Self Esteem (song)
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| “Self Esteem” | |||||
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| Single by The Offspring from the album Smash |
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| Released | 1994 | ||||
| Format | Vinyl, Cassette, CD | ||||
| Recorded | 1994 | ||||
| Genre | Punk rock Alternative rock |
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| Length | 04:17 | ||||
| Label | Epitaph | ||||
| Writer(s) | Dexter Holland | ||||
| Producer | Thom Wilson | ||||
| The Offspring singles chronology | |||||
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"Self Esteem" is a song by punk rock group The Offspring, the second single of their third album Smash which was released in 1994. The song was a worldwide hit, although frontman Dexter Holland mentioned in the Music Video Collection that this song is not very popular in Japan.
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[edit] Track listing
- "Self Esteem" - 4:17
- "Burn It Up" - 2:43
- "Jennifer Lost the War" - 2:35
[edit] Compositon and Meaning
The song begins with a relatively famous intro; it features the members of the band singing along to the tune of the song's main riff (In a purposely crude form). Originally, Dexter and Noodles had planned for the intro to be played on acoustic guitar before the electric guitars come in. However, when it came time to record, the band decided to go for a more abstract approach.
After the intro, Greg Kriesel plays a bass riff that plays prominently throughout the song. During the chorus, the songs main riff is played on electric guitars.
The lyrics tell about a relationship in which the girl takes advantage of her boyfriend, as he has "no self-esteem." A popular misconception is that the song is autobiographical. This is not the case, however. In an interview Dexter revealed it's about one of his friends at the time and that she may or may not know it's about her.
[edit] Music video
The music video for the song was directed by Darren Lavett (who directed the previous video "Come Out and Play") and was shot in August 1994. In the music video, several people are doing things like stunts, with flashes with the band playing. In the music video, it can be clearly seen that the band is performing on stage. It is also clear that Dexter is only singing to the microphone at the start of the song, but later plays guitar.
In the video, Dexter is also wearing three different t-shirts of a band. In the beginning, he was wearing a Sex Pistols t-shirt. Later he wears a t-shirt of The Germs, and then a Vandals t-shirt when he briefly appears as a human skeleton.
According to The Offspring's Greatest Hits DVD, Noodles claimed that his he gave his Fender Stratocaster (which he played in the video) to one of the characters that appeared in the video.
[edit] Covers and other uses
- The song was also featured on the game SingStar Rocks!.
- The song was also transcribed in the June 1997 issue of Guitar World.
- During Trivium's early days, guitarist Matt Heafy performed a cover version of this song at his middle school talent show at Lake Brantley High School.
[edit] Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Official Swedish Singles Charts | No. 1 |
| 1994 | Official Norway Singles Charts | No. 1 |
| 1995 | Latvian Airplay Top | No. 1 |
| 1994 | Official German Singles Charts | No. 4 |
| 1994 | Official Austrian Singles Charts | No. 4 |
| 1994 | Official Australian Singles Charts | No. 4 |
| 1994 | Official UK Singles Charts | No. 37 |
| 1994 | Modern Rock Tracks (US) | No. 4 |
| 1994 | Mainstream Rock Tracks (US) | No. 7 |
| Preceded by "Back for Good" by Take That |
Latvian Airplay Top number-one single June 11 - June 18, 1995 |
Succeeded by "Scatman's World" by Scatman John |
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