If Only You Were Lonely is a concept album following the long-distance relationship between a young couple who were unwillingly torn apart because of the boy's family moving. Throughout the album, the couple keep their relationship going while talking on the phone and look back on the pain they went through due to their separation. This is especially evident in "Pens and Needles" and "Saying Sorry". In the album's final track, "Decembers", the boy remembers all the times he had with his girlfriend and wishes he could have her back. Their relationship is also shown in the cover for both the original and alternate version of the album, as you can see a man sleeping by himself in the original and a woman sleeping by herself in the alternate version. The name for the track, "Where Can I Stab Myself in the Ears?", is derived from a post on a forum that was an announcement for Hawthorne Heights' release on the popular music news website, AbsolutePunk.
Release
"Saying Sorry" was made available for streaming solely on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve 2005. A music video was released for the song via AOL Music on January 16. "Saying Sorry" was released to radio on January 31, 2006. In February and March the group went on a tour of the U.S. alongside Emery, Anberlin, June and Bleed the Dream. The album was released on February 28, 2006 through Victory Records. From March to May, the group toured with Fall Out Boy on their North American arena tour, titled the Black Clouds and Underdogs Tour. "Pens and Needles" was released to radio on June 13, 2006. In July, the band went on a tour of Canada alongside Story of the Year and Anberlin. Throughout July and August, the band performed a number of free intimate shows. Fans could gain entry by signing up with Rockcorps. On August 7, it was announced that the band had left Victory Records, citing a lack of royalty payment. From September to November, the band headlined the 2006 edition of the Nintendo Fusion Tour. "I Am on Your Side" impacted radio on October 10. In June and July 2007, the bands went on a U.S. tour with support from From First to Last, Secondhand Serenade, Brighten and Powerspace. Following this, the group appeared on the 2007 edition of Warped Tour. In November and December, the band went on a headlining US tour dubbed Wintour. They were supported by Escape the Fate, Amber Pacific, the A.K.A.s and the Secret Handshake. Music videos were made for three tracks from the album. The video for "This Is Who We Are" was filmed at the Minneapolis stop of the Black Clouds Tour on April 14, 2006. The band later filmed a music video for "Pens and Needles" in Miami. The video was directed by Dale "Rage" Resteghini. Yet another Music Video was filmed for "Saying Sorry".
Reception
If Only You Were Lonely debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Top Independent Albums chart, spending a total of 17 weeks on the former. It is the band's highest charting album to date. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on March 24, 2016.
