The band achieved its first commercial success on Myspace as an unsigned act. In late 2002, after OneRepublic played shows throughout the Los Angeles area, several record labels approached the band with interest, but the band signed with Velvet Hammer, an imprint of Columbia Records. They made their first album with producer Greg Wells during the summer and fall of 2005 at his studio, Rocket Carousel, in Culver City, California. The album was scheduled for release on June 6, 2006, but the group was dropped by Columbia two months before the album was released. The lead single of that album, "Apologize", was released on April 30, 2006, on Myspace, eventually reaching number one on the Myspace charts.
In 2007, OneRepublic released their debut album, Dreaming Out Loud. Their lead single, "Apologize", was remixed by Timbaland, becoming a huge international success, reaching number one in sixteen countries and subsequently earning them a Grammy Award nomination. The second single, "Stop and Stare", mirrored its predecessor's success. The album was later certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The band's second album, Waking Up (2009), produced the singles "All the Right Moves", "Secrets", "Marchin On", and "Good Life", with the last reaching the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100.
OneRepublic's third album, Native (2013), became the band's first top ten album on the Billboard 200, and highest-charting album to date, charting at number four. The lead single, "If I Lose Myself", charted within the top ten in several countries, while the album's third single, "Counting Stars", became the band's most successful single in recent years, obtaining top-five placements in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, the US, and the UK. This marks their highest-charting single in the United Kingdom to date. It also peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, matching the group's highest peak of "Apologize" in 2007.
On October 7, 2016, OneRepublic released Oh My My, their fourth studio album, featuring several collaborators, including Cassius, Peter Gabriel, and Santigold. Preceded by the singles "Wherever I Go", released on May 13, 2016, and "Kids", released on August 12, 2016, it was recognized as a change in their sound from previous albums by critics and by the band. In 2017, the band released the singles "No Vacancy", "Truth to Power", "Stranger Things" with Kygo and "Rich Love" with Seeb. Their fifth studio album, Human, was released in 2021. The band has sold approximately over 16 million records worldwide.
On November 1, 2021, OneRepublic released the song "Sunshine". The song is used as the theme song to the 2021 film Clifford the Big Red Dog.
In February 2022, OneRepublic released the song "West Coast". The song is the lead single from OneRepublic’s upcoming sixth studio album. The song is an ode to the American state of California and evokes classic 1960s California sounds, stemming from groups such as The Beach Boys and The Mamas and the Papas, along with inspiration from Gorillaz. It has been both a band favorite and a fan favorite for a long time, and it ultimately became a tone-setter for their sixth studio effort. They first started working on “West Coast” during the production process of their 2016 album, Oh My My, but ended up shelving it for later. An earlier version of the song was used for U2’s 2017 hit, “Summer of Love,” which actually turned the original demo into an anti-war track.
After years of anticipation and re-tooling, the final version of “West Coast” was officially made public on February 25, 2022.
On April 1, 2022, OneRepublic released "You Were Loved" as a single with DJ and producer Gryffin. On May 13, 2022, the band released "I Ain't Worried", the second single from the soundtrack for the film Top Gun: Maverick. It will also be featured on their upcoming sixth studio album which is rumored to be released by the end of the summer. On January 31, 2023, Ryan Tedder confirmed in The Great Creators with Guy Raz that he will upload song teasers on social media, and let the public choose the next single.
OneRepublic's varied style of music has been described by Ryan Tedder: "We're no respecter of genre. If it's a good song or a good artist whether rock, pop, indie or hip hop, they've probably influenced us on some level... nothing's new under the sun, we're a sum of a bunch of parts." Specific artists whom OneRepublic has cited as influences include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Beatles, U2, M83, and Prince.
OneRepublic has won several music awards and landed many nominations, including for American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, World Music Awards, and Grammy Awards. Separately, lead singer Ryan Tedder has won three Grammy Awards due to his songwriting credits for Adele and Taylor Swift.
Lullaby
OneRepublic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Night grows longer
Summer says its goodbyes
And darkness covers
We find shelter
Our own place to hide
Oh
Thoughts turn to angels
Over us
Oh
As the night comes in
Dreams start their drifting
And you hear
A lullaby
Ooooh
A lullaby
You and I
Trees touch windows
Say their hellos
We hear this house as it settles in
Worry slips away
It don't know your name
It don't know where to find us
Oh
As the light goes out
Thoughts turn to angels
All around us
Oh
As the night comes in
Dreams start their drifting
And we hear
A lullaby
A lullaby
You and I
You and I
Lullaby
Oooh
The opening lines of OneRepublic's "Lullaby" perfectly capture the feeling of a long day ending and night settling in. The songwriter describes the sense of relief that comes with finding a shelter- a place to retreat from the world and find peace. As the light goes out, the mood shifts to one of introspection and contemplation. The singer's thoughts turn to angels, suggesting a sense of comfort and protection. The song puts forward the idea that in times of darkness, we can find solace in our dreams and the music that surrounds us, creating our own lullaby to soothe us to sleep.
The second verse of the song continues this theme of finding refuge and letting go of worries. The singer describes being in a house where nature reaches out to them, greeting them through the windows. They are able to let go of their fears and feel safe within its walls. The repetition of "you and I" throughout the song reinforces the idea that we have each other to turn to in times of darkness, and that shared experiences need not be negative. Rather, we can find beauty and comfort in each other, and in the simple moments of everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
Days feel hard earned
The days are tough and we have to work hard to make it through.
Night grows longer
The night seems to be getting longer, representing the difficult times that we face.
Summer says its goodbyes
Summer is leaving, symbolizing the passing of time and changes in life.
And darkness covers
The darkness represents the unknown and the fear that comes with it.
We find shelter
Despite the tough times we face, we still manage to find a place of safety and comfort.
Our own place to hide
The place we find shelter is our own, representing the control we have over our lives.
Oh
An expression of emotion and realization.
As the light goes out
The light represents hope, and as it goes out, we realize the struggle we are facing is real.
Thoughts turn to angels
In times of darkness, we turn to something greater than ourselves for comfort and guidance.
Over us
We feel protected and watched over.
Oh
An expression of emotion and realization.
As the night comes in
The darkness continues to surround us.
Dreams start their drifting
As we fall asleep, our dreams start to take us away from our troubles.
And you hear
The singer is talking to their loved one, expressing the unity they share.
A lullaby
The comforting song that helps us sleep and forget our troubles.
Ooooh
An expression of emotion and realization.
A lullaby
The comforting song that helps us sleep and forget our troubles.
You and I
The unity and connection between the singer and their loved one.
Trees touch windows
The natural world interacts with the world we've created for ourselves.
Say their hellos
The trees seem to be greeting us, reminding us that we are not alone.
We hear this house as it settles in
The artist is paying attention to the sounds of the house, feeling at home and at peace.
Worry slips away
As we feel more at peace and comfortable, the worries of life slip away.
It don't know your name
The worries and fears of the world are impersonal, they don't know us and we aren't defined by them.
It don't know where to find us
We can find safety and comfort from the things that worry us if we create our own space to find it.
All around us
The singer and their loved one feel surrounded by guidance and protection.
Lullaby
The comforting song that brings us peace and comfort.
Oooh
An expression of emotion and realization.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: BRENT MICHAEL KUTZLE, RYAN TEDDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wolfsong
on Rich Love
i played this to my x and he cryed
Geneya Campbell
on Counting Stars
love this song..