Check It Out (John Mellencamp song)
1988 single by John Cougar Mellencamp
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"Check It Out" is a 1987 song by John Mellencamp released as the third single from his album The Lonesome Jubilee in 1988. The single was a top 20 hit, reaching number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1][2]
| "Check It Out" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by John Cougar Mellencamp | ||||
| from the album The Lonesome Jubilee | ||||
| B-side | "We Are the People" | |||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Studio | Belmont Mall (Indiana, US) | |||
| Genre | Heartland rock | |||
| Length | 4:19 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Songwriter | John Mellencamp | |||
| Producers | John Mellencamp, Don Gehman | |||
| John Cougar Mellencamp singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Lyrics and music
According to Mellencamp biographer David Masciotra, the song "describes the rewards and punishments of a typical American middle-class family" and professes that "our attempts to solve the mysteries of the heart and grasp the truth of humanity are fraught with disaster and disappointment."[3] Mellencamp biographer Paul Rees called its sound "uplifting".[4]
Reception
Cash Box said that Mellencamp's rough county-ish feel takes you into the heartland [of America]" and that the song "features a nice instrumental hook line that sounds like an otherworldly bagpipe and leads into the verses."[5]
Masciotra calls it "a uniquely powerful testament to the mystery of inner life".[3]
Music video
The video was shot as a live performance at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis on December 11, 1987, during Mellencamp's massive Lonesome Jubilee tour.
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1987–1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italy Airplay (Music & Media)[6] | 16 |
| US Cashbox[7] | 14 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 14 |
