Lightning Crashes

The band dedicated this song to Barbara Lewis, one of their high school friends who was killed by a drunk driver around the time it was written. Her brother-in-law Cory told Songfacts the story: "The song's lyrics are mostly an analogy. Barb donated several organs, including her heart. She was close with Ed [lead singer Ed Kowalczyk] and the guys and died in a car collision with a fleeing armed robber. These lyrics are constantly misunderstood! Yes, Ed is speaking to the circle of life, but specifically to how Barb's life gave new life to many. The angel, the baby down the hall, the pale blue eyes (of Barb), the pain ("confusion")... the lyrics are wholly Ed's interpretation of his experience and perception of Barb's impact. Our family has become close with the most genuine and caring man who is still alive today (over 10 years later), who has Barb's heart beating in his chest! 'Lightning Crashes' literally lives on."

Ed Kowalczyk doesn't like to talk about the meaning of this song, but he did explain its creation. "I wrote 'Lightning Crashes' on an acoustic guitar in my brother's bedroom shortly before I had moved out of my parents' house and gotten my first place of my own," he recalled to Spin magazine.

There was a very long lag between when this lighting crashed and when we finally heard the thunder. The Throwing Copper album was released in May 1994, with "Selling The Drama" issued as the first single. In July, it peaked at #43 on the Hot 100 and the band started to build a buzz. They played Woodstock '94 in August, winning over a bevy of new fans. For marketing purposes, they stopped selling singles, a strategy designed to boost album sales. Live released four more singles from the album, but you couldn't buy them: they were sent as promo copies to radio stations and most got music videos that were pushed to MTV. "I Alone" was the next single, garnering most of its airplay at the end of 1994. "Lightning Crashes" came next, and it was huge, making inroads on pop radio as well as rock. It ended up being Live's most popular song and helped the album sell over 8 million copies.