"Face Down" is the debut single by

the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is an American rock band that was formed in Middleburg, Florida, in 2003. The band has released five studio albums to date. The current members are Ronnie Winter (lead vocals), Joey Westwood (bass), Josh Burke (lead gu ...

from their debut album, ''

Don't You Fake It ''Don't You Fake It'' is the debut studio album by American Rock music, rock band The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. The title is taken from a line in the opening track, "In Fate's Hands". The album garnered mixed reviews from critics. ''Don't You Fake I ...

'' (2006). The song peaked at number 24 in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and number four in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It tied 30 Seconds to Mars' "

The Kill "The Kill" (written "The Kill (Bury Me)" on the single and music video) is a song by American band Thirty Seconds to Mars. The song was released on January 24, 2006 as the second single from their second album, '' A Beautiful Lie''. It was cert ...

" as the longest-running song on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...

chart without reaching number one, at 52 weeks. "Face Down" remains the band's most successful single. Four versions were released, including an acoustic version.

Lyrics and video

"Face Down" is notable for lyrics that detail suffering from

domestic abuse Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner v ...

. Written by lead singer Ronnie Winter, the song is about the domestic abuse that he and his brother lived through as children. He's said the "lyrics are deeply personal" and he wanted to "help kids who are in similar situations cope." The music video parallels the song in its treatment of violence in a relationship. After arriving home, a young woman examines a bruise on her lower back, and begins to look for and examine items that she associates with her boyfriend (e.g. pictures, a card, letters). As she does so, objects around her start to suddenly move as if thrown or destroyed by the unseen hand of an abuser. The level of damage done escalates throughout the video, though the young woman does not react or acknowledge the growing violence around her. After a chair flies through the living room window, she takes the pictures and letters and throws them into a garbage can outside her house. This unfolding scene is juxtaposed with shots of the band performing the song in a living room with lighting and decor which appear to be the young woman's. The music video for the symphonic version (released 2022) shows the story from the original music video continued. She is now in a healthy relationship and is fighting through her PTSD by producing videos about abuse to help others who might be suffering like she once did.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

In popular culture

"Face Down" is featured on '' Saints Row 2''s soundtrack. It was also featured on the ''

MX vs. ATV Untamed ''MX vs. ATV Untamed'' is an offroad racing game developed by Rainbow Studios, Tantalus Media, Incinerator Studios and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2 and all seventh-generation platforms, becoming the last ''MX vs. ATV'' game to releas ...

'' soundtrack.

References

{{Authority control 2006 songs 2006 debut singles The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus songs Song recordings produced by David Bendeth Songs about domestic violence Virgin Records singles