After signing to Jive Records, Three Days Grace released two studio albums, Three Days Grace in 2003 and One-X in 2006, both of which have been certified platinum and double platinum in the US and Canada, respectively. In 2007, the band was declared number one rock artist of the year by Billboard and was the number four artist in airplay in Canada that same year. The band's third album, Life Starts Now, was released on September 22, 2009.
History
Three Days Grace formed in 1992 under the name Groundswell in Norwood, Ontario, Canada. Groundswell's line-up consisted of five members: Adam Gontier (vocals, guitar), Neil Sanderson (backing vocals, drums), Brad Walst (bass), Phil Crowe (guitar), and Joe Grant (guitar), all of whom were attending high school when the band formed.
In 1997, after being disbanded for two years, the band regrouped in Toronto as a trio consisting of Gontier, Sanderson, and Walst. They also changed their name to "Three Days Grace". According to Gontier, the name stands for the question: If you had three days to change something in your life, could you do it? Once in Toronto, the band became acquainted with local producer Gavin Brown. The band gave him several years of material that they had created since forming, and he "picked out what he called 'the golden nuggets'", according to Gontier. Brown and the band polished the songs into a demo album which they gave to EMI Music Publishing Canada. The record label wanted to hear more material, and with Brown producing, the band created the song, "I Hate Everything About You", which attracted the interest of several record labels. The band was soon signed to Jive Records after being sought out by the company's president.
Three Days Grace (2003 - 2005)
After being signed to Jive, the band moved to Long View Farms, a studio in Boston, to record their debut album. The self-titled album was finished in Woodstock, New York and released on July 22, 2003. It was met with generally favorable reviews. Dave Doray of IGN said of the album, "Mistakes? There's not many." Allmusic reviewer Heather Phares said that on Three Days Grace, "the band's focus and adherence to alt-metal's formulas — coupled with tight songwriting and some unexpectedly pretty choruses — results in a strong tracks that are more memorable than the work of many of their peers". She did criticize the album for its simplicity, concluding, "Three Days Grace are definitely one of the most accessible alt-metal bands of the 2000s; they just need to add some more distinctiveness to their sound."
After acquiring lead guitarist Barry Stock in late 2003, Three Days Grace toured continuously and extensively for almost two years in support of their major label debut. The album peaked at number nine on the Canadian Albums Chart and number 69 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in the US by the RIAA in December 2004 and double platinum in Canada by the CRIA.
One-X (2006 - 2008)
While touring in support of Three Days Grace, Gontier became depressed and addicted to drugs and alcohol. He went into rehab after the band finished touring, and while there, began writing material for the band's second album. After leaving rehab, he rejoined the band in a cottage in Ontario to finish writing material for the album. In a 2006 interview, Gontier said that the album's material was more personal to him than the band's previous release, being based on the despondence, drug abuse, and rehab that constituted the past two years of his life. The album, titled One-X, was then released on June 13, 2006, and was guitarist Barry Stock's recorded debut.
One-X was met with generally favorable reviews. The Toronto Star complimented the album with a review title of "One CD worth buying..." and focused on its lyrics, saying, "The lyrics really speak out to you, especially if you're going through a tough time in your life." Allmusic reviewer Corey Apar praised the music, saying it "remains catchy despite its lyrical darkness". The album did receive some negative criticism. Apar pointed out that Three Days Grace is "hardly innovative" in their approach to writing music and that "further distinctive qualities" would help the band separate itself "from their alt-metal peers".
One-X peaked at number two on the Canadian album chart and at number five on the Billboard 200, selling 78,000 copies in the US in its first week of release. Its first single, "Animal I Have Become", was Three Days Grace's most successful, becoming 2006's most played rock song in Canada, and the album helped propel Three Days Grace to become the number one rock artist in airplay in the US and Canada in 2007, with Billboard ranking them as the number one rock artist of the year in 2007. One-X was certified platinum by the RIAA in the US on August 30, 2007, and double platinum by the CRIA in Canada in July 2007. Three Days Grace toured the US and Canada throughout the second half of 2006 and all of 2007 in support of One-X. In early 2008, they toured alongside Seether and Breaking Benjamin across the US
Life Starts Now (2009 - 2011)
From March to August 2008, to January to April 2009, Three Days Grace recorded their third album at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Los Angeles, with producer Howard Benson, who had worked with them on their previous releases. The album, entitled Life Starts Now, was released on September 22, 2009. Critics as well as band members have noted the album's departure from the angry tone of the band's previous releases into a lyrical style that comes off as more optimistic. According to guitarist Barry Stock, the album's theme centers around "a new sense of freshness" and the idea that "you don't have to be stuck in whatever it is you're dealing with. Whether it's good or bad, it's your choice to make a change."
Life Starts Now debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, Three Days Grace's highest chart position, and sold 79,000 copies in its first week. The album was met with mixed reviews. Ben Rayner of the Toronto Star gave the album a negative review, saying it possesses "no sound of its own, just a shallow range between Linkin Park and Nickelback". According to Allmusic reviewer James Christopher Monger, who gave the album three out of five stars, Life Starts Now continues the theme of One-X, Gontier's personal demons, but with a "hint of sunlight". He compliments the album, saying it "treats the well-worn metal themes of anger, isolation, heartache, and redemption with the kind of begrudging respect they deserve, pumping out a competent flurry of fist-bump anthems and world-weary, midtempo rockers".[32] Harsher negative reviews came from Ben Czajkowski from 411mania.com as he described the album as "Boring, bland, trite, tired, tried, and true".
The first single from the album, "Break", was released on September 1, 2009. Three Days Grace embarked on a 20-date Canadian tour lasting through November and December 2009.[36] They co-headlined a January–February 2010 tour of the US with Breaking Benjamin and Flyleaf.
They embarked on a US headlining tour with support from Chevelle, and Adelitas Way starting on March 26, 2010 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and ending on April 16, 2010 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Three Days Grace went on tour with Nickelback and Buckcherry on the Dark Horse Fall 2010 Tour. They toured with My Darkest Days starting in March 2011 in Seattle, Washington.[39] They also joined Avenged Sevenfold on their Spring "Welcome to the Family" tour in 2011.[citation needed] They toured with Avenged Sevenfold, Seether, Escape The Fate, and Bullet For My Valentine on the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar tour from August 2011 to October 2011. It was their last album under Jive Records and their first album under Sony Music Entertainment after the Sony BMG joint venture ended, moving all former BMG labels to the new Sony Music Entertainment.
Transit of Venus and Gontier's departure (2012 - present)
On October 7, 2011, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. With the shutdown, the band (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release their future material (including their upcoming fourth studio album) on the RCA Records brand.
On June 5, 2012, at 9:00 A.M. PST, the same day as Venus' visible transit across the sun, the band announced that their fourth studio album will be called Transit of Venus and that it is set to be released October 2, 2012. They created an early promotional video that was released on their website, featuring clips of them in the studio as well as footage of the physical transit of Venus. Due to the rarity of this occurrence, they created the slogan, "some things will never happen again in your lifetime", reflecting both this uncommon occurrence as well as the mood that the lyrics and music will most likely take on. The first single on the album, "Chalk Outline", was released August 14.
On January 9, 2013, Three Days Grace announced that Adam Gontier was resigning from the band. Brad's brother, Matt Walst of My Darkest Days, would be touring with the band as lead vocals. They cited Adam Gontier's sudden departure due to medical reasons.
Three Days Grace kicked off their 2013 tour in Moline, IL with Matt Walst as touring lead singer; he later became a permanent member of the band.
Awards
Three Days Grace has been recognized for their musical efforts through several awards and nominations. In 2007, the band was ranked by Mediabase as the top artist in airplay across all rock formats in the US and Canada, and Billboard named them Rock Artist of the Year. Three Days Grace has been nominated for four Juno Awards. In 2004, the band was nominated for New Group of the Year.[49] "I Hate Everything About You" was nominated for Best Rock Video and People's Choice: Favourite Canadian Group at Much Music Awards. In 2007, they were nominated for Best Group of the Year, and their album One-X was nominated for Album of the Year.[51] The band's first single from One-X, "Animal I Have Become", was Canada's most played rock song in 2006 and won that year's Mediabase award for the most played rock song on radio. "Never Too Late" was nominated for Best Video and Best Rock Video and "Pain" was nominated for Best International Video by a Canadian and People's Choice: Favorite Canadian Group at Much Music Awards.
In 2010, Life Starts Now was nominated for best Rock Album at the Juno awards but lost to Billy Talent III. In 2010, "Break" was nominated for Best Post Production Video and Best Rock Video of the year at Much Music Awards.On Fuse.tv. "Break" was nominated for "Best Single" and "Life Starts Now" won for "Best Album" at the Casby Awards.
Musical style and influences
Three Days Grace's musical style has generally been described by critics as alternative metal and hard rock throughout the band's career. Heather Phares of Allmusic, in a review of the band's debut album, compared them to rock bands Chevelle and Helmet. Dave Doray of IGN described Three Days Grace as "heavy and catchy, with chewy chunks of assurance and fury thrown in for added measure." Allmusic's Corey Apar said One-X brings an "accessible alt-metal attack of blunt lyrics and crunching rhythms" that retains the melodic sound of its predecessor "despite its lyrical darkness".
The band has listed numerous influences in their music. Gontier has mentioned such bands as Sunny Day Real Estate, Kyuss, Nine Inch Nails, and Tool as influences for the band's music. According to Gontier, the lyrics for Three Days Grace songs have mostly been influenced by the Seattle music scene. He summarized about the band's influences in an interview, "Musically there's a lot of different influences, but lyrically it's hard to have different influences because you just write."
Band members:
Current Members
* Matt Walst – lead vocals (2013-present)
* Brad Walst – bass guitar, backing vocals (1997 - present)
* Neil Sanderson – drums, backing vocals (1997 - present)
* Barry Stock – lead guitar (2003 - present)
Former Members
* Adam Gontier – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1997–2013)
Live Members
* Dani Rosenoer – piano, synthesizer, backing vocals (2012-present)
Three Days Grace discography
* Three Days Grace (2003)
* One-X (2006)
* Life Starts Now (2009)
* Transit of Venus (2012)
* Human (2015)
* Outsider (2018)
* EXPLOSIONS (2022)
Someone Who Cares
Three Days Grace Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is the same to me
Everyone's got a place to be
But there's no room for me
Am I to blame?
When the guilt and the shame hang over me
Like a dark cloud,
It's so hard to find someone
Who cares about you,
But it's easy enough to find someone
Who looks down on you
Why is it so hard to find someone
Who cares about you?
When it's easy enough to find someone
Who looks down on you
It's not what it seems
When you're not on the scene
There's a chill in the air
But there's people like me
That nobody sees so nobody cares
Why is it so hard to find someone
Who cares about you?
When it's easy enough to find someone
Who looks down on you
Why is it so hard to find someone
Who can keep it together
When you've come undone?
Why is it so hard to find someone
Who cares about you?
I swear this time it won't turn out
The same 'cause now I've got myself to blame
And you'll know where we end up
On the streets that is easy enough
To find someone who looks down on you
Why is it so hard to find someone
Who cares about you?
When it's easy enough to find someone
Who looks down on you
Why is it so hard to find someone
Who can keep it together
When you've come undone?
Why is it so hard to find someone
Who cares about you?
The lyrics in Three Days Grace's song "Someone Who Cares" express feelings of isolation and hopelessness. The singer feels like they don't belong and that nobody cares about them. They observe everyone around them going about their lives, but there's no place for them in all of it. The first verse sets this scene, with the singer feeling like they're drowning under a dark cloud of guilt and shame. The second verse contrasts the difficulty of finding someone who cares with the ease of finding people who judge and look down on others. The chorus repeats these themes, asking why it's so hard to find someone who cares about you and can help you when you're feeling lost.
The bridge of the song explores the idea that people who are struggling, like the singer, often fade into the background and become invisible to the rest of the world. They feel like nobody cares because nobody is really aware of their existence. The final verse acknowledges that the singer is partly to blame for their situation because they have relied on others to care for them instead of taking responsibility for their own life. The song ends with a question mark, leaving the listener to ponder whether the singer will find someone who cares or continue to struggle alone.
Overall, "Someone Who Cares" touches on themes of mental health, loneliness, and the difficulties of finding support when you're struggling. It's a poignant and relatable song that has resonated with many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Every street in this city
The singer feels lost and directionless in their city, unable to differentiate between the various streets.
Is the same to me
To the singer, each street is interchangeable and meaningless.
Everyone's got a place to be
Everyone else seems to have a purpose and destination, while the singer feels aimless and out of place.
But there's no room for me
The artist feels excluded and unwelcome, like they don't fit in anywhere.
Am I to blame?
The artist questions whether they are responsible for their own isolation and loneliness.
When the guilt and the shame hang over me
The singer feels burdened with guilt and shame, which adds to their feelings of alienation.
Like a dark cloud,
The singer's emotions are overwhelming and oppressive, like an ominous storm cloud.
That chases you down in the pouring rain.
The artist feels pursued by their negative emotions, which are as relentless as heavy rain in a storm.
It's so hard to find someone
The artist struggles to find a person or community that will understand and support them.
Who cares about you,
The artist wants to feel valued and appreciated by someone who is willing to empathize and connect with them.
But it's easy enough to find someone
Ironically, the singer encounters many people who are willing to judge or reject them without trying to understand them.
Who looks down on you
The artist encounters people who dismiss or belittle them, adding to their sense of worthlessness and isolation.
It's not what it seems
People's perceptions of the singer don't reflect their true self or struggles.
When you're not on the scene
When the singer is not visible or present, nobody bothers to acknowledge or recognize their existence.
There's a chill in the air
The singer feels a coldness and lack of empathy in the people and environment around them.
But there's people like me
The artist recognizes that there are others who share their feelings of isolation and invisibility.
That nobody sees so nobody cares
However, since nobody acknowledges their existence or pain, nobody is willing or able to help them.
Why is it so hard to find someone
The singer repeats their longing for understanding and support.
Who can keep it together
The singer wants to connect with someone who is strong and stable, who can handle their problems and emotions.
When you've come undone?
The artist feels like they are falling apart and needs someone to help them pick up the pieces.
I swear this time it won't turn out
The artist hopes that their search for solace and connection will not lead to disappointment and rejection.
The same 'cause now I've got myself to blame
The artist realizes that sometimes their own actions or attitudes contribute to their struggles and loneliness.
And you'll know where we end up
The singer imagines that if they continue on this path of isolation and negativity, they will ultimately end up alone and lost.
On the streets that is easy enough
Sadly, the streets are full of people who are similarly disconnected and alone, making it easy to blend in and be overlooked.
To find someone who looks down on you
The singer reflects that it is all too common to find people who judge and reject others based on surface appearances, rather than seeking to understand them.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ADAM GONTIER, BARRY STOCK, BRAD WALST, NEIL SANDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind