The Fray — "Over My Head (Cable Car)"

The Fray - Over My Head (Cable Car)

▶ The music video — press play

The piano-rock breakout that introduced The Fray to the world — a mid-2000s radio staple about a falling-out with a brother, its title borrowed from his childhood nickname.

"Over My Head (Cable Car)" was the lead single from Denver band The Fray's 2005 debut album, How to Save a Life, written by singer Isaac Slade and guitarist Joe King. Slade has said it grew out of a real estrangement from his younger brother Caleb, whose family nickname — "Cable Car" — became the song's parenthetical title and the name of the original demo.

All earnest piano chords and a soaring, singable chorus, it was a perfect fit for mid-decade adult-alternative radio and climbed to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving The Fray their first hit. It set the table for the even bigger title track, "How to Save a Life," and helped define the wave of piano-driven pop-rock that dominated the back half of the 2000s.

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