Kryptonite (3 Doors Down song)

The song "Kryptonite" was written by 3 Doors Down's vocalist and drummer, Brad Arnold, in a mathematics class when he was 15; it was one of the first songs he ever wrote. Considered a post-grunge track, the song is composed in the time signature of common time, the key of B minor with a tempo of "double time feel" 100 bpm, and the vocal range of B3-F♯5, according to Musicnotes.com. About the song's meaning, Arnold has said: The band gave their demo tape to local Mississippi radio station WCPR-FM who started playing the EP version of "Kryptonite" and it became the No. 1 requested song on the station for over 15 weeks. ==Music video==

Directed by Dean Karr and filmed in March 2000, the music video presents an old man who was a big-time action hero on 1950s TV. The scene cuts between the band hanging around on the roof of the apartments where the old man lives, spying on a man harassing a woman. When the man drags her away, the old man dons his superhero suit and follows. In between shots of the old hero chasing the bad guy and failing to protect himself against a group of goths, the band is shown playing in a club (the Cowboy Palace Saloon in LA) with several other elderly people dressed as caricatures of comic villains. Several of these people are seen riding a mechanical bull during the final chorus. The video comes to a close when the old man dives through the skylight and catches the bad guy off guard, possibly knocking him out by falling on top of him. The video ends with the old man smiling, giving a thumbs up to the camera, having successfully completed his mission. ==Live performances==

"Kryptonite" was first performed live in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on January 15, 1997. As of February 10, 2026, it has been performed 722 times, making it the most performed song by 3 Doors Down. ==Track listings==

European CD single • "Kryptonite" (LP version) – 3:56 • "Smack" (LP version) – 2:29 German CD single • "Kryptonite" (LP version) – 3:56 • "Wasted Me" – 3:11 • "Life of My Own" (live from Atlanta) – 4:36 • "Kryptonite" (acoustic) – 3:49 European and Australian maxi-CD single • "Kryptonite" (LP version) – 3:55 • "Wasted Me" – 3:11 • "Duck and Run" (LP version) – 3:52 • "Kryptonite" (video) – 3:53 ==Personnel==

Personnel are taken from the US promo CD liner notes. • Brad Arnold – vocals, drums, lyricist, composer • Matt Roberts – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, composer • Chris Henderson – rhythm guitar • Todd Harrell – bass guitar, composer • Paul Ebersold – producer ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts Decade-end charts ==Certifications==