Bad Day
by Fuel

Album: Something Like Human (2000)
Charted: 64
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Fuel guitarist Carl Bell wrote this after he witnessed his girlfriend having a bad day. Bell told VH1 Storytellers they both had been struggling with meeting their life goals and it was taking a toll on their relationship. One afternoon, he saw her staring out the kitchen window, lost in thought. He knew there was something wrong but sensed he should leave her alone. She ended up driving off without saying a word. He recalled: "I remember looking out and watching her car drive from the apartment and I picked up my guitar, as I usually do to try to deal with situations like this, and this song basically fell in my lap."
  • This is the third single from Fuel's second studio album, Something Like Human. According to frontman Brett Scallions, the song was written before they got a record deal and was nearly included on their debut album, Sunburn, but they couldn't get it quite right.
  • Most of the album was written in a portable studio on the back of a bus during the band's grueling two-year world tour.
  • Unlike their first album, which was recorded on a farm in Massachusetts, Something Like Human came together at a pair of studios in New York City (Right Track Recording and Sear Sound). Bell told Hip Online: "We wanted to get closer to the pulse and get that vibe and see if that would sneak into the record. You get out on the farm and you get lethargic, whereas in New York it's go, go, go."
  • The band also had more freedom this time around thanks to producer Ben Grosse (Dream Theater, Marilyn Manson), who gave them free rein. "We were determined to have more control, and we had more control," Bell explained. "It was cool because Ben Grosse, the producer, said, 'This is your record. Do what you want.' So that was cool and Ben was great to work with. We hired Ben Grosse without meeting him. He asked us, 'What if I was an asshole?' and we said, 'We'd fire you and get another asshole.' We were just determined to get what we wanted. I mean, the first record was, you know, my first demos of 'Shimmer' are more vibey and heavier than on the record. That record wasn't indicative of what we wanted to be and I think this one is a lot closer."
  • Bell recorded a country version for his 2017 solo album, Tennessee Fuel.
  • This was used on the TV show Smallville in the 2001 episode "Hothead."
  • The music video, Brett Scallions passionately sings the tune while he clutches the apology note from his girlfriend. Meanwhile, we watch her bad day unfold as she breaks a coffee cup in a café, falls on the sidewalk when the heel of her shoe snaps, and gets into a car accident. While the action unfolds, Bell quietly writes the song in his notebook. Nigel Dick, a prolific director who helmed videos for Guns N' Roses ("Sweet Child O' Mine") and Britney Spears (...Baby One More Time"), directed the clip, as well as Fuel's "Innocent" and "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)."
  • In September 2001, a year after its release, this reached double-Platinum status with 2 million copies sold in the US.

Comments: 11

  • Zero from The Abyss, NjThis song is fun to perform on my acoustic.
  • Anna from IndianaI think she has Multiple Sclerosis with dropping coffee and stumbling and always having a bad day and how he wouldn't understand and eventually commits suicide. She is seen rubbing her wrists in pain and her neck. Also MS symptoms.
  • Mrcle1993 from UsaFor me, it's about a girl that over dramatizes trivial events. Every thing is a crisis and it affects him and their relationship as a result. "Spilled my coffee, broke my shoelace" I think that much is obvious. And I don't think you can watch a video to know what a song is about because that is the directors vision not the songwriter.
  • Sixx from Los Angeles, Caummm...wow. How is it that you cannot see the meaning of such a SIMPLE song? The chick is depressed (hence bad day AGAIN) She commits suicide (and left a note that he is holding onto and eventually shreds into pieces) that is why he is seeing a shrink...the scene shows her walking through walls, stab wounds on her arms, and when she sits in the chair, they then show the chair empty but the cushion moves down as if she were sitting there. The meaning is pretty cut & dry...
  • Mark from Wee Waa, Australialove the song, video and the band, I see there getting back together with brett as lead singer can't barely wait
  • Clarissa from Delaware, OhAlways listen to this song when I DO have a bad day. I love it
  • Aaron from Kentucky, KyThis song is th best song i have ever heard i have sung th song 100,000,000,000,million times FUEL RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
  • Mike from Falmouth, MaThis is Probably my favorite song by fuel. It has a great harmony and a lot of depth within the lyrics.
  • Kira from Bonita Springs, FlIt's a great song I love the part where he stops being soft and sings "And she swears there's nothing wrong! I hear her play that same old song!" suggesting that she has used this excuse before on him
  • Sandi from Indy, InI think that the female is using her ?bad day? as an excuse for her excessive drug/alcohol use. She says he would not understand because it?s just easier than explaining.
    The male realizes that she starting to develop a real problem.
    He can see through her excuses and wants to get down to the real problem(s).
  • Rony from Houston, TxIt's a good song.
see more comments

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