Why Don't You Get a Job?

"Why Don't You Get a Job?"
Single by The Offspring
from the album Americana
B-side "Beheaded (1999)"
Released March 30, 1999
Format CD single, Cassette, 12"[1]
Recorded 1998
Genre Pop punk, ska punk
Length 2:49
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Dexter Holland
Producer(s) Dave Jerden[2]
Certification 2x Platinum (ARIA)[3]
Gold (RIANZ)[4]
Gold (IFPI Swe)[5]
Gold (BPI)[6]
The Offspring singles chronology
"Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)"
(1998)		 "Why Don't You Get a Job?"
(1999)		 "The Kids Aren't Alright"
(1999)

"Why Don't You Get a Job?" is a song by The Offspring. The song is the 11th track on The Offspring's fifth studio album Americana (1998) and was released as the second single from the album. The song also appears as the eighth track on the band's Greatest Hits album (2005). The single peaked within the top ten of the charts in many countries, including number two in the United Kingdom, Australia and Sweden.

The song drew attention for its close similarity to the song "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", as multiple music writers pointed out that the melody sounded exactly like the The Beatles' 1968 release from the White Album.[7][8][9]

Music video

The music video, directed by McG, was shot on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood. Several TV and movie set locations can be seen throughout the video, including Colonial Street (which was used as Wisteria Lane in Desperate Housewives) and Courthouse Square from the Back to the Future trilogy. The video features the four members of the band walking through these locations while a steadily growing crowd follows them.

Dexter Holland opens the video by flying into a serene suburban setting on a hang glider. A male fast food worker (played by Dor Ashur) has a milkshake dumped on his face by a group of buxom female customers and then throws himself through a window, and a BMX biker falls off a roof shortly thereafter. Toward the end, Holland triggers an explosion that scatters his followers so that only his fellow band members remain.

Bob Eubanks, the host of the Newlywed Game, makes a cameo appearance. Towards the end of the video, Guy Cohen, who played the main character in the "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" video, makes a short appearance. Chris "X-13" Higgins appears in the video as a lazy boyfriend. Pussycat Dolls member Carmit Bachar plays his girlfriend.

The video appears on the Complete Music Video Collection DVD, released in 2005.

Track listings

Australia CD Maxi

No. Title Length
1. "Why Don't You Get a Job?"   2:49
2. "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" (Lowriders Remix) 3:01
3. "Beheaded (1999)"   2:38
4. ""Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)"" (Music Video in the CD-ROM) 3:07

Part 2

No. Title Length
1. "Why Don't You Get a Job?"   2:49
2. "Why Don't You Get a Job?" (The Baka Boyz Remix) 4:22
3. "Beheaded (1999)"   2:38
4. "I Wanna Be Sedated" (Ramones Cover) 2:19

Later version

No. Title Length
1. "Why Don't You Get a Job?"   2:49
2. "Beheaded (1999)"   2:38
3. "I Wanna Be Sedated" (Ramones Cover) 2:19

Promo CD

No. Title Length
1. "Why Don't You Get a Job?" (Album version) 2:52
2. "Callout Hook #1"   0:10
3. "Callout Hook #2"   0:05

Charts

Chart (1999) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[10] 2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] 16
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 17
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[13] 25
Canadian RPM Top Singles 19
Canadian RPM Rock Chart 4
France (SNEP)[14] 29
Germany (Official German Charts)[15] 16
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 6
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 4
Norway (VG-lista)[18] 6
Poland (LP3)[19] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 24
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[22] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[23] 74
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[24] 21
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[25] 10
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[26] 4

Certifications

Region Certification
Australia (ARIA)[27] 2× Platinum
Sweden (GLF)[28] Gold

Cover versions

South African singer Snotkop translated the song into Afrikaans as "Kry Jou Ass By Die Werk".[29]

References

  1. ↑ "Offspring, The – Why Don't You Get A Job?". Discogs. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  2. ↑ "The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job? [US]". Allmusic. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  3. ↑ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 1999 Singles" Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved on July 14, 2009.
  4. ↑ "RIANZ Charts - 1999 - Top 40 Singles Chart" Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved on July 14, 2009.
  5. ↑ "VERKSAMHET - GULD & PLATINA - 1999 - Search for OFFSPRING" British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved on July 14, 2009.
  6. ↑ "BPI Database - Statistics - Certified Awards - Search for Offspring" British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved on July 14, 2009.
  7. ↑ Geoff Boucher (1999-04-24). "Is the Song an Offspring?". LA Times. Retrieved 2015-12-16.
  8. ↑ Teri vanHorn (1999-05-06). "Offspring Song Has A Familiar Ring, Beatles Fans Say". MTV.com. Retrieved 2015-12-16.
  9. ↑ Richard Harrington (1999-01-13). "Punk With Spunk". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 1999-01-13. Retrieved 2015-12-16.
  10. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  11. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  12. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  13. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  14. ↑ "Lescharts.com – The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?" (in French). Les classement single.
  15. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  16. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  17. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?". Top 40 Singles.
  18. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?". VG-lista.
  19. ↑ "Airplay Chart - Lista Przebojów Trójki nr 905". Retrieved on 29 August 2015.
  20. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?". Singles Top 100.
  21. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?". Swiss Singles Chart.
  22. ↑ "Offspring: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.
  23. ↑ "The Offspring – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for The Offspring.
  24. ↑ "The Offspring – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for The Offspring.
  25. ↑ "The Offspring – Chart history" Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs for The Offspring.
  26. ↑ "The Offspring – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for The Offspring.
  27. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  28. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1999" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
  29. ↑ http://www.channel24.co.za/Music/FeaturesInterviews/Interview-Snotkop-20090715 Retrieved 7 January 2014
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