Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own

"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own"
	File:U2 Sometimes CD1.png
Single by U2
from the album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
B-side	"Ave Maria"
Released	7 February 2005
Format	CD, DVD
Recorded	HQ in Dublin, Ireland, and South of France
Genre	Rock
Length	5:08 (Album version); 4:51 (Edited version); 5:30 (Alternate version)
Label	Island / Interscope Records
Producer(s)	Chris Thomas with additional production by Steve Lillywhite and Nellee Hooper
U2 singles chronology
Music video
	"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" on YouTube

"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own"

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U2's "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

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"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" is a song by rock band U2 and the third track from their 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. The song was released as the album's second single in the United Kingdom on 7 February 2005 and it debuted at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.^[1] Originally titled "Tough,"^{[citation needed]} the song is about lead singer Bono's relationship with his dying father. The song won awards for "Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" and "Song of the Year" at the 2006 Grammy Awards.

Background and writing

The lyrics were written by lead singer Bono as a tribute to his father, Bob Hewson, who died of cancer in 2001; Bono sang the song at his funeral. The video to the song begins with a note from Bono about his father, saying "I wish I'd known him better."

Release

"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" was released worldwide on 7 February 2005. The song was added to BBC Radio 1's C-list playlist on 29 December 2004. It moved to the B-list a week later and to the A-list a week after that. The song was also playlisted by XFM.

Chart performance

The song debuted at number one in the UK, marking the first time that a U2 album has produced two UK number 1 hits (following "Vertigo" in November 2004).^[1]

The single was also the third release in the United States. It reached number 15 on the Adult Top 40 chart, and number 29 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in April 2005. It also reached number 97 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Track listings

CD (2 track)^[2]
No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (Radio edit 96 BPM)	Bono	U2	4:51
2.	"Fast Cars" (Jacknife Lee mix)	Bono, the Edge	U2	3:28

CD (maxi)^[3]
No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (Radio edit 96 BPM)	Bono	U2	4:51
2.	"Ave Maria" (Jacknife Lee mix)	Bono (English lyrics)	Franz Schubert	3:28
3.	"Vertigo" (Redanka Power mix)	Bono, the Edge	U2	7:34

CD (Japan release)^[4]
No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (Radio edit 96 BPM)	Bono	U2	4:51
2.	"Fast Cars" (Jacknife Lee mix)	Bono, the Edge	U2	3:28
3.	"Vertigo" (Trent Reznor remix)	Bono, the Edge	U2	3:38
4.	"Vertigo" (Redanka Power mix)	Bono, the Edge	U2	7:34
5.	"Ave Maria" (Jacknife Lee mix)	Bono (English lyrics)	Franz Schubert	3:35

DVD single^[5]
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (Video – Live from HQ video, 16 November 2004)	5:15
2.	"Vertigo" (Video)	3:11
3.	"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (Album version)	5:05
4.	"Vertigo" (Trent Reznor remix)	3:38

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2005)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[6]	19
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[7]	25
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[8]	31
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)^[9]	32
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)^[10]	1
Denmark (Tracklisten)^[11]	2
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[12]	11
France (SNEP)^[13]	60
Germany (Official German Charts)^[14]	23
Ireland (IRMA)^[15]	3
Italy (FIMI)^[16]	2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[17]	4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[18]	5
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[19]	12
Norway (VG-lista)^[20]	6
Spain (PROMUSICAE)^[21]	1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[22]	24
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[23]	39
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)^[24]	1
US Billboard Hot 100^[25]	97
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)^[26]	15
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[27]	29
US Pop 100 (Billboard)^[10]	87

Year-end charts

Chart (2005)	Position
Spanish Singles Chart^[28]	10

References

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↑ "Australian-charts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Austriancharts.at – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Ultratop.be – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Ultratop.be – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
↑ "Danishcharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". Tracklisten. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "U2: Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Lescharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Musicline.de – U2 Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Chart Track: Week 6, 2005". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Italiancharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – U2 search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Charts.org.nz – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". VG-lista. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Spanishcharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Swedishcharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". Singles Top 60. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Swisscharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "Archive Chart: 2005-02-19" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "U2 – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for U2. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
↑ "U2 – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for U2. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
↑ "U2 – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for U2. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
Top40-Charts.com – "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" Single Charts Page – last accessed on 26 October 2005
All Music – U2 Charts and Awards – last accessed on 26 October 2005

Preceded by "Like Toy Soldiers" by Eminem	UK number one single 19 February 2005 – 25 February 2005	Succeeded by "Get Right" by Jennifer Lopez

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[sc_Australia_U2-6] "Australian-charts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Austria_U2-7] "Austriancharts.at – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Flanders_U2-8] "Ultratop.be – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Wallonia_U2-9] "Ultratop.be – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[Allmusic_Chart-10] 10.0 ^10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

[sc_Denmark_U2-11] "Danishcharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". Tracklisten. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Finland_U2-12] "U2: Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_France_U2-13] "Lescharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Germany_U2-14] "Musicline.de – U2 Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Ireland_-15] "Chart Track: Week 6, 2005". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Italy_U2-16] "Italiancharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Dutch40_U2-17] "Nederlandse Top 40 – U2 search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.

[sc_Dutch100_U2-18] "Dutchcharts.nl – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_New_Zealand_U2-19] "Charts.org.nz – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Norway_U2-20] "Norwegiancharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". VG-lista. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Spain_U2-21] "Spanishcharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Sweden_U2-22] "Swedishcharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". Singles Top 60. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Swiss_U2-23] "Swisscharts.com – U2 – Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_UK_U2-24] "Archive Chart: 2005-02-19" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Billboardhot100_U2-25] "U2 – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for U2. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

[sc_Billboardadultpopsongs_U2-26] "U2 – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for U2. Retrieved 6 June 2014.

[sc_Billboardalternativesongs_U2-27] "U2 – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for U2. Retrieved 6 June 2014.

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v t e U2
Bono The Edge Adam Clayton Larry Mullen Jr. Dik Evans Ivan McCormick
Studio albums	Boy October War The Unforgettable Fire The Joshua Tree Rattle and Hum Achtung Baby Zooropa Pop All That You Can't Leave Behind How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb No Line on the Horizon Songs of Innocence Songs of Experience Songs of Surrender
Compilations and EPs	Three Wide Awake in America Please: PopHeart Live EP The Best of 1980–1990 7 The Best of 1990–2000 Exclusive The Complete U2 Live from Under the Brooklyn Bridge U218 Singles Wide Awake in Europe
Live albums, fan-club releases, and other albums	Under a Blood Red Sky Melon: Remixes for Propaganda Original Soundtracks 1 Hasta la Vista Baby! U2 Live from Mexico City Live from the Point Depot U2.Communication Zoo TV Live U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle, Ireland Live from Paris Medium, Rare & Remastered Artificial Horizon Duals U22 From the Ground Up: Edge's Picks from U2360°
Singles	"Out of Control" "Another Day" "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" "A Day Without Me" "I Will Follow" "Fire" "Gloria" "A Celebration" "I Will Follow" "New Year's Day" "Two Hearts Beat as One" "Sunday Bloody Sunday" "Pride (In the Name of Love)" "The Unforgettable Fire" "With or Without You" "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" "Where the Streets Have No Name" "In God's Country" "One Tree Hill" "Desire" "Angel of Harlem" "When Love Comes to Town" "All I Want Is You" "The Fly" "Mysterious Ways" "One" "Even Better Than the Real Thing" "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" "Numb" "Lemon" "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" "Miss Sarajevo" (ft. Luciano Pavarotti) "Discothèque" "Staring at the Sun" "Last Night on Earth" "Please" "If God Will Send His Angels" "Mofo" "Sweetest Thing" "Beautiful Day" "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" "Elevation" "Walk On" "Electrical Storm" "Take Me to the Clouds Above" "Vertigo" "All Because of You" "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" "City of Blinding Lights" "The Saints Are Coming" (ft. Green Day) "Window in the Skies" "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew" "Get On Your Boots" "Magnificent" "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" "Ordinary Love" "Invisible" "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)" "Every Breaking Wave" "Song for Someone" "You're the Best Thing About Me" "Get Out of Your Own Way" "Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way" "Your Song Saved My Life" "Atomic City"
Other songs	"An Cat Dubh / Into the Heart" "The Electric Co." "October" "Seconds" "Red Light" "A Sort of Homecoming" "4th of July" "Bad" "Elvis Presley and America" "MLK" "Bullet the Blue Sky" "Running to Stand Still" "Red Hill Mining Town" "Trip Through Your Wires" "Exit" "Mothers of the Disappeared" "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" "Hawkmoon 269" "Heartland" "God Part II" "Night and Day" "Zoo Station" "Until the End of the World" "So Cruel" "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World" "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)" "Acrobat" "Love Is Blindness" "Zooropa" "Daddy's Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car" "Dirty Day" "The Wanderer" "Slug" "Your Blue Room" "Gone" "Kite" "In a Little While" "Wild Honey" "Peace on Earth" "When I Look at the World" "New York" "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" "The Hands That Built America" "Miracle Drug" "A Man and a Woman" "One Step Closer" "Original of the Species" "Yahweh" "Instant Karma!" "No Line on the Horizon" "Moment of Surrender" "Unknown Caller" "Stand Up Comedy" "Fez – Being Born" "White as Snow" "Breathe" "Cedars of Lebanon" "Winter" "XXX"
Videos and films	U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky The Unforgettable Fire Collection Rattle and Hum Zoo TV: Live from Sydney PopMart: Live from Mexico City Elevation 2001: Live from Boston U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle, Ireland Vertigo 2005: Live from Chicago Vertigo 05: Live from Milan U218 Videos Live from Paris U2 3D Linear U2360° at the Rose Bowl From the Sky Down Innocence + Experience: Live in Paris
Tours and concerts	October Tour War Tour The Unforgettable Fire Tour Live Aid A Conspiracy of Hope The Joshua Tree Tour Vaillancourt Fountain concert Lovetown Tour Zoo TV Tour PopMart Tour concert in Sarajevo Elevation Tour Super Bowl XXXVI halftime show Vertigo Tour U2 360° Tour Innocence + Experience Tour The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 Experience + Innocence Tour The Joshua Tree Tour 2019 U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere
Related articles	Awards and nominations Discography Songs Covers of U2 songs The Million Dollar Hotel (soundtrack) Mother Records AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered U2 by U2 U2 Tower Paul McGuinness Guy Oseary Bram van den Berg
Category Timeline

Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own

Contents

Background and writing

Release

Chart performance

Track listings

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

See also

References

External links

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v t e How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb track listing
"Vertigo" "Miracle Drug" "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" "Love and Peace or Else" "City of Blinding Lights" "All Because of You" "A Man and a Woman" "Crumbs from Your Table" "One Step Closer" "Original of the Species" "Yahweh" "Fast Cars"
All That You Can't Leave Behind No Line on the Horizon