So Far Away

This reflective song finds Staind lead singer Aaron Lewis taking a step back to evaluate his life. All the struggles he went through and everything that seemed so important is now so far away. Staind formed in 1995 and a year later made an album on their own that they sold at shows. When it moved a few hundred copies, they were thrilled. Then they got a record deal and released an album in 1999 that sold 2 million, followed by their 5-million-selling Break The Cycle in 2001. But as they reached these heights, their problems didn't just go away, and in some ways Lewis' demons got even worse. Their songs remained very dark, which was part of the group's appeal - fans were happy to hear that life can be miserable at times even for rock stars. But Lewis had his first child in 2002 - daughter Zoe Jane - and developed a different perspective. "So Far Away" finds him in a good place, knowing that everything he went through led him to where he needed to be.

This was the second single from the 14 Shades Of Grey album, following "Price To Play." Both songs did well on rock radio but the genre as a whole was starting to fall out of favor. The album sold over a million copies in the US but was a disappointment compared to their previous album, Break The Cycle, which includes their most popular song, "It's Been Awhile." Over the next few years, Lewis had two more daughters and Staind released three more albums, the last of which, Staind, was released in 2011 as Lewis was launching a solo career as a country singer. The band didn't record again until 2023, when they worked on a new album.

The music video, directed by Nigel Dick, was mostly shot while the band was on tour an includes lots of footage from their shows, including one at the Orbit Room in Grand Rapids, Michigan.