Stop And Stare

Album: Dreaming Out Loud (2008)
Charted: 4 12
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about getting stuck in a rut. OneRepublic wrote on their MySpace page that "Stop and Stare" describes the common frustration of getting to a place in life where you think, "How in the world did I end up here, this isn't where I wanted to be, watching what I wanted pass me by." The band added: "The lyrics have shades of melancholy, and there is a definite emotional undercurrent running through them. If you can't tap into emotion, you're just selling catchy tunes."
  • Frontman and principal songwriter Ryan Tedder explained to Digital Spy that this song, "was written from the point of total desperation - I was beyond broke, I kept getting eviction notices and I really felt like I was watching my life passing me by."

Comments: 6

  • Stella from EuropeI fell in love with this song as a teenager, little did I know that one day when I finished university I would relate to this so much. One can plan, have dreams, but when it does not turn out the way you want to live your life, you really need to "stop and stare". This song can make me cry, but it is a treasure just like Ryan and the others.
  • Kimberly from Landing, NjYes I agree. We all need to stop and stare. We all should stop. take in the reality. For what is in front of us and are EYES. Thank you again for the reminder. Great Lyrics.
  • Annika from Apeldoorn, Netherlandsbeautifulish awesome song
  • Chantelle from Shellharbour, Australiawhen i first heard this song i was like wow this is so powerful. I watched the film clip over and over but then eventually i got and i was just like omg i can relate to that. SO POWERFUL!!!
  • Melissa from Newtown, Paso lovely. i love it when you can relate to songs like this
  • Alyssa from Forney, TxThis song is awesome
    Very cool =]
see more comments

Editor's Picks

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Jules Shear - "All Through The Night"

Jules Shear - "All Through The Night"They're Playing My Song

Shears does very little promotion, which has kept him secluded from the spotlight. What changed when Cyndi Lauper had a hit with his song? Not much, really.

Female Singers Of The 90s

Female Singers Of The 90sMusic Quiz

The ladies who ruled the '90s in this quiz.