The Dolphin's Cry


"The Dolphin's Cry" is a song by American alternative rock band Live, released on August 24, 1999, as the lead single from their fifth studio album, The Distance to Here. Written by lead singer Ed Kowalczyk, the song was co-produced by the band and Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads. "The Dolphin's Cry" reached number one on the Canadian RPM Top 30 Rock Report and number two on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Internationally, "The Dolphin's Cry" peaked at number one in Iceland, number seven in Flanders, and number 10 in the Netherlands.

Chart performance

In the United States "The Dolphin's Cry" reached number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100, number two on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and number three on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. In Canada, the song topped the RPM Top 30 Rock Report. The single also reached number one in Iceland, number seven the Flanders region of Belgium, number 10 in the Netherlands, number 25 in Australia, number 48 in New Zealand, and number 62 in the United Kingdom. In the latter country, it topped the UK Rock Chart. In Australia, the single earned a Gold certification for shipments in excess of 35,000.

Music video

The music video, directed by Martin Weisz, features the band playing in an alley as successively larger waves of water flow towards them. The other people in the alley grow more panicked as the waves get larger. Towards the end of the song, the largest wave sweeps through the alley and knocks the band down, but they get back up and resume playing.

Track listings

UK CD1
  1. "The Dolphin's Cry"
  2. "Vine Street"
  3. "Lakini's Juice"
UK CD2
  1. "The Dolphin's Cry"
  2. "Sun"
  3. "Turn My Head"
  4. "The Dolphin's Cry"
European CD single
  1. "The Dolphin's Cry"
  2. "Vine Street"
Australian and South African CD single
  1. "The Dolphin's Cry"
  2. "Vine Street"
  3. "Sun"

    Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the US promo CD liner notes and The Distance to Here album booklet.
Studios
Live
Other personnel
  • Jerry Harrison – production
  • Gary Kurfirst – executive production
  • Tom Lord-Alge – mixing
  • Karl Derfler – engineering
  • Doug McKean – additional engineering
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Sagmeister Inc. – art direction
  • Motoko Hada – artwork design and illustration

    Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

In popular culture

This song was featured in The Sopranos episode University when Caitlin Rucker interrupts Meadow Soprano and Noah Tannenbaum kissing and was also used in the film Urban Legends: Final Cut.