The song is about a relationship breakup and the singer's attempts to get the person back.[3] In a 2004 interview, guitarist Sébastien Lefebvre revealed the song is "about how in high school you've got a crush on [a] girl, but she doesn't know you even exist."[4] "I'd Do Anything" was one of the first songs singer Pierre Bouvier and drummer Chuck Comeau wrote as Simple Plan; the two had previously collaborated in Reset, an earlier iteration of the band. The group recorded their earliest demos, including one for "Anything", at a small studio in Montreal.[5]
The song features backing vocals from Blink-182's Mark Hoppus. The "na na na" refrain was written specifically for Hoppus.[6] His inclusion on the song stemmed from Bouvier and Comeau's longtime love of Blink-182. Reset had played with the trio when they toured through Montreal in the mid-1990s. As a fan, Comeau would travel to where Blink was playing and would wait by their tour bus to get Hoppus' attention and share the band's demo tape. Eventually, Hoppus acquiesced and the two began communicating by email in 2001;[7] he thought "Anything" was a particularly strong demo, and the band offered him a spot on the song.[8] Lava was prepared to compensate Hoppus but he declined the payment, offering the feature as a gesture of goodwill to the upstart band.[6]
Chart performance
On the US Billboard Hot 100, "I'd Do Anything" peaked at number 51.[9] It also charted on the BillboardMainstream Top 40 chart, where it reached number 15.[10] Internationally, the song reached number 78 in the United Kingdom and number 92 in Australia.[11][12]
Music video
The music video for the song revolves around kids trying to get into a Simple Plan concert by first impressing the doorman. Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 is also featured in the video.[13]
