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"Because of You" is the fourth single from Breakaway, the second album by pop rock singer, Kelly Clarkson.

Song information

The single was co-written by Clarkson, Ben Moody, and David Hodges and co-produced by Moody and Hodges. The song is one of Clarkson's most personal as she originally wrote the lyrics when she was only sixteen-years-old to deal with her emotional pain at the time. Clarkson has stated that although she has grown to overcome her pain through God, she can still relate to the pain of "Because of You".

Years later when she met Moody and Hodges, Clarkson asked if they could write songs with her. She asked them to help her polish "Because of You" for the Breakaway album, but said that she would understand if they disliked the song and wanted to write a new song with her. Instead, both Moody and Hodges were impressed with the song, and along with Clarkson, they polished it into its final form. In this emotional autobiographical anthem, Clarkson laments her troubled family life as she sings: "Because of you, I never stray too far from the sidewalk, because of you, I learn to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt. Because of you, I find it hard to trust, not only me, but everyone around me, because of you I am afraid. Because of you".

Music video

Like she did with "Behind These Hazel Eyes", Clarkson wrote the video's treatment herself, which was directed by Vadim Perelman. The video is based on a true story of the troubled childhood of Clarkson (due to the nature of the video, she asked her parents for permission before it was created).

The video starts off one afternoon at the Clarkson household. There, Clarkson and her husband are engaged in a heated argument, and at one point he takes a picture of the family and threatens to smash it. However, he never gets the chance to, as time freezes still and her husband becomes immobile; Clarkson, however, is immune to this. Looking around the corners of her house. she sees a sight that suprises her: her younger self.

Hand in hand, the yonger and older Clarkson relive Clarkson's troubled childhood as various painful memories are seen such as the younger Clarkson making a picture for her father to admire, which is then tossed into the srink, and Clarkson's mother making an unappreciated dinner for her father. These events drive Clarkson's mother to the point of taking pills and crying publicly in front of the younger Clarkson.

The breaking point is finally seen when Clarkson's parents have a physical fight and throw objects at each other. Not soon after, Clarkson's father packs his bags, as he is leaving the family; although the younger Clarkson tries to get him to stay, he pulls away. Filled with the memories of her past, the older Clarkson has seen enough and runs back in time to the present. There, time unfreezes and instead of fighting with her husband, they make up. Clarkson's own daughter can be seen walking around the corner. At last, Clarkson has broken the cycle of having a broken family.

The music video of "Because of You" was officially released on TRL on October 3, 2005.

Comprehensive charts

World

Billboard

Chart trajectory

• 2005 singles
• Pop songs
• Kelly Clarkson songs