“A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton

“A Thousand Miles” is basically about eagerly missing a loved one who is not physically present. Vanessa Carlton is so enthusiastic about seeing and holding this person that she has no problem walking a thousand-miles just to be with them. Hence the name of the song.

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Vanessa Carlton's A Thousand Miles at Lyrics.org.

Vanessa shares her desires by illustrating that she ignores many faces on the streets because her mind is set on getting to the destination of her loved one. Her mind is filled with thoughts of this person and all she’s really interested in is getting to meet him.

In the second verse however, it seems as though the singer’s love is unrequited. This is probably why she is unable to see him and is stuck with thoughts about him. In another sense, her repeated use of the word memory could signify that her loved one is probably deceased and she is unable to be with him physically. Either way, Vanessa seems uncertain about ever meeting this person, yet she wants him to know that she would do anything if seeing him was possible.

Lyrics of "A Thousand Miles"

What Vanessa Carlton said about “A Thousand Miles”

According to Carlton, “lost love” is what this song is primarily about. She further added that it is based on actual events as well as invented ones.

Vanessa Carlton explains "A Thousand Miles"

Did Vanessa Carlton write “A Thousand Miles”?

Yes. Carlton wrote both the lyrics and music of “A Thousand Miles” all by herself. She therefore holds sole writing credit to this song. But she didn’t participate in the song’s production. Music producers Curtis Schweitzer and Ron Fair handled the production of “A Thousand Miles”.

When was “A Thousand Miles” released?

It was released on the 12th of February 2002 as the first single from Carlton’s maiden album, “Be Not Nobody”. So “A Thousand Miles” is technically the first single Carlton released as a professional singer.

Such a Successful Song!

Not only did “A Thousand Miles” grow to become the breakthrough hit of Carlton’s career but it also became her trademark song. It enjoyed so much success in Carlton’s home (the United States) and across the globe. For example, it made it to number 1 on the ARIA Charts in Australia. Furthermore, it made it into the top 10 of many a country, including the following:

  • United States (5 on the Hot 100)
  • United Kingdom (6 on the UK Singles Chart)
  • Ireland (3)
  • Poland (2)
  • France (8)

In addition to the above, “A Thousand Miles” also got three Grammy Award nominations at 2003’s Grammy Awards. One of the categories it was nominated in was the prestigious “Song of the Year” category.

2 Responses

  1. John says:

    The song is about a crush she had on a person she never spoke to. It is about 4 minutes into The Story of “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton on youtube.

    The Story of “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QHOTcBfdDc

  2. Aisha says:

    Where is the lyrics ooooff
    So unhelpful

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