How to Save a Life is a song by American rock band The Fray, released on their debut album of the same name in 2005 and issued as a single in 2006. It became one of the band's defining hits, reaching a wide audience through radio play and television placements, and its piano-led sound became closely associated with emotional television drama. Online, the opening has been reused for years in short edits, reaction videos and tribute montages, where its familiar melody immediately tells viewers that a scene is meant to feel sad, serious or reflective.