: Record labels initially turned Powter down, citing a lack of stage presence.
: "Weird Al" Yankovic originally wanted to parody it as "You Had a Bad Date," but Powter initially said no. By the time Powter changed his mind, Yankovic had moved on to record "White & Nerdy". Daniel Powter – Bad Day
: The song's popularity exploded in the U.S. when it became the official "elimination song" for American Idol in 2006, played every time a contestant was sent home. The "Dark Side" of Success : Record labels initially turned Powter down, citing
: Overwhelmed by the spotlight, he turned to drugs and alcohol to cope, spending years in a cycle of addiction. : The song's popularity exploded in the U
: While living in Victoria and traveling on a ferry to Vancouver, Powter saw a poster that asked, "Having a bad day?" . That single line sparked the idea, and he wrote the lyrics in about an hour during the journey.
: Powter later described his sudden stardom as a "prison" and a "virus that would not go away". He felt the song's success eclipsed him as an artist, making it difficult for the public to accept any other music from him.