Unwell

For the concept related to the English word unwell, see Disease.

"Unwell"
Single by Matchbox Twenty
from the album More Than You Think You Are
Released April 3, 2003
Format CD single, audio cassette
Recorded 2002
Genre Pop rock
Length 3:48
Label Atlantic
Writer(s) Rob Thomas
Producer(s) Matt Serletic
Matchbox Twenty singles chronology
"Disease"
(2002)
"Unwell"
(2003)
"Bright Lights"
(2004)

"Unwell" is a song by American alternative rock group Matchbox Twenty. It was released in April 2003 as the second single from their third album, More Than You Think You Are. It was written by Matchbox Twenty lead singer Rob Thomas. It was very successful on the radio, spending 18 weeks at the top of the US Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, two weeks atop the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart,[1] as well as reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[1] The song was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Content

On the live DVD Show: A Night in the Life of Matchbox Twenty, Rob Thomas states that he wrote the song as a metaphor for humanity in general, a song for people who are "messed up and feel alone like that. We all feel a little messed up sometimes... you're not alone."

Music video

Directed by Meiert Avis, the music video predominantly features Thomas seeing various odd occurrences throughout, all the while singing along to the song. The rest of the band only appears in cameos, notably when Thomas boards a subway and they are seen in the background. The appearance of the other band mates is also altered like most of the video (their noses are rather large). The rest of the band is also seen at the end of the video gathered in Thomas' room, and each takes their turn waving goodbye to the camera before Thomas does so as well at the end of the video. One of the reasons Rob Thomas picked Meiert Avis to direct is because his concept for the video was the closest thing to an acid trip out of every other idea.

Critical reception

The song also was the second most-played song in the United States in 2003 according to Billboard magazine. The music video was No. 1 on VH1's Top 40 Videos of 2003. In 2011, VH1 named the song as the 82nd best song of the 2000s.

Track listing

  1. "Unwell" – 3:55
  2. "All I Need" (live) – 3:41
  3. "Unwell" (live acoustic) – 4:12

Chart positions

Chart (2003–04) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[2] 12
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[3] 8
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[4] 100
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 83
US Billboard Hot 100 5
US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 3
US Billboard Adult Top 40 1
US Billboard Adult Contemporary 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2003) Position
Australia (ARIA) 65
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 6

References

Preceded by
"Forever and for Always" by Shania Twain
Billboard Adult Contemporary number-one single
December 20–27, 2003
Succeeded by
"Sending You a Little Christmas" by Jim Brickman/Kristy Starling

See also

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