How to Save a Life

According to lead singer Isaac Slade, the song was composed and influenced by his experience while working as a mentor at a camp for troubled teenagers:

{{blockquote|One of the youngsters I was paired up with was a musician. Here I was, a protected suburbanite, and he was just 17 and had all these problems. And no one could write a manual on how to save him.}}

Slade claims that the song is about all of the people that tried to reach out to the boy but were unsuccessful. As Slade says in an interview, the boy's friends and family approached him by saying, "Quit taking drugs and cutting yourself or I won't talk to you again," but all he needed was some support. The boy was losing friends and going through depression. He lost his best friend and could not deal with it. The verses of the song describe an attempt by an adult to confront a troubled teen. In the chorus, the singer laments that he himself was unable to save a friend because he did not know how.

While this was the original intent of the song, the band has opened the song to interpretation. They created a website where fans were welcome to submit music videos they had made for the song. This arose from the response that Slade got from the song:{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2006-07-12-otv-the-fray_x.htm|newspaper=USA Today|title=Debut 'How to Save a Life' takes on a life of its own|date=July 12, 2006 | first=Elysa | last=Gardner | access-date=May 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423224244/https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2006-07-12-otv-the-fray_x.htm |archive-date=April 23, 2009}}

{{blockquote|I got a lot of e-mails about it (...) One boy died in a car accident, and I guess it had been the last song he downloaded from his computer. They played it at his funeral, and some of his friends got Save a life tattooed on their arms. The response has been overwhelming.}}

During an interview in Sauce, Bob Wilson asked Slade, "'How to Save a Life' was apparently inspired by an experience you had as a mentor to a boy who had a drug problem. What's the story behind that?" Slade answered:{{cite web|url=http://www.sauce.net.au/wp-content/previous_editions/Edition30.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218051854/http://www.sauce.net.au/wp-content/previous_editions/Edition30.pdf|archive-date=February 18, 2011|publisher=Sauce|title=Diving Into – The Fray|date=June 9, 2006}}

{{blockquote|Well there's a group home here in Denver called Shelterwood, and it takes in teens who've had a tough time; their parents don't want to send them to jail, but they can't keep track of them themselves... A friend of mine was actually the president for that particular school, so he asked Joe and I to come up for one of their weekend retreats... I was paired up with one boy in particular. His story was just amazing – all the relationships that he had put at risk because of the decisions he made, and eventually losing the relationships... the cost of his lifestyle and his choices, and kind of relating them to my own life and my own stories; seeing all the relationships I've threatened for one reason or another. It was a really inspiring weekend.}}

The song is the band's first to achieve significant popularity outside of the United States. "How to Save a Life" was a top five hit in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Due to an early leak by BBC Radio 1 in the United Kingdom, where it was the band's debut single, the song was released in the territory five weeks earlier than planned. It debuted at number 29 on the UK Singles Chart on January 21, 2007, via downloads alone. Instead of its planned release date which was to be March 26, 2007, the single was physically released in the United Kingdom on February 28 and gradually rose up the chart, reaching number five on February 25, staying there for four weeks. It eventually peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart on April 8 and became Britain's eleventh biggest-selling song of 2007.BBC Music. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles2007.shtml "Top 40 Singles of the Year 2007 "]. Retrieved December 27, 2007 On March 29, "How to Save a Life" peaked at number 1 in Ireland, becoming their first and only number one single in the country to date. The song only stayed at the top spot for a week but sales still proved strong after it fell from number 1.

The song was ranked No. 24 on Billboard's Best Adult Pop Songs of the Decade,{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/#/charts-decade-end/adult-pop-songs?year=2009&begin=21&order=position |title=Best of the 2000s: Adult Pop Songs |work=Billboard |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100127102958/http://www.billboard.com// |archive-date=January 27, 2010 }} and No. 47 on Billboard's Top 100 Digital Tracks of the Decade.{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/#/charts-decade-end/digital-songs?year=2009&begin=41&order=position |title=Best of the 2000s: Digital Songs |work=Billboard |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100127102958/http://www.billboard.com// |archive-date=January 27, 2010 }} It was also ranked No. 58 on Billboard's Hot 100 Songs of the Decade{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/#/charts-decade-end/hot-100-songs?year=2009&begin=51&order=position |title=Best of the 2000s: Hot 100 Songs |work=Billboard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091221184553/http://www.billboard.com/charts-decade-end/hot-100-songs?year=2009&begin=51&order=position |archive-date=December 21, 2009}} and No. 56 on Rhapsody's list of the Top 100 Tracks of the Decade.{{cite web|last=Editorial |first=Rhapsody |url=http://blog.rhapsody.com/2009/12/toptracksofthedecade.html |title=Top 100 Tracks of the Decade – Rhapsody: The Mix |publisher=Blog.rhapsody.com |date=December 9, 2009 |access-date=February 22, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220004156/http://blog.rhapsody.com/2009/12/toptracksofthedecade.html |archive-date=February 20, 2012 }} The song was the 25th most downloaded song of all time on iTunes as of February 2010.{{cite web|last=Herrera |first=Dave |url=http://blogs.westword.com/backbeat/2010/02/yesterday_somebody_downloaded.php |title=The Fray, Frank E and Ryan Tedder make list of Top 25 iTunes downloads – Denver Music – Backbeat |publisher=Blogs.westword.com |date=February 25, 2010 |access-date=February 22, 2012}} The song has sold over 4.7 million copies in the United States as of January 2015.{{cite web|url=http://i99radio.com/2015/02/04/top-10-rock-songs-downloaded-of-all-time/ |title=Top 10 Rock songs downloaded (Of all time) |work=i99radio.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220012412/http://i99radio.com/2015/02/04/top-10-rock-songs-downloaded-of-all-time/ |archive-date=February 20, 2015 }}

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The original music video, which premiered on VH1 on September 12, 2006, featured the recurring themes of light and stopped time. This music video shows the scene of a car crash and all of its presumed victims in pause. There is a recurring light throughout the video shining brightly in the dark woods that the video takes place in. Scenes of the band playing in a dark warehouse are intercut with the story going on outside. This version of the video was placed at No. 21 of the year by VH1's "Top 40 Videos of 2006".

Another version of the music video juxtaposes scenes from Grey's Anatomy to scenes of the original music video. However, all the scenes of the presumed car crash victims are excluded and only scenes of the Fray playing in a warehouse are shown.

A third music video,{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjVQ36NhbMk&ab_channel=thefrayVEVO |title=The Fray - How to Save a Life (Official Video) |date=2009-11-23 |last=thefrayVEVO |access-date=2025-03-03 |via=YouTube}} directed by Mark Pellington, was released for the song on December 6, 2006. The video features various adolescents, most of which seem to be between 12 and 18 in age, all who appear to be depressed and suicidal, or possibly mourning the loss of a loved one, as hinted by one of the individuals holding a portrait of an aged man, and by one of them screaming "Mom". All of these children have lost a significant loved one prior to the video, and many of them cry and scream in the video, all against a white background. Scenes of the band playing the song against this same white background are also shown throughout the video. Many numbered steps are shown alongside them, such as "Remember", "Cry", or "Let It Go". The video ends with each child finding a catharsis and making peace with themselves or others. This version of the video debuted on MTV's Total Request Live (TRL) at No. 9, and went on to top the countdown at No. 1 on December 21, 2006, becoming the band's first TRL No. 1, and also becoming the last No. 1 video on TRL for 2006.

CD 1

1. "How to Save a Life" (single mix) – 4:00
2. "She Is" – Acoustic from Stripped Raw + Real

CD 2

1. "How to Save a Life" (album version) – 4:22
2. "How to Save a Life" – Acoustic from Stripped Raw + Real – 4:22
3. "She Is" – Acoustic from Stripped Raw + Real
4. "How to Save a Life" – CD-R

The Fray

• Isaac Slade – lead vocals, acoustic piano
• Dave Welsh – lead guitars
• Joe King – rhythm guitars, backing vocals
• Dan Battenhouse – bass
• Dave Korea – stylophone, vibes
• Ben Wysocki – drums

Production

Produced by Aaron Johnson and Mike Flynn

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{{In popular culture|date=September 2017}}

The song was first featured on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, after Alexandra Patsavas, the music supervisor for the show, saw the band perform in Los Angeles. Alexandra then incorporated the song into the second-season episode "Superstition". After its usage in the episode, the song became a minor Hot 100 hit. The song became an "unofficial theme" for the other members of the Grey's Anatomy production after the episode aired, leading to the decision that the song would be used in the main promotion for the third season in the show. Grey's Anatomy is credited with bringing popularity to the song. It was also used in the show's musical episode when Callie was having surgery to save her and baby Sofia's life.{{cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/09242006/tv/how_greys_got_that_catchy_new_theme_song_tv_paige_albiniak.htm |newspaper=New York Post |title=How 'Grey's' got that catchy new "theme" song |date=September 24, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070512193239/http://www.nypost.com/seven/09242006/tv/how_greys_got_that_catchy_new_theme_song_tv_paige_albiniak.htm |archive-date=May 12, 2007 }} The song also featured prominently in the season five Scrubs episode "My Lunch", and was used as the song of choice for the 'best bits' of season 8 of Big Brother UK.{{Cite web|url=http://www.scrubs-tv.com/music.html|title=Scrubs – Music|website=www.scrubs-tv.com|access-date=February 13, 2019}}

"How to Save a Life" was also featured in One Tree Hill.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bustle.com/p/every-time-the-frays-how-to-save-a-life-was-used-to-soundtrack-your-fave-tv-shows-15917082|title=Every Time The Fray's "How To Save A Life" Was Used To Soundtrack Your Fave TV Shows|last=Sorren|first=Martha|date=February 1, 2019|website=Bustle|access-date=March 12, 2020}}

In 2023, the song was covered by country music singer-songwriter Wyatt Flores and was later included on his 2024 extended play Half Life.{{cite magazine |last1=Hudak |first1=Joseph|title=Wyatt Flores Surprise Releases a Cover of the Fray’s ‘How to Save a Life’|magazine=Rolling Stone Country |date=December 27, 2023|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/wyatt-flores-the-fray-how-to-save-a-life-1234936647/|access-date=11 May 2024}}

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Category:2005 songs

Category:2006 singles

Category:Epic Records singles

Category:The Fray songs

Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles

Category:Music videos directed by Mark Pellington

Category:Songs about suicide

Category:Songs written by Isaac Slade

Category:Songs written by Joe King (guitarist)