High Enough

{{Short description|1990 single by Damn Yankees}}

{{About|song by Damn Yankees|song by K.Flay|High Enough (K.Flay song)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}}

{{Infobox song

| name = High Enough

| cover = High Enough Cassingle.jpg

| alt =

| caption = US commercial cassette single

| type = single

| artist = Damn Yankees

| album = Damn Yankees

| B-side = Piledriver

| released = September 22, 1990

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Glam metal{{cite web|url=https://www.liveabout.com/best-hair-metal-ballads-1752387|title=Best 20 Hair Metal Ballads of the '80s and '90s|last=Bowar|first=Chad|website=LiveAbout|access-date=February 24, 2021}}

| length =

  • 4:45 (album version)
  • 4:17 (single version)

| label = Warner Bros.

| writer = Tommy Shaw, Jack Blades, Ted Nugent

| producer = Ron Nevison

| prev_title = Coming of Age

| prev_year = 1990

| next_title = Come Again

| next_year = 1991

}}

"High Enough" is a song by American supergroup Damn Yankees from their self-titled debut album. A power ballad, it is their most successful single in terms of chart position and sales, rising to {{abbr|No.|Number}} 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, the group's first (and only) top-ten pop single. It also reached No. 2 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The success of "High Enough" helped send its parent album into the top 20 on the US albums chart.

Background

According to songwriter and co-lead vocalist Jack Blades:

{{cquote|'High Enough' was about how you love someone so much and you just don't want to scare them away. And it's like, do I take the next step? And then she freaks out when you go, 'I love you.' And it's like, 'What!?!? I'm outta here!' And you're, 'Wait a minute! Come back!' But then the girl comes back, because in the bridge it's, (singing) 'The next thing I remember I was running back for more.' You know how you get scared at first when you fall in love, and everybody freaks out, and that can't be right. And then you go, Wait a minute, this is great, let's forget about the past. Can you fly me over yesterday? Can you take me high enough to fly me over yesterday?{{cite web|url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=19401|title=High Enough Song Facts|publisher=Songfacts|access-date=June 3, 2010}}| Jack Blades}}

Music video

The music video was filmed on location in River Ridge, Louisiana, and depicts a young drifter and his girlfriend who commit a series of robberies. However, their last one appears to have far more serious consequences as they become the targets of a manhunt by the local police. It is implied, but not specifically shown, that the drifter may have committed murder. The girlfriend is captured, but the drifter escapes and is cornered in his home by the police, who shoot the house full of bullets. The police invade the house, but the drifter's fate is unclear (possibly died during the gunfire). The girlfriend is given the death penalty and at the video's slowing end is being read her last rites by a priest while she is being led out of her cell to the execution chamber. As the video ends, the priest is revealed to be Ted Nugent.

Track listings

7-inch and cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=High Enough|others=Damn Yankees|year=1990|type=US 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=7-19595}}{{cite AV media notes|title=High Enough|others=Damn Yankees|year=1990|type=US cassette single cassette notes|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=4-19595}}

  1. "High Enough" (single version) – 4:17
  2. "Piledriver" (album version) – 4:18

12-inch and CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=High Enough|others=Damn Yankees|year=1990|type=German 12-inch single sleeve|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=W 006 T}}{{cite AV media notes|title=High Enough|others=Damn Yankees|year=1990|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=W 006 CD, 7599-21839-2}}

  1. "High Enough" (LP version) – 4:43
  2. "Piledriver" (LP version) – 4:18
  3. "Bonestripper" – 4:22

Personnel

Damn Yankees

  • Tommy Shaw: lead and backing vocals, acoustic and rhythm guitar
  • Ted Nugent: lead guitar, backing and harmony vocals
  • Jack Blades: lead and backing vocals, bass
  • Michael Cartellone: drums, percussion

Additional personnel

  • Alan Pasqua: Keyboards
  • Jimmie Haskell: string arrangements
  • Neverleave Brothers: backing vocals

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

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

!Chart (1990–1991)

!Peak
position

scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}

|57

{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|12|chartid=1417|rowheader=true|access-date=February 4, 2019}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|24|artist=Damn Yankees|song=High Enough|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|UK|81|date=19910126|rowheader=true|access-date=February 4, 2019}}
scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1991-01-12/|title=Billboard Hot 100|magazine=Billboard|date=January 12, 1991|access-date=June 17, 2023}}

|3

scope="row"|US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks/1990-10-27/|title=Mainstream Rock Airplay|magazine=Billboard|date=October 27, 1990|url-access=subscription|access-date=June 17, 2023}}

|2

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

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

!Chart (1990)

!Position

scope="row"|US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=The Year in Music 1990: Top Album Rock Tracks|magazine=Billboard|volume=102|issue=51|page=YE-47|date=December 22, 1990}}

|47

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

!Chart (1991)

!Position

scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1991|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1991|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707155835/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1991|archive-date=July 7, 2009|access-date=September 15, 2009}}

|14

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Damn Yankees|title=High Enough|award=Gold|relyear=1990|certyear=1991|access-date=February 4, 2019}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

References