The song had been played by both the band and acoustically by frontman, Glenn Richards, for upwards of two years before the album was finally released.
During the band's appearance on the live music TV show Cold: Live At The Chapel, Richards revealed the song was written while he was housesitting for Deborah Conway, and was inspired by, and named after, a book she owned about an Australian wartime photographer Neil Davis. Richards has said, "Deborah has a wonderful collection of records and books. She was on holidays, so I was looking after the house and taking advantage of all that. I was also listening to a lot of early Bob Dylan, which would explain the chord progression."[3]
The song was picked up and played by radio station Triple J then later by Nova, giving the song more radio exposure. During its original chart run in 2006, the song reached number 33 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[4] In January 2007, the song was ranked No. 1 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2006.[5] Following its win, the track re-entered the ARIA chart at number 29, its peak, the next month.[4]
Rolling Stone Australia noted the, "Twisting, romantic wordplay that is at turns both clever and earnest—it was upon penning this chorus Augie March would create a timeless pop song. The kind that hangs around like ether in our collective consciousness; somehow we know the words without trying—as if they were planted in a dream."[9]
Music video
The video clip for "One Crowded Hour" is set in a gloomy forest where Richards and the band perform. Plastic animals like deer and bears are seen passing by the band. The clip's atmosphere is very dreary and mysterious, represented by the band's clothes, instruments and the sky in grey.
