Apologize by Timbaland (featuring OneRepublic)

Album: Timbaland Presents: Shock Value (2007)

Charted: 3 2

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Songfacts®:

The song is about the pain of a relationship going wrong and the necessity of moving on. The group OneRepublic performs on the track.
OneRepublic was formed in Colorado by songwriter and record producer Ryan Tedder and his high school friend Zach Filkins. The pair relocated to Los Angeles, where they recruited guitarist/keyboardist Drew Brown, bassist Brent Kutzle and drummer Eddie Fisher. OneRepublic garnered much support from the online community, especially on MySpace. Their guitar anthem "Apologize" got a lot of attention, but it was still a surprise when hip-hop, dance and R&B producer Timbaland produced a remix and included it on his Timbaland Presents: Shock Value album. It was this version that bought the song to an international audience.
Ryan Tedder is a Grammy nominated writer for Paul Oakenfold's A Lively Mind album. He also co-wrote and produced "Do It Well" for Jennifer Lopez and Leona Lewis' UK chart topper "Bleeding Love."
In an interview with I Like Music, Tedder was asked how his collaboration with Timbaland came about: "Well I've known Tim for about six years. I used to be signed as a solo artist back in the day. So he just kept tabs on me as my career progressed and we used to be signed to Columbia records and we got dropped a little over a year ago, and right after we got dropped our band exploded on MySpace out of nowhere, so all these labels starting calling us. Timbaland was one of them and he offered us the most interesting situation. He told me 'Aplogize would've been a hit with or without me', as it was already a hit on the internet but what he did was speed up the process tremendously."
This was a massive international hit. Among the countries "Apologize" topped the chart in were Australia, Canada, Germany, Holland, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland. It also spent 14 weeks at the top of the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles chart before being dethroned by Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love."
This song had a 25-week run in the US Top Ten. It was the longest any song has been in the Top 10 since 1999, when Santana featuring Rob Thomas' "Smooth" spent 30 weeks in that section of the survey.
Speaking with Billboard magazine, Ryan Tedder recalled the writing of the song. "I was a solo artist in the early 2000s, and I had started referring to myself as 'Republic.' I didn't have a live drummer, so I programmed a beat and then played piano over it.," he said. "They say necessity is the mother of invention, so it was necessary that I keep tempo. And the necessary became the finality of that song, and it became the invention of this weird mix of Britpop-influenced melodies and song with hip-hop underpinnings. The first verse I thought was so good, but it took me six months to finish the second."

Comments: 28

Muyale Charles from ButalejaGood song u knw
Jcboston69 from ColoradoApologize is an awesome song, but Timbaland screwed it up badly. His mix sounds like a 5 year-old with two weeks of time with Pro Tools recorded it.
Paige from EnglandCan anyone please explain the music video? I understand the part in the music studio but why is there a new year’s eve party and why does time randomly freeze. what is going on?!
Shawn from Green Bay WiI think this is one of the most brilliantly written songs in the past decade. It is full of lines dripping with irony and the paradoxical duplicitousness of love. The fact that he is hanging on her rope could be a good or bad thing. The fact that she cuts him down could be a good or bad thing. The fact that his love was red and now is turning blue could be a good or bad thing. This song perfectly captures the bittersweetness of breaking up with someone you really care about. Brilliant!
Quynh from Atlanta, Gai refuse to accept or acknowledge timbaland for this song. ALL HE DID WAS ADD THE DAMN "EY EY EY-EY"... ONEREPUBLIC/RYAN TEDDER deserves full credit for this song. the original sounded way better anyway.
Dick from Rapid City, SdThis song is about transformers and transforming. Transformers robots in disguise. Autobots rollout. You failed me again Starscream
Ashleigh from ?????, MoFor the last tme this song is NOT about suicide!!! When it says "Holding on your rope..." , it's talking about a guy in a relationship with a girl. He's in the air , feeling good. Then, his girl cuts him down, breaks up with him. But, just when he's walking away, she's like "I'm sorry" but he's like "It's too late to apologize. Thats what the song is about. Have I made it clear enough for everyone?!
Anthony from Galway, Irelandthis song is about how we all strive for what we believe is right and if we get what we want there is no going back from it for better or worse. it becomes 'too late to apologise'.
Britni from Nashville, TnWhoever is saying this song is not about someone killing their selves is wrong. This song starts out saying that "I'm holding on a rope, got me 10 feet off the ground" that is suicide, obviously its about a relationship that been through a lot and the girl broke up with the boy and then the boy killed himself and it was too late for her to say she was sorry for all the things that she put him through.
Popiee from Stratford On Avon, United Kingdomthe song isabout his frien who he fell outwith.his friend killed himself and now its to late for him to apologise
Swanga from San Antonio, TxMy interpretation is about someone breaking their relationship over a conflict. To me it was over a cheating conflict that the boyfriend had a hard time handling so he ended the relationship and it was "Too late to apologize". The "rope" is the guys attempt to stay with her because he loves her so much and doesn't want to let go but knows he has to.
Homer from Chicago, Nigeriasorry about using caps locks and saying i swear i did not see the comment guidelines
Homer from Chicago, NigeriaHEY GUYS JUST STOP HATIN ON TIMBALND CAUSE HE IS BLACK JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE!
Colin from Guelph, Onwow. this song is the second worse of 2007, passed only by soulja boy. i can't believe that these two songs are hits. mainstream music is on a rapid decline.
Tynee from Birmingham, Alboth version of the song are but I like Timbaland the best and just becaus the lyrics said "holdin'on the rope, got me ten feet off the ground" don't mean it about suicide.
Mindi from Mansfield, OhI think you guys are thinking too hard about the meaning of this song. It is clearly about being treated like crap by someone long enough to finally get over it and then telling that person it is "too late to apologize" when they come crying back to you. Who said anything about suicide?
Samantha from Boone, IaOk let's get the whole suicide thing out of the way shall we... The woman has the man tied down, tied around her finger we could say. He has been tied to her rope for a long time but not any more because all of her nagging and putting him down has made him realize he can not be tied down anymore especially by her twofaced self. Therefore he states 'it's too late to apologize' because she has pushed him too far and is too angry to forgive her for her wrongdoing. I would hate to have this song sung to me, very good song, true, but very sad and depressing.
Krys from Warner Robins, Gaonerepublic's version is much better. timbaland's version sounds a little more generic and onerepublic's sounds more real (instruments wise)
Gareth from Lincoln, EnglandThis really is a quality song about the break up of a relationship and the lyrics depict the heartbreak and frustrations brilliantly. The song is certainly not about suicide. Good piece of work though.
Alease from T-town, Ohthere was a kid in our school system who was a victim of a horrible car accident on Sept 11, and this song was played at this funeral.
I didn't realize that it was in gym class when i was bobbin my head and singing along last week- I started getting angry stares, and then I was told where they played it and I felt horrible.
RIP Josiah Natole
Shaun from Nunya, NcThe rope I think is just a metaphor dealing with him being vulnerable because he loves her... and her cutting the rope down is metaphorical for her hurting him deeply. but this time he isn't gonna let him do it to him again and of course he is saying it is too late to apologize...

I don't really think it has anything to do with suicide, but I may be wrong of course.

And the second verse seems to be talking about how he wants to forgive her, because he loves her, but he doesn't want to be hurt again by her. the metaphor about angel I think is about him thinking she was the one for him, not an angel in the sense of death or suicide.
Taylor from San Antonio, Txits not about suicide why do people always asume everythings about suicide the line holding on your rope got me ten feet of the ground refers to a relationship im holding on to the relationship but need to let go
Meredith from Wauwatosa, WiI really like this song. It's very whimsical. For you So You Think You Can Dance fans out there it was Anya and Danny's contemporary dance. I'm a little sad that they were in the bottom, but Danny ended up being the runner-up. Very neat song!
Kris from Wichita, KsIdk what this song is about but if it's not about suicide then i think the whole Holdin' on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground lyric is talkuing bout when him n his girl is talking and everything she tells him kills him a little bit? idk
Nick from Melbourne, AustraliaI think this song is about suicide. Note the lines "Holdin' on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground" Could the rope be a noose? Also, commiting suicide would definately make it "too late to apologize"
Bojana from Sydney, Australiai was told this song is about suicide?
is this true?
Matthew from East Brunswick, NjBoth the Timbaland version and the OneRepublic versions are good. Only I like the Timbaland, it has a better rhythmic pattern. Nice work.
Dee from Indianapolis, InI really love this song. The first time I heard it I was blown away by the lyrics and by it's depth. I don't think that it is ONLY a great breakup song, however that it is poetry in song which reflects our state of mind and or our unrealistic expectations when some of us are in a relationship. It's probably good therapy for most. LOL :))

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