Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars – Lyrics and meaning of the most-played song of the 21st century on UK radio
SNOW Patrol's Chasing Cars has just topped the list of most listened to tracks of the 21st Century.
Here's everything you need to know about the much-loved song...
Is Chasing Cars the most played song of the 21st Century?
Yes it is! The Snow Patrol track is officially the most played song of the 21st Century.
Chasing Cars was first released on the band's fourth album Eyes Open in 2005 and became the 14th biggest-selling track of 2006.
However it has never actually reached number one, although it has managed to stay in the charts for more than three years.
Following in its tracks is Black Eyed Peas' I Gotta Feeling which came in at second place.
And Pharrell Williams' catchy Happy scooped the third spot in the list by PPL which ranked the most-played songs of the 21st century so far.
Though the artists still have another 81 years to be knocked off the top spots!
What have Snow Patrol said about the achievement?
Lead singer Gary Lightbody told Chris Evans on the Breakfast Show on July 17, 2019: “We didn’t know until a few days ago, the PPL had their anniversary celebrations last night and that was one of the awards.
“There is another 81 years to go but we will take the first 19 years absolutely!
"We’ve never had a number one but we have had a number one vicariously via Leona Lewis, Leona Lewis’ cover of Run got to number one so that’s the only time one of our songs have got to number one!”
The song only reached No6 but was in the UK charts for 166 weeks.
Elsewhere in the conversation he also revealed that he struggles to celebrate now that he's sober.
He confessed: “I stopped drinking three years ago, just over.
“Since I've quit drinking it's hard to work out a way to celebrate the celebrations, when we finished the second album Wildness I’d stopped drinking and how do you celebrate something without booze is a very strange feeling.”
Who are Snow Patrol?
Snow Patrol were formed in 1993 by University of Dundee students Gary Lightbody, Michael Morrison and Mark McClelland.
Drummer Michael and bass guitarist Mark later left the band and were replaced by Johnny Quinn and Nathan Connolly as well as keyboardist Tom Simpson who joined permanently in 2005.
The band released their debut album Songs For Polarbears in 1998.
In 2003 they released Final Straw which included the single Run - it debuted at number five in the UK singles chart.
Eyes Open was released in 2006 and became the UK's best-selling album of that year - it sold 1.6 million copies.
This album included the single Chasing Cars which reached number six in the UK charts and You're All I Have which reached number seven.
Other popular hits include Just Say Yes, Take Back The City and Signal Fire, which was their highest ranking hit reaching No4 in 2007..
What is the meaning behind Chasing Cars?
Speaking to the BBC, lead singer Gary Lightbody was in disbelief at being ranked number one: "It's unbelievable. I'm not sure how that happened."
He also explained the meaning and what he believes the appeal to be behind the much-loved tune,
"It's an emotionally open song and it's a simple song. But it's also unabashedly a love song, and we don't really have any others.
"The way it unifies an audience is the thing I most cherish about it. It's a beautiful moment every time you play it."
He went on to explain the inspiration behind the song: "So with Chasing Cars, it was just what was happening at that moment in my life. I was in love. So it was a true, true representation of what was going on."
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What are the lyrics to Chasing Cars?
In case you need reminding, the lyrics to Chasing Cars go as follows:
We'll do it all
Everything
On our own
We don't need
Anything
Or anyone
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel
Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life
Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads
I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life
All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see
I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?