Peak
3
Weeks
56
Score
9,417
Chart Year
2012
The music video for "Some Nights" was produced by Poonam Sehrawat and directed by Anthony Mandler, and released on MTV.com on June 4, 2012. The video is of a fictional American Civil War night battle where the band performs on the battlefield. The lead singer, Nate Ruess, also sings as he rallies a Union regiment in preparation for battle. The flag of the Union troops is that of the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment, volunteer soldiers that were commanded by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain starting in 1863. The video features two soldiers, one from each side of the conflict. The Confederate soldier is a middle-aged farmer clearly in love with his life, land and animals. The Union soldier is a young man, presumably from Maine, who has left his love to fight as a volunteer. In battle, the two sides first form lines and engage in a shooting battle. The Confederates charge the Union line (though they do so without appearing to mount bayonets). The Union troops engage in hand-to-hand combat in which the young Union soldier grits his teeth with determination and bayonets the Confederate soldier-farmer, brutally killing him. The Union regiment is victorious and the band follows the Union troops as it marches confidently and with apparent conviction towards its next battle, the young soldier exemplifying fulfilment in answering the song's central question, "What do I stand for?". He writes his love a letter which she cherishes. The music video on YouTube has achieved spectacular popularity, as it has been viewed over 220 million times
Many of the lyrics on American indie pop band Fun's second album Some Nights are about frontman Nate Ruess' family. For instance, on this track he sings: "My heart is breaking for my sister and the con that she called love, but when I look into my nephew's eyes, man you wouldn't believe the most amazing things that can come from some terrible nights." The singer explained to Mesfin Fekadu of The Associated Press: "I'm always thinking about, 'Who am I and why did I do something like that?' And I think then it harkens back to my family, and I have such a strong tie to them and it's always therapeutic to sing about them." While writing for their second long player, the band were listening to Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album. So influenced were they by its sound and scope, they hired that record's co-producer Jeff Bhasker to produce Some Nights. Fun named their album after this track as they feel it best represents not only their entire record, but also where they're at as a band. "I think that the song 'Some Nights' just kind of sums up who we are as a band, and while it's über-personal, I think it gives people a lot of stuff to relate to. It's not a love song; it's a song about being an underdog and trying to figure out where you fall into that situation," Ruess told MTV News. Ruess came up with the title before he wrote the song. He recalled to Billboard magazine: "I think we were somewhere in Scotland, touring, and I told the guys, 'Hey, check it out. I want to call the album 'Some Nights.' I had no idea where that came from, but they were like, 'That is a fantastic name for an album!' So I had to start figuring out what that meant for me and write a song about it." Ruess added that he settled into a lyrical idea about "just being someone different on any given night." Ruess drew on Paul Simon for the musical part of the song. "I was thinking about Graceland, the Paul Simon album, for some reason," he told Billboard. "I had the chorus for the song and I didn't know what I was going to do with the verse, and I remember writing down, 'This will be the best song you've ever written' and was like, 'Alright. I guess I kind of have to challenge myself...' As soon as I felt it was an entire song I showed it to the guys and they were just like, 'We got it, let's go,' which was really exciting. That was the case for the entire album, too; I never had to explain myself. But ('Some Nights') was the first song that really happened for, and it kind of showed me that we were moving as one for the whole album." The Civil War inspired music video was directed by Anthony Mandler and features actual Civil War re-enactors. The weather was very much a factor during the shoot. "We look like we're having a grand old time and pounding away at the song, but those takes were few and far between this horrible lightning, crazy monsoon storm," multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff explained to MTV News. "So, we're basically in a big field - I guess technically on somewhat of a mountain in upstate New York - during a lightning storm, which arguably could be the worst scenario you could possibly be in a lightning storm." He took a pause, concluding, "I think in a weird way it added to the intensity of the video. Let's go on record saying it was life or death." The song expresses the anguish of a young man who is a long way from home, as he lies in bed at night thinking of his family members. Producer Jeff Bhasker said of Nate Ruess' songwriting to the New York Times: "He can tackle these really dark subjects and put this pop melody to it." This was especially successful Down Under reaching #1 in New Zealand and Australia. It also topped the charts in Israel.
Some nights, I stay up cashing in my bad luck Some nights, I call it a draw Some nights, I wish that my lips could build a castle Some nights, I wish they'd just fall off But I still wake up, I still see your ghost Oh Lord, I'm still not sure, what I stand for oh oh oh What do I stand for? Oh what do I stand for? Most nights, I don't know anymore Oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa oh oh Oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa oh oh This is it, boys, this is war, what are we waiting for? Why don't we break the rules already? I was never one to believe the hype Save that for the black and white Try twice as hard and I'm half as liked But here they come again to jack my style That's alright, I found a martyr in my bed tonight Stops my bones from wondering Just who I, who I, who I am, oh who am I, mm, mm Well some nights, I wish that this all would end 'Cause I could use some friends for a change And some nights, I'm scared you'll forget me again Some nights, I always win, I always win But I still wake up, I still see your ghost Oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for, oh What do I stand for? What do I stand for? Most nights, I don't know (oh, come on) So this is it? I sold my soul for this? Washed my hands of that for this? I miss my mom and dad for this? No, when I see stars, when I see, when I see stars, that's all they are When I hear songs, they sound like a swan, so come on Oh, come on, oh, come on, oh come on Well that is it, guys, that is all Five minutes in and I'm bored again Ten years of this, I'm not sure if anybody understands This one is not for the folks at home I'm sorry to leave, mom, I had to go Who the fuck wants to die alone all dried up in the desert sun? My heart is breaking for my sister and the con that she called, "Love" But when I look into my nephew's eyes Man, you wouldn't believe, the most amazing things, that can come from Some terrible nights, ah (oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa, oh oh) Oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa, oh oh Oh whoa, oh whoa, oh whoa, oh oh The other night, you wouldn't believe The dream I just had about you and me I called you up, but we'd both agree It's for the best you didn't listen It's for the best we get our distance, oh For the best you didn't listen It's for the best we get our distance, oh
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 10, 2012 | 62 | 64 |
| 2 | Mar 17, 2012 | 89 | 37 |
| 3 | Mar 24, 2012 | 82 | 44 |
| 4 | Mar 31, 2012 | 76 | 50 |
| 5 | Apr 7, 2012 | 70 | 56 |
| 6 | Apr 14, 2012 | 68 | 58 |
| 7 | Apr 21, 2012 | 68 | 58 |
| 8 | Apr 28, 2012 | 68 | 58 |
| 9 | May 5, 2012 | 69 | 57 |
| 10 | May 12, 2012 | 74 | 52 |
| 11 | May 19, 2012 | 76 | 50 |
| 12 | May 26, 2012 | 76 | 50 |
| 13 | Jun 2, 2012 | 67 | 59 |
| 14 | Jun 9, 2012 | 64 | 62 |
| 15 | Jun 16, 2012 | 59 | 67 |
| 16 | Jun 23, 2012 | 47 | 79 |
| 17 | Jun 30, 2012 | 41 | 85 |
| 18 | Jul 7, 2012 | 32 | 94 |
| 19 | Jul 14, 2012 | 32 | 94 |
| 20 | Jul 21, 2012 | 28 | 98 |