The Dolphin's Cry

For the 1986 Soviet science fiction film, see The Dolphin's Cry (film).

"The Dolphin's Cry" is a song by American alternative rock band Live, released on August 24, 1999, as the lead single from their fourth studio album, The Distance to Here. The song was co-produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads, and features Adam Duritz of Counting Crows on backing vocals. It reached number one on the Canadian RPM Top 30 Rock Report and number two on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Internationally, "The Dolphin's Cry" peaked at number one in Iceland, number seven in Flanders, and number 10 in the Netherlands while reaching the top 50 on the Australian and New Zealand music charts.

"The Dolphin's Cry"
Single by Live
from the album The Distance to Here
Released	August 24, 1999 (1999-08-24)
Studio	The Site (San Rafael, California) Village Recorder (West Los Angeles) A&M (Hollywood, California) The Plant (Sausalito, California)
Length	4:25 (album version) 4:02 (radio edit)
Label	Radioactive
Songwriter(s)	Ed Kowalczyk
Producer(s)	Jerry Harrison Live
Live singles chronology
"Rattlesnake" (1997) "The Dolphin's Cry" (1999) "Run to the Water" (2000)
Music video
"The Dolphin's Cry" on YouTube

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.^[1][2][3] In Canada, the song topped the RPM Top 30 Rock Report.^[4] 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.^[5][6][7] In the latter country, it topped the UK Rock Chart.^[8] In Australia, the single earned a Gold certification for shipments in excess of 35,000.^[9]

Music video

The music video, directed by Martin Weisz,^[10] 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^[11] "The Dolphin's Cry" "Vine Street" "Lakini's Juice" (Sippin on Lakini's Juice remix) UK CD2^[12] "The Dolphin's Cry" (album version) "Sun" (loop version) "Turn My Head" (recorded live in Melbourne, Australia 1997) "The Dolphin's Cry" (video)

European CD single^[13] "The Dolphin's Cry" (radio edit) "Vine Street" Australian and South African CD single^[14]^[15] "The Dolphin's Cry" (radio edit) "Vine Street" "Sun" (loop version)

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the US promo CD liner notes and The Distance to Here album booklet.^[16][17]

Studios

• Recorded at The Site (San Rafael, California), Village Recorder (West Los Angeles), A&M Studios (Hollywood, California), and The Plant (Sausalito, California)
• Mixed at South Beach Studios (Miami Beach, Florida) and Encore Studios (Burbank, California)
• Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)

Live

• Ed Kowalczyk – lyrics, music, lead vocals, guitar
• Chad Taylor – lead guitar
• Patrick Dahlheimer – bass
• Chad Gracey – drums
• Live – production

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 Chart (1999–2000) Peak position Australia (ARIA)^[6] 25 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[18] 7 Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)^[4] 1 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)^[5] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[19] 13 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[20] 10 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[21] 48 Scotland (OCC)^[22] 65 UK Singles (OCC)^[7] 62 UK Rock & Metal (OCC)^[8] 1 US Billboard Hot 100^[1] 78 US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[23] 18 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)^[3] 3 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[2] 2

Year-end charts Chart (1999) Position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[24] 85 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)^[25] 4 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[26] 58 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[27] 94 US Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[28] 31 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[28] 25

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[9]	Gold	35,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	August 24, 1999	Mainstream rock active rock alternative radio	Radioactive	^[29]
United Kingdom	January 24, 2000	CD		^[30]

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.^[31][32]

References

1. "Live Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
2. "Live Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
3. "Live Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
4. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 7272." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
5. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 20 (10.2 – 16.2 2000)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). February 11, 2000. p. 12. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
6. "Live – The Dolphin's Cry". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
8. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
9. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
10. "Live – The Dolphins Cry" mvdbase.com
11. The Dolphin's Cry (UK CD1 single liner notes). Live. Radioactive Records. 1999. RAXTD 39, 155642-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
12. The Dolphin's Cry (UK CD2 single liner notes). Live. Radioactive Records. 1999. RAXXD 39, 155644-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
13. The Dolphin's Cry (European CD single liner notes). Live. Radioactive Records. 1999. 155 631-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
14. The Dolphin's Cry (Australian CD single liner notes). Live. Radioactive Records, Universal Music Australia. 1999. 155 632-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
15. The Dolphin's Cry (South African CD single liner notes). Live. Radioactive Records. 1999. MAXCD 187.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
16. The Dolphin's Cry (US promo CD liner notes). Live. Radioactive Records. 1999. RAR5P-4406.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
17. The Distance to Here (US CD album booklet). Live. Radioactive Records. 1999. 088 111 966-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
18. "Live – The Dolphin's Cry" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
19. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 44, 1999" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
20. "Live – The Dolphin's Cry" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
21. "Live – The Dolphin's Cry". Top 40 Singles.
22. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
23. "Live Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
24. "Jaaroverzichten 1999" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
25. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 100". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 5, 2001. p. 10. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
26. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1999". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
27. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1999" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
28. "1999 – The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 52. December 25, 1999. p. 138. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
29. "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1313. August 20, 1999. pp. 94, 100, 169. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
30. "New Releases – For Week Starting 24 January, 2000: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. January 22, 2000. p. 25. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
31. "Soundtracks for The Sopranos – University (2001)" IMDb
32. "Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000) - IMDb". IMDb.