Vitamin R

Album: This Type Of Thinking Could Do Us In (2004)
Charted: 68
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Vitamin R" stands for Ritalin, a drug often used to treat children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
  • The song was inspired by a friend of the Loeffler brothers who was misdiagnosed with ADHD, and developed an addiction to Ritalin. As a result, he would often do crazy and odd things, such as drive around aimlessly for hours, determined to hear a specific song on the radio.
  • In the music video, directed by Nathan Cox, Chevelle frontman Pete Loeffler floats through surreal landscapes with seemingly abstract imagery. Everything connects at the end when it's revealed to be a daydream by a bored cubicle worker looking at a collection of photographs. The clip was partly inspired by the 1995 film The Usual Suspects, where a criminal fabricates a story based on random objects in an office.
  • Pete didn't bring a guitar with him when the band shot the video, so he had to borrow one from Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction.
  • This Kind Of Thinking (Could Do Us In) is the last Chevelle album to feature Joe Loeffler on bass. Sam and Pete fired their younger brother when their dynamic with him became strained and, in 2025, they said they haven't spoken to him since. Joe was replaced by their brother-in-law Dean Bernardini until 2019 when Kemble Walters stepped in as touring bassist.
  • This is the band's first Top 10 album on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart.

Comments: 26

  • Hurt from OuchThis song is about child sexual abuse and anyone who's experienced It knows that. It's about the struggle to not pass it down. But it's an easy struggle, because there's no need for more hurt in this world.
  • Anonymous from M.Me too, still listening to it! This song rocks!
  • Matt from KentuckyIt’s 2021 and I’m still listening to this song.
  • Megga1 from Texas holy crap batman, Nobody and i mean nobody, knows the name of the girl with wings on in Vitamin R video
  • Lance from Norcal Who’s the girl in the vitamin r video?
  • Turd Brain from CaliforniaI got diagnosed with ADD and the doctors gave me Ritalin. For the first couple months it helped me to stay focused and helped with my anger issues and then the effects started wearing off. They gave me a higher dosage which ended up not helping. I didnt get addicted but I had to quit taking it cause it makes me gag when I do any sort of physical activity and I gag when I eat. Almost threw up in the middle of the gym playing floor hockey. Ever since I quit ive been getting sick way less.
  • Jo from Chi-town, IlThis inspiration mentioned above is absolutely true. I witnessed this "friend" turn wiggy...literally over night, he fell off the face of the earth. There's a little more to the story, but yeah, the Ritalin pretty much did it to him because he didn't have ADHD. All is fine now.
  • Angel from Dublin, Gaoh man i went back and listened to the song and it totally fits
  • Nicole from Sunny, Rivery awesome song, something new to hear :)
  • Julie from Taylor, TxThis song is amazing. Never would have guessed it was about that though. It' still rox!

    brittany: i dont even know the song =) haha
  • Terrible from Dublin, IrelandDoes anybody know who the girl in the video is?? It started off as curiosity, but now I need to know!!
  • Becky from Waukesha, WiThis song is absolutly amazing.
  • Tina from L.a., Capills... horrible stuff that can suck u in... when theres nobody there and ur pain wont leave ur body so u take it to numb it out.... vics ambs ridalin... all used for the same purpose ...trust...=/
  • Erasmo from Roma, Txwhy was my comment deleted?
    geesh
  • Clown from Slocala, FlYea its when Ritalin is being abused by people using it to get a high
  • Jake from Atchison, KsI think it could mean that we are all being formed to fit society. If we aren't perfect to begin with, then they push medicine on us to make us normal. We can't just be the way that we are.
  • Jepha from Citra, Flno, i effin love this song more!!!! i love chevelle! hells yes!
  • James from Charlotte, NcIf youve ever battled chemical dependancy on any level you KNOW what the song is about, and why everyone seems to be bleeding to death spiritually. To a junkie, the depression is all you have left that you actually feel. Song is cool, You should check out 10-years wasteland too.
  • John from Charleston, ScVitamin R is a song that lead vocalist Pete Loeffler wrote about one of his best friends that was addicted to Ritalin. Pete said that his friend used to get so f***ed up on Ritalin that he would drive his car around for hours looking for a certain son on the radio and he would run out of gas and have to walk home.
  • Charnette from Brooklyn, NyI think this song is about how when you're ritalin, how the side effects can get to you. I'm serious, watch the video... the first half shows hallucinations (Like the shark and the girl) and the second half shows what they're supposed to be. And no only that, it could be symbolic of how your mind tends to wander when you have ADD (Which I do.)
  • Kara from Moro, IlI think it's cool. I used to seriously be on ritalin (no joke!), so I think it's cool they wrote a song about it. It has some weird side effects.
  • Corey from Dothan, AlWhat is with everyone's family on this site dying?
    is it like a curse or something?
  • Ashley from Indianapolis, InI've never heard it... Well my boyfriend says I had... hold on... "How's it go" I say to him. "I don't know" he says... Oh well He say's, "It's a very kick a$$ song" I say, "OKay cool!" lol
  • Erika from Yuma, Azthis song means a lot to me. my brother sang it to me this christmas because we both really liked it.three days later he past away and left this song with me to remind me of him.he was just 19 years old.i love you brother, iknow your in a better place.
  • Janine from Alexandria, VaVitamin R is a song about how over-medicated the world is becoming and how we're becoming slaves to our medications.
  • Tommy from Bardstonw, KyGreat song, i posted the lyrics who ever is looking for them here you go,
    Tommy
see more comments

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