# Secret Smile (song)

"Secret Smile" is a song by American rock band Semisonic. The single, released to American radio on January 11, 1999, gained the band brief international popularity. A live version of the song recorded at The Gorge Amphitheatre, as well as a mix by the Orb had previously been released as a B-side to "Singing in My Sleep". The song was featured in the film Simply Irresistible and in the TV series Charmed and Dawson's Creek.

## Composition

Songwriter Dan Wilson has said that the melody for the song came to him in a dream, and he woke up in the middle of the night, rushed to a piano, and wrote it down.
"...Secret Smile, the first half of it came to me in a dream. I woke up in very early morning hours with this song playing in my head. I got up, ran to a piano, and I wrote down the words that I heard in my mind and I played the chords on the piano and wrote down the names of the chords. Then I went back to sleep. And then the next day when I woke up, I remembered the song from the dream. I went to the piano and I saw my notes. I played the song and I thought, Well, this is great. It must be some song that I've heard before. Then I asked all my friends about it, and they all said, 'No, that sounds like a song of yours.'"

## Music video

The music video was shot in Los Angeles in January 1999 and was directed by British music video director Sophie Muller. Paul Rudd and Laura Prepon both appear.

## Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the US promo CD liner notes and the Feeling Strangely Fine album notes.
Studios
* Recorded and produced at Seedy Underbelly (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
* Mixed at Mix This! (Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles)
* Mastered at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine, US)
Personnel
* Dan Wilson – writing, lead vocals, guitar, Rhodes piano, string and flute arrangement
* John Munson – vocals, bass, Moog
* Jacob Slichter – vocals, drums, string and flute arrangement, conducting
* Bruce Allard – strings
* Mary Bahr – strings
* Carolyn Boulay – strings
* Troy Gardner – strings
* Josh Koestenbaum – strings
* Nick Launay – production, recording
* Brad Kern – additional recording
* Alex Oana – assistant recording engineer
* Richard Werbowenko – assistant recording engineer
* Shane Washington – assistant recording engineer
* Bob Clearmountain – mixing (album version)
* Ryan Freeland – assistant mix engineering
* James Saez – assistant mix engineering
* Tom Lord-Alge – mixing (remix)
* Jennifer Munson – digital editing
* Bob Ludwig – mastering

## Charts

| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 30 |
| Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM) | 30 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | 47 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 26 |
| Scotland (OCC) | 11 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 12 |
| US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard) | 17 |
| US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard) | 35 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard) | 21 |
| US CHR/Pop (Radio & Records) | 42 |

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Silver | 200,000$^^$ |
| $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||

## Release history

| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) |
| United States | January 11, 1999 | Active rock radio | MCA |
| United States | January 12, 1999 | Contemporary hit radio | MCA |
| United Kingdom | June 28, 1999 | CDcassette | MCA |