The Middle

Infobox Single
Name = The Middle


Artist = Jimmy Eat World
from Album = Bleed American
Released = 2001
Format = CD
Recorded = –
Genre = Pop punk
Length = 2:46
Label = DreamWorks R6538
Producer =
Chart position =

• #5 (Billboard Hot 100)

Last single = "Bleed American"
(2001)
This single = "The Middle"
(2001)
Next single = "Sweetness"
(2002)|"The Middle" is a single from Jimmy Eat World. It is the second single and third track from Jimmy Eat World's album "Bleed American". It was a top 5 Billboard Hot 100 hit in 2002. The song was a breakthrough hit for Jimmy Eat World (who had self-financed the recording of the "Bleed American" album after having been dropped by Capitol Records in 1999).

Preparing the song

"The Middle" was written after Jimmy Eat World had been dropped from Capitol Records after its previous album "Clarity" had been released. Its first album "Static Prevails" had sold just 10,000 copies in 1996 and Capitol Records decided to drop the band in 1999 due to a change in priorities. Singer/guitarist Jim Adkins explained to the "Dallas Observer" "We were just about invisible there and it wasn't going to get any better." Jim Adkins interview with "Dallas Observer" replayed in "Contemporary Musicians 2002" Galenet]

"The Middle" reflects these trying times for the band with lyrics about "Don't write yourself off yet" when feeling "Left out or looked down on." [http://www.jimmy-eat-world.com/pages/lyrics/the-middle.php Lyrics] at Jimmy Eat World's website] It was just one of a number of tracks that was receiving a strong positive response from fans at concerts. The band decided to finance the recording of the album and decided to keep things simple on the new record rather than experiment, as they had done on previous records. "On our new stuff, rather than challenging ourselves [by] getting real experimental, we kind of went in the other direction, challenging ourselves by getting very simple"

"The Middle" runs 2:46 and is the exemplar of the new approach. Once completed, Jimmy Eat World took "Bleed American" to record companies and was signed to Dreamworks Records. "Bleed American" was released in the middle of 2001 with the title track as the lead single. However, following the September 11, 2001 attacks the album's title was changed to a self-titled album and the lead single failed to win airplay although it reached the top 20 of the Billboard modern rock albums.

Hit

When "The Middle" was released, the success of the album and the band was dependent on the single breaking through. By the end of 2001, the song had reached the top of the Billboard modern rock track charts. The song was starting to cross over to Top 40 radio resulting in it reaching a peak of #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also charted in the UK reaching a peak of #26 in 2002.US Billboard chart references from Allmusic. UK chart references from [http://www.top-40charts.com Top-40 Charts.com] .] The band toured extensively behind the album, touring with Weezer, Tenacious D, Green Day, blink-182, and the Vans Warped Tour as well as the band's own headlining tour.

The band released "Sweetness" and "A Praise Chorus". However, it was the success of "The Middle" that led to "Bleed American" becoming a million seller in the US.

Use in media

* "The Middle" was included in the films "Orange County", "Mr. Deeds", "Life or Something Like It", "Zoom", and in the trailer for "The New Guy".
* There was a cover of "The Middle" (as well as a cover of "The Authority Song") recorded by D.O.R.K. and used in "".
* "The Middle" is featured in the music video games "Rock Band 2" and "".
* "The Middle" was in Kidz Bop 3.
* A school band version of "The Middle" was a track in NCAA March Madness 2005.
* "The Middle" is to be featured in the upcoming music video game "".

Music video

The song's video, directed by Paul Fedor, featuring young people in underwear was receiving plenty of play on MTV especially on "Total Request Live".

The video features a fully clothed teenage boy (Josh Keleher) who attends a house party at which Jimmy Eat World is playing--only to find everyone (except the band) in their underwear. Much of the crowd is making out--but the boy is excluded. Finally, out of frustration, he starts to strip to be like the others--only to bump into a teenage girl doing the same thing in the wardrobe he is in. The kids keep their clothes on and leave the party, arms around each other, as the song concludes.

Tracklist

AUS CD
#"The Middle"
#"No Sensitivity"
#"The Middle" (early demo)
#"The Middle" (video)

UK CD
#"The Middle
#"If You Don't, Don't" (acoustic) (XFM session)
#"Game of Pricks" (Guided by Voices cover) (Radio 1 Session)
#"The Middle" (video)

The Middle/A Praise Chorus AUS Tour EP
#"The Middle"
#"A Praise Chorus" (album version)
#"Bleed American" (live from the , Washington DC 6/4/02)
#"Firestarter" (The Prodigy cover)
#"The Middle" (acoustic)

Charts

References

;Specific references

;Other sources
* "Contemporary Musicians 2002" article on Jimmy Eat World. Gale.
* "Quietly, (like, real quietly) Jimmy Eat World have become the avatars of emo - whatever it is," "Entertainment Weekly", June 21, 2002.
* [http://www.spin.com/features/magazine/2004/11/jimmy_eat_world_futures/ Review of "Futures"] . "Spin", November 2004.
* Vanderhoff, Mark. [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:sykcikpabbo9~T1 Review of "Bleed American"] . Allmusic.