Kryptonite (3 Doors Down Song)

Kryptonite Single Cover Art

**Kryptonite** is a song by American rock band 3 Doors Down. It is their debut single and first single from their debut album The Better Life.

## Composition

Brad Arnold wrote the song at age 15 in math class.

Brad has said the following in regards to the song: "That song seems like it's really just kind of like asking a question. Its question is kind of a strange one. It's not just asking, 'If I fall down, will you be there for me?', because it's easy to be there for someone when they're down. But it's not always easy to be there for somebody when they're doing good. And that's the question it's asking. It's like, 'If I go crazy, will you still call me Superman?' It's asking, 'If I'm down, will you still be there for me?' but at the same time, 'If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand?' That's kind of asking, 'If I'm doing good, will you be there for me? Will you not be jealous of me?' That's the basic question that song's asking, and maybe throughout the years of singing that song, I might have come up with more meanings for it than it actually might have originally had."

## Lyrics

[Verse 1]

Well, I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind

I left my body lying somewhere in the sands of time

But I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon

I feel there's nothing I can do, yeah

[Verse 2]

I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon

After all I knew, it had to be something to do with you

I really don't mind what happens now and then

As long as you'll be my friend at the end

[Chorus]

If I go crazy, then will you still call me Superman?

If I'm alive and well, will you be there and holding my hand?

I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might

Kryptonite

[Verse 3]

You called me strong, you called me weak

But still your secrets, I will keep

You took for granted all the times, I never let you down

You stumbled in and bumped your head

If not for me then you'd be dead

I picked you up and put you back on solid ground

[Chorus]

If I go crazy, then will you still call me Superman?

If I'm alive and well, will you be there and holding my hand?

I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might

Kryptonite

[Instrumental Interlude]

[Chorus]

If I go crazy, then will you still call me Superman?

If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand?

I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might

Kryptonite, yeah

If I go crazy, then will you still call me Superman?

If I'm alive and well, will you be there and holding my hand?

I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might

Kryptonite

[Outro]

Whoa, whoa, whoa

Whoa, whoa, whoa

Whoa, whoa, whoa

## Music Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPU8OAjjS4k

Directed by Dean Karr and filmed in March, the music video presents an old man who was a big-time action hero on 1950s TV. The scene cuts between the band hanging around on the roof of the apartments where the old man lives, spying on a man harassing a woman. When the man drags her away, the old man dons his superhero suit and follows. In between shots of the old hero chasing the bad guy and failing to protect himself against a group of goths, the band is shown playing in a club (the Cowboy Palace Saloon in LA) with several other elderly people dressed as caricatures of comic villains. Several of these people are seen riding a mechanical bull during the final chorus. The video comes to a close when the old man dives through the skylight and catches the bad guy off guard, possibly knocking him out by falling on top of him. The video ends with the old man smiling, giving a thumbs up to the camera, having successfully completed his mission.

### Review

I don't know what to say. It doesn't really fit the lyrics in my opinion other than kryptonite=Superman=superhero. 3/5

## Review

The song is very cookie-cutter and by the numbers. Lyrically it is nothing special, especially since it was apparently written when the singer was only fifteen. Musically it is nice, I guess but its nothing I haven't heard before. I would say if the song came on the radio or in a playlist I wouldn't skip it, but I wouldn't genuinely search it out either. 3/5