Open Fire)" is a single issued in May 1999 by Australian alternative rock band, Silverchair. It was written by the group's lead singer, Daniel Johns. In 1999, Johns announced that he had developed the eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, due to anxiety/depression. Johns noted that the lyrics to "Ana's Song (Open Fire)" dealt with his disorder, where he would "eat what he needed … to stay awake". Ana is the nickname given to anorexia nervosa by people affected by it. He revealed that his eating problems developed from the time of Freak Show (May 1996) and when Neon Ballroom was written he "hated music, really everything about it", but felt that he "couldn't stop doing it; I felt like a slave to it." Johns sought therapy and medication but felt "It's easier for me to express it through music and lyrics". Johns eventually overcame the disorder realizing that he would never be cured of the disease, but could live a fulfilled life by learning to cope with it [anorexia].
Reception
"Ana's Song (Open Fire)" peaked at No. 12 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks. On the ARIA Singles Chart it reached No. 14. According to 100 Best Australian Albums, by three Australian journalists, John O'Donnell, Toby Creswell and Craig Mathieson, "Ana's Song (Open Fire)" directly focused on Johns' eating disorder, "[it] became a hit all over the world and opened up for discussion the fact that males could also be affected by anorexia".