Why Don't You Get a Job?
1999 single by the Offspring
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"Why Don't You Get a Job?" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. The song is the 11th track on the Offspring's fifth studio album, Americana (1998), and was released as its second single on March 15, 1999. The song also appears as the eighth track on the band's Greatest Hits album (2005). The single peaked within the top 10 of the charts in several countries, including reaching number two in the United Kingdom, Australia, Iceland, and Sweden.
| "Why Don't You Get a Job?" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by the Offspring | ||||
| from the album Americana | ||||
| B-side | "Beheaded (1999)" | |||
| Released | March 15, 1999 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:51 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter | Dexter Holland | |||
| Producer | Dave Jerden[3] | |||
| The Offspring singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Why Don't You Get a Job?" on YouTube | ||||
The song drew attention from multiple music writers for its similarities to the song "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", the Beatles' 1968 hit from their self-titled double album (also known as the White Album).[4][5][6]
Music video
The music video, directed by McG,[7] was shot on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood. Lead singer Dexter Holland hang-glides down to a suburban street and starts singing acapella while walking down the street, beats are soon added by a girl with a boombox, the rest of the band and a man playing the steelpan. As the video progress, the group walks through several TV and movie set locations, such as Colonial Street and Courthouse Square. More and more people join them as the video progress into an impromptu parade, including a marching band, female contestants walking out on the filming of a dating game show, and both friends with terrible partners discussed in the song. Eventually the crowd walks up to a large red button labelled "Do not push" which Holland presses. This triggers an explosion and the crowd scatters in a panic.
Several cameos are featured: Bob Eubanks hosts the parody dating show, Chris "X-13" Higgins and Pussycat Dolls member Carmit Bachar are the deadbeat boyfriend and his girlfriend mentioned in the third verse, and Guy Cohen, who played the main character in the "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" video, makes an appearance shortly before the video ends. The video appears on the Complete Music Video Collection DVD, released in 2005.
Track listings
Australia CD maxi
Part 2
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Why Don't You Get a Job?" | 2:51 |
| 2. | "Why Don't You Get a Job?" (The Baka Boyz Remix) | 4:24 |
| 3. | "Beheaded (1999)" | 2:39 |
| 4. | "I Wanna Be Sedated" (Ramones Cover) | 2:21 |
Later version
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Why Don't You Get a Job?" | 2:51 |
| 2. | "Beheaded (1999)" | 2:39 |
| 3. | "I Wanna Be Sedated" (Ramones Cover) | 2:21 |
Personnel
The Offspring
- Dexter Holland – vocals, rhythm guitar
- Noodles – guitar
- Greg K. – bass
- Ron Welty – drums
Additional musicians
- Gabrial McNair – horn
- Álvaro Macías – vihuela
- Phil Jordan – horn
- Carlos Gómez – guitar
- Derrick Davis – flute
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[54] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI)[55] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[56] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| Spain (Promusicae)[57] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| Sweden (GLF)[58] | Gold | 15,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[59] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[60] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | January 25, 1999 | Active rock radio | Columbia | [61] |
| Australia | March 15, 1999 | CD | [62] | |
| United States | March 23, 1999 | Contemporary hit radio | [63] | |
| Europe | March 30, 1999 | CD | [19] | |
| United Kingdom | April 26, 1999 |
|
[64] | |
| Japan | June 19, 1999 | CD | Epic | [65] |
Cover versions
Australian country singer John Williamson covered the song as part of the Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge album in 2000
South African singer Snotkop translated the song into Afrikaans as "Kry jou ass by die werk"[66] (radio edit titled "Kry jouself by die werk").