Hourglass

Album: Out of the Wasteland (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Lifehouse frontman Jason Wade got to fulfill a musical fantasy and work with legendary movie score composer James Newton Howard on this harmony-heavy track. He recalled to Artist Direct: "When I went into the studio, there was a big picture of Jennifer Lawrence on the screen. He was finishing up the new Hunger Games."

    "I've been listening to his soundtracks since I was 18 or 19-years-old," Wade continued. "To get to collaborate with him and have my name next to his on a song credit was so cool. It was amazing. It was probably the highlight of the record."
  • The song was originally written by Lifehouse manager and co-producer Jude Cole along with James Newton Howard in the mid 1990s. Jason Wade told HMV.com: "I heard it a few years back and fell in love with it but it didn't have a title, so Jude asked me if I wanted to help finish the song. I said I'd love to. I put my vocal on the original demo, James loved it and played it for his wife and she loved it and wanted to be a part of recreating it. So we took elements of the demo and got to spend a couple of days with James and he did this amazing string arrangement. It's very complex and one of my favorites on the record."

Comments: 1

  • KatrinaOne of the most beautiful songs ever written. Jason Wade is pure joy with lyrics that transport you on a magical journey through the heart.. A harmonious celebration of love, the song pulls at every corner of your soul, and just like your first heartbreak, James Newton Howard’s creation will be unforgettable in the deepest most profound way.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"They're Playing My Song

When a waitress wouldn't take him home, Jack wrote what would become one of the Eagles most enduring hits.

Annie Haslam of Renaissance

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.

Francis Rossi of Status Quo

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?