Story of My Life (One Direction song)

"Story of My Life" is a track by the English-Irish group One Direction, released as the second single from their third album Midnight Memories on October 28, 2013, through Syco Music and Columbia Records. The song was co-written by all five band members—Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson—alongside Julian Bunetta, Jamie Scott, and John Ryan. Its lyrics describe a rocky relationship that ends in sorrow and regret.

Musically, the song is an acoustic folktronica piece with indie folk touches, running four minutes and five seconds. Idolator compared it to the work of Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and Mumford & Sons. It is written in E major and moves at 120 beats per minute, according to musicnotes.com. Joe Zook handled the mixing.

Critics praised the song. Sam Lanksy of Idolator called it "surprisingly great" and a "mature midpoint" between the band's usual upbeat pop-rock and slower ballads, adding that it was "merciful" and used alternative-folk influences without feeling like "spilled beer." Amy Sciarretto of PopCrush gave it four out of five stars, describing it as a "contemplative, acoustic guitar-driven song" that was "more memorable" than earlier One Direction work, and noted it would appeal to listeners of various ages while showing the group "isn't just a boy band," though she found it less "crazy catchy" than prior hits. Lauren Wheeler of TheCelebrityCafe.com awarded it five out of five stars, calling the lyrics "reflective" and "much deeper than some of their bigger hits," and said the song proved One Direction "not only have range, but also have matured through their music."

On the charts, the song debuted at number one on the Irish Singles Chart on October 31, 2013, marking One Direction's fourth number-one in Ireland. It also entered at number one in New Zealand, their second number-one debut and single there. In the UK, it peaked at number two, blocked by Lily Allen's cover of "Somewhere Only We Know." In Australia, it debuted at number three on the ARIA Charts and later earned a Gold certification. In the United States, it reached number six, giving the band their fourth top-ten single there. It spent 19 weeks in the top 15, seven of those in the top ten, and became their second-highest-selling single in the U.S.