Ho Hey
"Ho Hey" is a folk rock song by the American band the Lumineers, released on June 4, 2012, as the lead single from their self-titled debut studio album.[1] Written primarily by lead vocalist Wesley Schultz and drummer Jeremiah Fraites, the track features an infectious, call-and-response chant of "ho" and "hey" that became its signature hook, drawing from influences like the Felice Brothers' rendition of the traditional folk tune "Take This Hammer."[2] The song's lyrics explore themes of loneliness, perseverance, and longing for companionship, reflecting Schultz's personal experiences with heartbreak during his time in New York before the band's move to Denver.[2][1] The Lumineers, founded in 2005 in Ramsey, New Jersey, by childhood friends Schultz and Fraites, blend elements of indie folk, Americana, and alternative rock in their music, often characterized by raw energy and intimate storytelling.[3] After relocating to Denver, Colorado, the duo expanded with cellist Neyla Pekarek (until 2018)[4] and later violinist Lauren Jacobson, building a reputation through grassroots performances before their breakthrough.[5] "Ho Hey" was recorded in a relaxed, organic style without a click track, with final touches added in a wooded area north of Seattle, emphasizing the band's preference for live, unpolished sound over studio polish.[2] Commercially, "Ho Hey" marked the Lumineers' international breakthrough, debuting at number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually peaking at number 3 while spending 62 weeks on the chart.[6] It topped the Alternative Songs and Adult Pop Songs charts and achieved platinum certification from the RIAA for over one million units sold in the United States.[7] The song's viral momentum was boosted by its feature on the TV series Hart of Dixie and radio play from a Seattle DJ, leading to widespread covers, media appearances, and its role in sparking renewed interest in folk-influenced pop during the 2010s.[2][8]Background and recording
Writing and inspiration
"Ho Hey" originated from Wesley Schultz's challenging experiences in New York City between 2005 and 2010, a period marked by financial struggles, odd jobs like bartending, and a sense of isolation amid the competitive music scene.[1] Schultz, who had moved from New Jersey to pursue music, felt disconnected in Brooklyn, often performing to indifferent crowds in bars where success seemed as distant as playing major venues like the Mercury Lounge.[2] This era of perseverance fueled the song's core theme of longing for connection, reflecting his devotion to music despite loneliness and a personal breakup that deepened his emotional turmoil.[8] The iconic "Ho! Hey!" chant emerged as a practical tool during early live performances to engage unresponsive audiences in New York bars. Schultz and his bandmate Jeremiah Fraites would shout the calls from the stage to capture attention, evolving into a participatory call-and-response that mirrored folk traditions of communal singing.[9] This element was directly inspired by the Felice Brothers' raw, audience-involving cover of the traditional folk song "Take This Hammer," emphasizing simplicity and shared energy over polished production.[2] The song's initial writing took place spontaneously in 2009 during a session in Schultz's New York apartment, where the melody and hook crystallized around reflections on love and resilience after his breakup. It evolved from an earlier composition titled "Everyone Requires a Plan."[2] Drawing from folk roots, Schultz crafted the piece with basic chords to convey defiance and belonging, capturing his determination to persist in music and relationships.[1] These early ideas were refined collaboratively with Fraites, forming the foundation that would appear on the band's self-titled debut album in 2012.[2]Recording process
The Lumineers recorded "Ho Hey" during sessions for their self-titled debut album at Bear Creek Studio, a converted barn in the woods of Woodinville, Washington, in late 2011 with producer Ryan Hadlock.[10][11] The studio's isolated, natural setting contributed to the song's organic atmosphere, allowing the band to focus on capturing a live performance energy without extensive overdubs initially.[10] The production emphasized minimal instrumentation to preserve a raw folk sound, featuring Wesley Schultz on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Jeremiah Fraites on drums and percussion, and Neyla Pekarek on cello.[11][12] Additional elements included mandolin, stomping percussion, and hand claps, all tracked to evoke the unpolished vibe of their early live shows.[11] Hadlock and the band opted for a no-click-track approach during basic tracking to maintain rhythmic looseness and spontaneity, recording the core elements in a single room for natural bleed and cohesion.[2][10] Following the initial sessions, the band traveled to Fairfax Recording in Los Angeles for overdubs and mixing with engineer Kevin Augunas, who streamlined the arrangement by removing about 12 tracks to heighten the song's simplicity and impact.[11] Augunas re-recorded elements like the "ho hey" chants using a Neumann M49 microphone in the live room, re-amping through an Altec speaker for added texture, and applied minimal processing—such as a Studer tape delay and echo chamber reverb—to retain the energetic, unrefined feel without compression or heavy EQ.[11] This subtractive process, completed in just a couple of hours, aligned with the band's goal of prioritizing storytelling and live intimacy over polished production.[11][10]Composition and lyrics
Musical structure
"Ho Hey" employs a verse-chorus structure typical of folk-rock, featuring two verses, three choruses, a bridge, and an outro, arranged in a V-C-V-C-B-C pattern that builds dynamically to a full-band crescendo in the final chorus. The repeating "Ho! Hey!" hook, chanted in the chorus, serves as the song's central auditory motif, integrating seamlessly with the vocal delivery to create an anthemic, participatory feel. This form allows for a gradual intensification, starting sparse and expanding with added layers toward the end.[13][2] The track is set in the key of C major, with a tempo of 80 beats per minute and a 4/4 time signature that underscores its steady, driving folk-rock rhythm. Instrumentation centers on a fingerpicked acoustic guitar propelling the melody, accented by mandolin for a distinctive twang, while percussion relies on handclaps, stomps, and subtle cello pizzicato in place of traditional bass to maintain a raw, organic texture. No metronome was used during recording, contributing to the song's loose, live-like energy.[2] Stylistically, "Ho Hey" reflects influences from Americana and indie folk, evident in its simple, anthemic arrangement that evokes communal sing-alongs and draws comparisons to contemporaries like Mumford & Sons through its blend of acoustic intimacy and rhythmic propulsion. This approach prioritizes emotional directness over complexity, aligning with broader trends in early 2010s folk revivalism.[14][15]Lyrical themes
The lyrics of "Ho Hey" explore themes of longing and resilience in love, depicted through introspective reflections on personal struggles and the desire for connection. Frontman Wesley Schultz conveys a sense of isolation and perseverance with repetitive phrases such as "I've been trying to do it right" and "I've been living a lonely life," which underscore the narrator's efforts to navigate emotional hardship while yearning for companionship.[1] These elements draw from Schultz's own experiences of solitude during a difficult period in New York City, where financial pressures and a breakup left him feeling detached, as he later described the song as capturing "a bit like a monk to music" existence.[1] The plea "I belong with you, you belong with me" emerges as a defiant assertion of mutual belonging, symbolizing resilience against rejection and the hope of overcoming loneliness through partnership.[16] Central to the song's emotional core is the "Ho! Hey!" chant, serving as a non-verbal outburst that evokes joy, unity, and cathartic release, breaking through the verses' vulnerability to foster a communal spirit. Schultz conceived this hook spontaneously during live performances to engage indifferent audiences, drawing inspiration from folk traditions like the Felice Brothers' rendition of "Take This Hammer," which infused the lyrics with a raw, exclamatory energy that amplifies themes of emotional liberation.[2] Rather than articulating specific narratives, the chant's simplicity allows it to transcend personal anecdote, inviting listeners to join in an expression of shared defiance and optimism amid relational turmoil.[17] Autobiographical threads weave through the lyrics, particularly in references to sleeping alone and seeking enduring partnership, rooted in Schultz's real-life breakup and relocation from New York to Denver, events that "steamrolled" him emotionally and professionally.[16] Lines like "My life, she ain't nothing but a shadow / You're a silhouette" evoke the emptiness of unfulfilled love, mirroring Schultz's isolation as a struggling artist who prioritized music over social connections.[2] The lyrics evolved from an initial demo sketched hastily in Schultz's New York apartment—initially part of a fragment titled "Everyone Requires a Plan"—to a more polished, universal form refined through live iterations with bandmate Jeremiah Fraites, emphasizing broad relatability over specific details to resonate widely.[2] This progression stripped away overly personal specifics, transforming the song into an anthem of collective longing that prioritizes emotional accessibility, as Schultz noted it was "as much about my relationship with the city as it was about going through a break-up."[1]Release and promotion
Single release
"Ho Hey" was released as the lead single from the Lumineers' self-titled debut album on June 4, 2012.[1] The album itself had been issued in the United States on April 3, 2012, by the independent label Dualtone Records, marking the band's first major release after years of independent production and touring.[1] Positioned as the breakout track from this independently produced record, the single helped propel the Lumineers from obscurity to wider recognition in the folk-rock scene. The initial format for "Ho Hey" was a digital download through Dualtone Records in the United States.[18] Physical releases followed, including a 7-inch vinyl single issued in the UK and Europe on March 25, 2013, via Decca Records.[19] CD versions were also available later, expanding distribution options for fans. Internationally, the single was handled by Universal Music Group imprints, such as Decca, facilitating broader global availability beyond the US market.[18] This distribution strategy aligned with the album's worldwide rollout under Universal, allowing "Ho Hey" to reach audiences in Europe and other regions shortly after its American debut.Promotional campaigns
The Lumineers' "Ho Hey" achieved widespread popularity through a viral spread on social media platforms in 2012, fueled by user-generated content such as wedding videos and personal sing-along clips that encouraged audience participation and sharing. Early radio exposure played a crucial role, particularly when Seattle DJ John Richards on KEXP began playing the song back-to-back on his morning show starting in January 2012, helping to spark its organic momentum.[2][20] The band's grassroots approach, emphasizing organic growth via small-venue performances and word-of-mouth endorsements rather than heavy traditional marketing, amplified this momentum and helped the track resonate with audiences organically.[21][22] To further promote the single, the band appeared on major television programs, delivering energetic live renditions of "Ho Hey." Notable performances included an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on July 25, 2012, where they showcased the song's stomping rhythm to a national audience, and their debut on Saturday Night Live on January 19, 2013, hosted by Jennifer Lawrence, which highlighted the track's anthemic appeal during prime time.[23][24] Licensing deals played a key role in expanding the song's reach, particularly its feature in a Microsoft Bing television commercial launched on June 1, 2012, as part of the "Discovering Hawaii" campaign, which paired the track's upbeat folk energy with travel imagery and introduced it to millions of viewers, markedly increasing its mainstream exposure.[25]Commercial performance
Chart performance
"Ho Hey" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 90 on June 23, 2012, and steadily climbed the chart, ultimately peaking at number 3 on the week ending December 29, 2012. The song spent 14 weeks in the top 10 and a total of 62 weeks on the Hot 100, marking one of the longest chart runs for a rock band single at the time. It also topped the Alternative Songs chart for two weeks beginning September 29, 2012, and led the Rock Songs chart for 18 non-consecutive weeks.[6][26] Internationally, the song achieved strong performance across multiple territories. It peaked at number 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart in Australia, spending 22 weeks on the ranking.[27] In Canada, it reached number 3 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, charting for 52 weeks.[28] The track hit number 2 on the Irish Singles Chart, with 63 weeks total.[29] On the UK Singles Chart, it peaked at number 8 and charted for 66 weeks.[30] In New Zealand, "Ho Hey" attained a high of number 2 on the Top 40 Singles Chart, lasting 24 weeks.[30] The song's chart trajectories were significantly propelled by robust digital sales, which exceeded 4 million downloads in the United States by mid-2013.[31] This digital momentum, combined with sustained radio airplay, contributed to its prolonged presence on airplay and sales-based charts.| Chart (2012–2013) | Peak Position | Weeks on Chart | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 3 | 62 | Billboard |
| US Alternative Songs | 1 | 42 | Billboard |
| US Rock Songs | 1 (18 weeks) | N/A | Billboard |
| Australia (ARIA) | 3 | 22 | Australian-Charts |
| Canada (Billboard) | 3 | 52 | Billboard |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 2 | 63 | Irish-Charts |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 8 | 66 | Acharts |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | 2 | 24 | Acharts |