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An Honest Mistake

{{Short description|2005 single by the Bravery}}

{{Infobox song

| name = An Honest Mistake

| cover = An Honest Mistake.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = the Bravery

| album = The Bravery

| B-side = {{hlist|"Hot Pursuit"|"Hey Sunshiney Day"|"Unconditional"}}

| released = {{start date|2005|1|31}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

  • Dance-rock{{cite magazine|last= Billboard Staff |title= The 100 Best Songs of 2005: Staff Picks|magazine= Billboard|date= April 15, 2025 |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/2005-songs-best/|accessdate= June 1, 2025|quote=... it seemed like The Bravery might be a harbinger of a dance-rock future for the genre. Their breakout hit, “An Honest Mistake,” bridged the gap between New Order and the Strokes, melding nervous, bubbling synths and breakneck post-punk rhythms...}}
  • post-punk

| length = 3:39

| label = Island

| writer = Sam Endicott

| producer = Sam Endicott

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Fearless

| next_year = 2005

}}

"An Honest Mistake" is a song by American rock band the Bravery. It was released as their debut single and the lead single from their self-titled studio album on January 31, 2005. The song peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart and number 33 on the Irish Singles Chart.

Critical reception

AllMusic writer MacKenzie Wilson said that the song "saunters like classic New Order with its dark-hued mechanical energy."{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=album|id=r732246|pure_url=yes}}|title=The Bravery – The Bravery|last=Wilson|first=MacKenzie|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=October 28, 2016}} Lost At Sea's Sarah Peters put the track alongside "Public Service Announcement" for showing the band's honed-in musicianship and knowledge of new wave, saying that when they "hit the airwaves, there shouldn't be too many listeners impressed by the band's amount of study - why analyze and appreciate when you could just dance?"{{cite web|url=http://www.lostatsea.net/review.phtml?id=10444521184257dcb560623|title=The Bravery – The Bravery (Island Records)|last=Peters|first=Sarah|publisher=Lost At Sea|date=April 12, 2005|access-date=October 28, 2016}} Adam Moerder of Pitchfork Media found the track to be one of the few standouts on the record, calling it "one of the few sassy moments on the album, with Endicott mockingly singing in falsetto "Don't look at me that way/ It was an honest mistake."{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1154-the-bravery/|title=The Bravery: The Bravery|last=Moerder|first=Adam|publisher=Pitchfork Media|date=April 19, 2005|access-date=October 28, 2016}}

Music video

The video for "An Honest Mistake" was directed by Michael "Mike" Palmieri (Foo Fighters, The Strokes) and features the band performing the song apparently surrounded by a Rube Goldberg machine. The chain starts with several strings of dominoes and includes many other objects, such as light bulbs, eggs, and an aquarium. Different parts of the action are shown from multiple views, often showing it one way, switching to another angle, then switching back to the original view. Eventually a flaming arrow shoots toward a target, but misses to the right and the video ends with the band looking mildly disappointed.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8vzbezVru4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/O8vzbezVru4 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=The Bravery - An Honest Mistake|date=June 16, 2009|publisher=YouTube|access-date=August 2, 2015}}{{cbignore}}

Track listings

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

  • UK 7-inch single {{small|(9880264)}}{{cite AV media notes|title=An Honest Mistake|others=The Bravery|year=2005|type=UK 7-inch single sleeve|publisher=Loog Records|id=9880264}}

:A. "An Honest Mistake" – 3:40

:B. "Hot Pursuit" (duet version) – 3:04

  • UK CD single {{small|(9880300)}}{{cite AV media notes|title=An Honest Mistake|others=The Bravery|year=2005|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=Loog Records|id=9880300}}
  1. "An Honest Mistake" – 3:39
  2. "Hey Sunshiney Day" – 2:27
  • UK DVD single {{small|(9880301)}}{{cite AV media notes|title=An Honest Mistake|others=The Bravery|year=2005|type=UK DVD single liner notes|publisher=Loog Records|id=9880301}}
  1. "An Honest Mistake" (video)
  2. "Unconditional" (video)
  3. The making of "Unconditional"

{{col-2}}

  • Australian CD single {{small|(9881709)}}{{cite AV media notes|title=An Honest Mistake|others=The Bravery|year=2005|type=Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Island Records|id=9881709}}
  1. "An Honest Mistake"
  2. "Hey Sunshiney Day"
  3. "No Breaks"
  4. "An Honest Mistake" (video)

{{col-end}}

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"|Chart (2005)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{single chart|Australiapandora|87|url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20050519140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20050520-0000/issue794.pdf|urltitle=Issue 794|rowheader=true|access-date=September 24, 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
{{single chart|Ireland3|33|artist=The Bravery|rowheader=true|access-date=January 20, 2020}}
{{single chart|Scotland|6|date=20050312|rowheader=true|access-date=August 27, 2016}}
{{single chart|UK|7|date=20050312|rowheader=true|access-date=August 27, 2016}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|97|artist=The Bravery|rowheader=true|access-date=August 27, 2016}}
scope="row"|US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/alternative-airplay/2005-07-09/|title=Alternative Airplay|magazine=Billboard|date=July 9, 2005|url-access=subscription|access-date=August 10, 2023}}

|12

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
Chart (2005)

!Position

scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC){{cite web|url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2005.pdf|title=The Official UK Singles Chart 2005|work=UKChartsPlus|access-date=September 4, 2018}}

|align="center"|138

scope="row"|US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=2005 The Year in Charts: Top Modern Rock Songs|magazine=Billboard Radio Monitor|volume=13|issue=50|page=52|date=December 16, 2005}}

|align="center"|31

{{col-end}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|United States

|January 31, 2005

|Modern rock radio

|Island

|align="center"|{{cite web|url=http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16771|title=FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock|website=FMQB|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130322142732/http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16771|archive-date=March 22, 2013|access-date=August 10, 2023}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|February 28, 2005

|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD}}

|Loog

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|title=Key Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=17|date=February 26, 2005}}

scope="row"|Australia

|May 9, 2005

|CD

|rowspan="2"|Island

|align="center"|{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/issue793.pdf|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20050519140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20050520-0000/issue793.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2005-05-19|title=The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 9th May 2005|publisher=ARIA|page=28|date=May 9, 2005|access-date=June 24, 2021}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

scope="row"|United States

|June 20, 2005

|Contemporary hit radio

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2005/RR-2005-06-17.pdf|title=Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1611|page=21|date=June 17, 2005|access-date=June 24, 2021}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Discogs master|master=127948|name=An Honest Mistake|type=single}}

{{The Bravery}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Honest Mistake, An}}

Category:2005 songs

Category:2005 debut singles

Category:The Bravery songs

Category:Island Records singles

Category:Songs written by Sam Endicott

Category:Black-and-white music videos