Three Six Five

Album: Ei8ht (2025)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Three Six Five" is Shinedown's tribute to those who have left us. They urge us to cherish every single day (365, to be precise) and to seize the moments we have, even if they occasionally come wrapped in sorrow.

    "We wrote it about all the people we've lost over the past few years," Shinedown's bassist/producer Eric Bass told Songfacts. "I've had a lot of death in my family - all the adults in my life just fell away all at once. That's not a unique experience, but it was a unique moment for me. Suddenly I was the adult in the room, which is scary in itself."
  • Co-written by Eric Bass and lead singer Brent Smith, the song emerged from a rather grim tally of personal losses: Bass lost his father, endured the long illness of his sister-in-law, bid farewell to his aunt (who was practically a second mother), and mourned his mentor Doug McKean all in a span of two years. Yet, in the face of such a formidable series of goodbyes, the duo decided to celebrate the sheer unpredictability of a year, encapsulated in the hook: "a lot can happen in a year."
  • Shinedown released "Three Six Five" on January 24, 2025, as a Double A-side single alongside "Dance, Kid, Dance." They were the first offerings to be heard from Shinedown since their 2022 Planet Zero album.

    "We needed to approach everything different this time," said Brent Smith. "The last two albums were both conceptual so it was important for us to really ask ourselves creatively where do we want to go. The answer to that was we want to go everywhere so there was no specific direction."

    So they started writing, and let themselves be guided by the songs. "We stopped saying 'why?' and started saying 'why not?'" he said.
  • Shinedown recorded the song in Bass' Big Animal Studio in Charleston, South Carolina.
  • Shinedown released a piano version of "Three Six Five" in early May 2025. The rendition strips the track down to just piano accompaniment and Brent Smith's vocals, offering a more intimate and emotional take.
  • Shot and edited by Carter Louthian, the video is a tour-based montage that captures moments from Shinedown's Dance, Kid, Dance Tour, combining live concert footage with behind-the-scenes clips from life on the road. It includes highlights from major stops like Madison Square Garden in New York (the first time performing at the venue in the band's history) and the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.

Comments: 2

  • Lisa from Ashland WiThis song really hits home. I've lost four siblings, and I am the seventh out of eight. I lost one brother in 2013, lost two brothers with 3 months of each other in 2021 and then my sister in 2024.
  • Marko from IndianaCountless reasons why I can’t get this song out of my head but here are a couple I’ll share. First of all, we ALL can relate to loss in our lives which is highlighted in this song it also drives us forward to live each day as it’s our last because it could be. Second of all I love how the band has given us a ‘popier’ side of them and I hope it only grows their fan base of 8-80 years old even more! And finally, the Def Leppard ‘Hysteria’ sound (though I don’t believe intentional) has a nice ‘retro’ feel to it. Great job guys!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Bass Player Scott Edwards

Bass Player Scott EdwardsSong Writing

Scott was Stevie Wonder's bass player before becoming a top session player. Hits he played on include "I Will Survive," "Being With You" and "Sara Smile."

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Carol Kaye

Carol KayeSongwriter Interviews

A top session musician, Carol played on hundreds of hits by The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and many others.

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Annie Haslam of Renaissance

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.