Distance

"Distance" is a song by American singer-songwriter Christina Perri. The new version of the track featuring Jason Mraz is the third official single taken from the deluxe version of her debut studio album Lovestrong (2011) released on March 20, 2012. It was written by Perri and co-written and produced by David Hodges. It is a midtempo ballad about "loving someone at the wrong time in your life" and "being around that one whom your heart longs for without being able to show your true feelings". The song received generally favorable reviews from music critics, with most praising their "emotional vulnerability and engagement" and their chemistry. The original version of the song is the official theme for the ABC-TV series Revenge whose music video was released April 12, 2012. The official music video featuring Mraz was released on June 30, 2012. It has reached number 20 on the Adult Pop Songs chart. Background and composition "Distance" was written by Christina Perri and co-written and produced by David Hodges. It is a midtempo ballad about loving someone at the wrong time in your life. Maybe it's too soon, maybe it's too late, but nevertheless it's about being around that one whom your heart longs for without being able to show your true feelings, without being able to tell them. A new version of the track featuring her good friend Jason Mraz was recorded and released as a single. Perri said: "It's very hard to keep love a secret, and I wrote this song about the one time I had to." With lyrics like, "Please don’t stand so close to me, I’m having trouble breathing, I’m afraid of what you’ll see right now," it reflects reality for anyone who has ever fallen in love. Talking to Artist Direct, Perri further explained the track: "I wrote it about being in love with someone and not being able to tell them. All of my songs are so specific. They're a story in my life or something I went through which I pull from. I wrote this about the summer of 2010. I fell in love with someone, and we had to work pretty closely together. I had to pretend I didn't like him which was the hardest thing for me because I'm not good at lying [Laughs]. The song is about the feelings and swimming in that kind of tension when you're around someone and trying to keep it cool. That's what it means for me. Instead of telling him I loved him, I wrote it to him in a song. That's where I go." Perri also talked about the experience of working with Jason Mraz on the new version: