Stay (Mayday Parade song)

"Stay" was written by Derek Sanders, Jeremy Lenzo, Alex Garcia, Jake Bundrick and Brooks Betts, while production was handled by Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount.^[3] The song is about going "through the pain and fear of losing a loved one."^[4] The song has been described as a ballad track.^[4] The song is in the key of C-sharp major, though when the band performs the track live, they perform it a half-step down from the original, as Sanders found playing it that way a lot easier.^[5] Lead guitarist Brooks Betts also said the rhythm part is played a half-step down on the official recording.^[6][7] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, by Alfred Music Publishing, the track runs at 112 BPM.^[8] Sander's range in the song spans from the notes D♭4 – A♭5.^[8]

"Stay" was met with positive reviews from music critics. David Greenwald of MTV described the track as a "girlfriend-apology-anthem" and added, "some heart-touching string arrangements gives the track that 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' blockbuster quality."^[9][4] Drew Beringer of AbsolutePunk.net stated that Sander's showcased his "best vocal performance" and called it the "emotional highpoint of the album."^[10]

The music video for "Stay" was shot in January 2012.^[11] The group filmed the music video in Ohio.^[12] It was officially released on April 4, 2012 and was directed by Thunder Down Country.^[9] It is a live-action continuation of the animated video for the band's previous single, "Oh Well, Oh Well".

Credits for "Stay" adapted from the album's liner notes.^[3]