Tubthumping

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"Tubthumping"

Cover of Tubthumper album.
Single by Chumbawamba
from the album Tubthumper
Released	11 August 1997 (UK)
Genre	Pop/Rock
Length	3:34
Label	EMI
Chart positions
#2 (UK Singles Chart)
Chumbawamba singles chronology
"Ugh! Your Ugly Houses!" (1995)	"Tubthumping" (1997)	"Amnesia" (1998)

"Tubthumping" is a song by Chumbawamba, the single release went to UK #2 in 1997 and US #6 in the single charts in 1998.

The song addresses themes such as being defeated, but rising again:

"I get knocked down! But I get up again; you're never gonna keep me down"

A reference to "pissing the night away" is British slang for wasting time whilst intoxicated with alcohol, and not urination (derived from "being on the piss," which is to be drinking alcohol). The song also references the Irish folk ballad, Danny Boy.

The liner notes on the album Tubthumper, from which "Tubthumping" was the first single, puts the song in a radical context, quoting a UK anti-road protester, Paris 1968 graffiti, details about the famous McLibel case and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. The album version of the song opens with a sample of a monologue performed by Pete Postlethwaite in the movie Brassed Off. Near the end of the song one can hear the melody from the Prince of Denmark's March.

In England, a tubthumper is a politician. The US equivalent of tubthumping is "going on the stump" (campaigning).

[edit] References in popular culture

The song was the centre of debate at MediaVest Manchester after Edith Bowman played it on her Radio 1 show on 15th February 2007.
It was the theme tune to the video game World Cup '98 by EA Sports, and was also featured in Dance Dance Revolution 2ndMIX by Konami. It was also played in a HaloUT Promo, a modification of Unreal Tournament 2004 and the European version of Donkey Konga.
It was the official song for Australia's National Rugby League in 1997 and 1998
The song is parodied in an episode of The Simpsons (episode 13x20). Homer sings "I take a whiskey drink, I take a chocolate drink, and when I have to pee, I use the kitchen sink! I sing the song that reminds me I'm a urinating guy."
The Capitol Steps used the song to parody former President Clinton's administration in various ways, including "My pants (polls), go down, but they come up again" on their album "Unzippin' My Doodah (Songs of 1998)."
Played in an episode of I Love The 90s.
Used when the Sri Lankan Cricket Team won a major tournament.
Also played in an episode of How I Met Your Mother.
Used in promoting Home Alone 3
Mentioned in the NOFX song The Marxist Brothers.
In the CBC TV teen consumer affairs show, Street Cents, a parody of the song was played where the hosts respond to a viewer letter complaining that the show didn't come to small towns. In the spot, the lyrics sing the various small communities the show has gone to with the chorus "We like small towns/and we visit them/we'd never put them down!"
It is played in JD's head in an episode of Scrubs with the intention of annoying him.
Was used as the entrance music for Blue Meanie in ECW and Mara Neanthea Gener of ITV in Portland (TPA).
It was used in a featurette of the series I DVD of Red Dwarf
It was used multiple times in the "Lady of the Lake" episode of the Upright Citizen's Brigade
It was covered by Phish on the album Hampton Comes Alive
Part of the song was used in the "Weird Al" Yankovic song "Polka Power", in his album Running with Scissors.
"Tubthumping" was spoofed as "Saddam Hussein Thumping", by Adam Henderson (not — as often misattributed — "Weird Al" Yankovic).
The song was used in the Home Improvement series finale, "The Long and Winding Road".
Leeds United FC used to run out to this song during the 2000/2001 season. In addition to this, part of the song is used to celebrate converted tries by Leeds Rhinos in the Super League.
It was used in Ryan North's Dinosaur Comics as T-Rex's embarrassing secret in comic #647.
The song was played in an episode of Dharma & Greg ("Play Lady Play", episode 3.4). Dharma was filling in as the drummer for a local garage band, which was only shown playing the one song.
In the comic strip, "Zits," by Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman (http://www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/zits/about.htm), the mother hears a song on her teenage son's stereo, and comments that it's TubThumbing by Chumbawamba, and that it's interesting that she likes "the same music" as her son. At which point, her son, Jeremy, tosses the CD out the window.