Songwriter Aaron Kamin told Launch about the background behind the song . He said , " My cousin passed away , and he and his wife had been married for 50 some-odd years , and I was just putting myself in her shoes . Like , losing somebody after , like , 50 years . " He went on to refer to the September 11 attacks that occurred only a few months after the song 's release and said that the song has " become more relevant in our lives as the world has changed recently . It 's been rekindled even more so for us , I think , right about now . " Two videos were shot for this song . The first was set in Mexico . The other version , which is more popular , was directed by Gregory Dark , and has the band performing in the concrete channel of the Los Angeles River , while a teenage soap opera plays in the foreground . A teenage girl gets her boyfriend 's name tattooed on her shoulder , but when she finds him cheating with another girl , she flies into a rage , destroying most of his belongings . At the end of the video , she is seen with a new boyfriend ( male model and then-fledgling actor Drew Fuller ) with a flower tattoo covering the name , as her jealous ex watches her from his car . The group 's lead singer , Alex Band , can also be seen in some scenes singing in the foreground of some of the storyline , such as when the girl is seen destroying the belongings
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Wherever You Will Go