Don't Leave Home

"Don't Leave Home" is the third single released from English singer Dido's second album, Life for Rent (2003). The song was first released as a digital download in various territories on 10 April 2004 before its physical UK release two days later. "Don't Leave Home" peaked at number 25 on the UK Singles Chart and charted for nine weeks. A remix of the song's B-side, "Stoned", by American electronic music duo Deep Dish topped the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart.

"Don't Leave Home"
Single by Dido
from the album Life for Rent
B-side	"Stoned" (Deep Dish remix)
Released	10 April 2004 (2004-04-10)
Studio	The Ark The Church, Wessex (London, UK) Cubejam (Miami, Florida)
Length	3:47
Label	Cheeky Arista
Songwriter(s)	Dido Armstrong Rollo Armstrong
Producer(s)	Dido Rollo Mike Hedges
Dido singles chronology
"Life for Rent" (2003) "Don't Leave Home" (2004) "Sand in My Shoes" (2004)
Music video
"Don't Leave Home" on YouTube

Background

"Don't Leave Home" deals with drug addiction. It is written and sung from the point of view of the drug singing to the person who is addicted to it.^[1] It was originally a demo recorded for her 1999 album No Angel, but it was included instead on the 2003 album, Life for Rent. It was written and produced by Dido Armstrong and her brother Rollo Armstrong.^[2] The song is set in common time composed in a moderate tempo of 80 beats per minute,^[3] written in F♯ major with a vocal range from the tone of F♯₄ to the note of C♯₆.^[3]

Music video

The Jake Nava-directed music video for "Don't Leave Home" starts with the singer driving on a desert road as it gets dark. Suddenly, she finds herself in front of a forest. Dido leaves the car, drops her suitcase on the ground, and enters the forest. Some of the themes and scenery imply drug addiction, like the hazy affects, the forest filled with mushrooms and hallucinations of spiders and snakes. She leaves the forest and comes across a huge rock-like cliff by the ocean. She sings calmly by the cliff before jumping into the ocean and finds herself on a wide strand with white sand singing out to the ocean. The video ends with the car driving on with broken white lines. The video was shot in Cape Town, South Africa.

"Stoned"

The B-side of the "Don't Leave Home" single, "Stoned", was released as a promotional single from Life for Rent. The song tells the story of an unwinding relationship, clouded through drugs. "Stoned" was remixed by Deep Dish; this version peaked at number one on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart on the week dated 24 January 2004.^[4] At the end of 2004, Billboard ranked the remix as the second-most-successful dance club track of year.^[5]

Track listings

UK CD single^[6]

1. "Don't Leave Home"
2. "Stoned" (Deep Dish Stoner remix edit)

European CD single^[7]

1. "Don't Leave Home" – 3:48
2. "Stoned" (Deep Dish remix edit) – 4:00
3. "Don't Leave Home" (video with lyrics)

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the "Don't Leave Home" UK CD single liner notes and the Life for Rent booklet.^[6][8]

Studios Recorded at The Ark, The Church, Wessex Studios (London, England), and Cubejam (Miami, Florida) Mixed at The Church (London, England) "Don't Leave Home" strings recorded at AIR Studios (London, England) Mastered at Metropolis Studios (London, England)

Artwork Simon Corkin – artwork design Bev Jones – photography

"Don't Leave Home" personnel Dido – writing (as Dido Armstrong), production Rollo – writing (as Rollo Armstrong), production Richard Parfitt – guitar Sister Bliss – additional keyboards, drum programming Makoto Sakamoto – drums Mike Hedges – production Matthieu Clouard – production assistance Ash Howes – mixing Phill Brown – recording Ger McDonnell – recording James Sanger – programming Mark Bates – programming assistance Pete Davies – programming assistance Nick Ingman – string arrangement Gavyn Wright – concertmaster Miles Showell – mastering

"Stoned" (Deep Dish remix) personnel Dido – writing (as Dido Armstrong), production Rollo – writing (as Rollo Armstrong), production Lester Mendez – writing, original recordings Adam Zimmon – acoustic guitar Carlos Paucer – percussion Sister Bliss – piano Mark Bates – additional keyboards, programming Ash Howes – mixing Phill Brown – recording Steve Sidelnyk – additional drum programming Deep Dish – remix and additional production (as Dubfire and Sharam), remix mixing Matt Nordstrom – remix mixing

Charts

"Don't Leave Home" Weekly charts Chart (2004) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9] 54 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 50 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[11] 2 Canada AC Top 30 (Radio & Records)[12] 15 Canada Hot AC Top 30 (Radio & Records)[13] 12 CIS Airplay (TopHit)[14] 101 Germany (GfK)[15] 67 Greece (IFPI)[16] 24 Hungary (Editors' Choice Top 40)[17] 21 Ireland (IRMA)[18] 35 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[19] 36 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 38 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[21] 29 Scotland (OCC)[22] 26 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 45 UK Singles (OCC)[24] 25 US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[25] 22 Year-end charts Chart (2004) Position US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[26] 64

"Stoned" (Deep Dish remix) Weekly charts Chart (2004) Peak position CIS Airplay (TopHit)[27] 28 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[4] 1 Year-end charts Chart (2004) Position US Dance Club Play (Billboard)[5] 2

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref(s).
Various	10 April 2004	Digital download	Cheeky Arista	[28][29][30]
United Kingdom	12 April 2004	CD		[31]
United States	19 April 2004	Hot adult contemporary radio		[32]
Sweden	3 May 2004	CD		[33]

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 2004 (U.S.)