"Take Me Away" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...

, taken as a promotional single from her second studio album '' Under My Skin'' (2004). It was written by herself and

Evan Taubenfeld Evan David Taubenfeld (born June 27, 1983) is an American singer and musician, best known for being Avril Lavigne's lead guitarist, music director and frequent collaborator. Taubenfeld's debut album, '' Welcome to the Blacklist Club'', was rele ...

, whilst production was handled by Don Gilmore. The song has a

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

sound and started playing on Canadian rock radio in March 2004, at around the same time that the album's lead single, " Don't Tell Me", was being promoted. The song was also included as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

on the physical release of "Don't Tell Me" in many regions, and re-released digitally as a promotional single from the album on May 24, 2004. "Take Me Away" received mixed reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

. Some critics complimented the composition and musical styles, whilst the rest criticized her songwriting and negatively compared it to the work of fellow Canadian artist

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...

Background and release

"Take Me Away" was written by Avril Lavigne and

, and was produced by Don Gilmore. It serves as the opening track to her second studio album '' Under My Skin'' (2004) and was first featured as a

of the album's lead single, " Don't Tell Me",

CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...

in many regions, including Australia, Japan and Europe. On May 24, 2004, the track was re-released as a digital download on the

iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...

as the promotional single for ''Under My Skin'', which was released on the next day. The tracks "

I Always Get What I Want "I Always Get What I Want" is a song recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne for her second studio album '' Under My Skin'' (2004). The song was written by Lavigne and Clif Magness, while Magness solely handled production. The song ...

" and "

He Wasn't "He Wasn't" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, released as the fourth and final single from her second studio album, ''Under My Skin (Avril Lavigne album), Under My Skin'' (2004). The song was written and produced by Lavigne a ...

", which also appeared on the parent album, were also released digitally on the same date. According to the

Australasian Performing Right Association APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwr ...

(APRA), Lavigne has recorded another song also titled "Take Me Away". It was written by Avril Lavigne and the music production team

the Matrix ''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantolia ...

(credited under all three members' name Graham Edwards, Scott Alspach and

Lauren Christy Lauren Christy is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. Originally a solo artist, she found success as part of the writing production trio The Matrix. The Matrix received numerous Grammy nominations including best producer. Biogr ...

). The Lavigne and Matrix track was originally meant to be on Lavigne's debut studio album, '' Let Go'' (2002), but didn't make the final track listing.

Composition

"Take Me Away" lasts for a duration of two minutes and fifty seven seconds. It is composed in the

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

E minor E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major. The E natural minor scale is: : Changes needed ...

and is set in

time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

, with a moderate

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 99

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

. The song has a basic sequence of Fm-Cm-D–E as its

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...

, and features a vocal range spanning from B₃ to D₅. "Take Me Away"'s lyrics are an outcry for her being unable to handle the confusion and hoping someone will take her out of the chaos. Annabel Leathes of

BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...

compared the song to another ballad from ''Under My Skin'', "

My Happy Ending "My Happy Ending" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, written by herself and Butch Walker for her second studio album, '' Under My Skin'' (2004). Structurally, the song is written in 4/4 style and has a repeated hook in both ...

", since they both "pivot on the pain and despair of relationships going off the boil and, despite the stadium-rousing choruses."

Reception

"Take Me Away" received generally mixed reviews by some critics. Annabel Leathes from

wrote that the song "pivot on the pain and despair of relationships going off the boil and, despite the stadium-rousing choruses ...Lavigne's whiney vocals and trite lyrics imply that madam is merely having a strop rather than wearing the hair shirt of

-style suffering." Lance Fiasco from

idobi Radio idobi Radio is one of the USA’s top modern rock Internet radio stations focusing on new pop punk and alternative music. The station broadcasts over the Internet via its website, app, iTunes and SHOUTcast. Established in 1999, idobi features ...

shared that "Take Me Away" and Lavigne's previous single, "

Losing Grip "Losing Grip" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, released as the fourth single and the first track from her debut album, '' Let Go'' (except in New Zealand, where "Mobile" was released), in March 2003. The song was written by ...

", are the harder-edged hair-messers that really showed her grrl badge, demonstrating the once-poisonous sting of Alanis. Sal Cinquemani from ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

'' labelled "Take Me Away" a "head-banging" opening track from the album which conjured '80s metal with heaps of guitars and vocal overdubs. Along with the release of ''Under My Skin'', the musical style of "Take Me Away" was strongly compared with American rock band

Evanescence Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer and musician Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording independent EPs as a duo in the late 90's, and a demo CD, Evanescence released their debut s ...

. James R. Minchin III of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' spoke out that Lavigne has transformed into a dour teen who seems to have spent way too much time listening to Evanescence. Sal Cinquemani of ''Slant Magazine'' noted that Lavigne's sound was now much heavier and darker and compared her to

Amy Lee Amy Lynn Hartzler (; born December 13, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is the co-founder, lead vocalist, and lead songwriter of the rock band Evanescence. Alongside her contributions with the band, Lee has also particip ...

, the co-founder and lead vocalist of Evanescence.

Live performances

Lavigne performed the acoustic version of "Take Me Away" at 2004 ''

Sessions@AOL AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...

'' on February 29, 2004. The audio performance of the song was later included on Lavigne's fourth extended play, ''Avril Live Acoustic'', which features other five audio performances at the concert and was released on July 1, 2004 by

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

. The song also appeared on Lavigne's setlist for her worldwide tour,

Bonez Tour Canadian recording artist Avril Lavigne has completed six concert tours beginning with the Try to Shut Me Up Tour in 2002–03. This was followed by the 13-month Bonez Tour in 2004–05 and The Best Damn World Tour in 2008. Her ongoing Love Sux ...

(2004–05). The performance of "Take Me Away" during the tour at

Nippon Budokan The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts con ...

in Tokyo, Japan is included on Lavigne's second full-length

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

'' Bonez Tour 2005: Live at Budokan'' (2004). The DVD was released exclusively in Japan and was certified gold by the

Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969. The RIAJ's activities include pr ...

(RIAJ).

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of "Don't Tell Me" CD single. Recording and management * Recorded at

NRG Studios NRG Recording Studios is a recording facility located in North Hollywood, California, that was created by producer and mixer Jay Baumgardner in 1992. Facilities The facility consists of three studio consoles: *Studio A console: custom vintage N ...

(

North Hollywood, California North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North H ...

) * Mixed at South Beach Studios (

Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which sep ...

, Florida) * Engineered at Ocean Way Recording (Los Angeles, United States) * Distributed by BMG Australia Limited * Published by Almo Music Corp. and Avril Lavigne Publishing Ltd. * All rights administered by Arista Records, Inc. Personnel *

– lead vocals, songwriting *

– songwriting * Don Gilmore – production * John O'Brien – programming, guitar, keyboards * Michael Ward – guitar * Dan Certa – engineering * Fox Phelps – engineering ssistant *Joshua Sarubin –

artists and repertoire Artists and repertoire (colloquially abbreviated to A&R) is the division of a record label or music publishing company that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists (singers, instrumentalist ...

*Kim Kinakin – art direction, design *Randy Jones – coordinator *Shauna Gold – management *Terry McBride – management *Cline – photography

Release history

References

{{Avril Lavigne songs Avril Lavigne songs 2004 songs Rock ballads 2004 singles Songs written by Avril Lavigne Songs written by Evan Taubenfeld Arista Records singles RCA Records singles Sony BMG singles Nu metal songs