Men in Black (song)

"Men in Black"
Single by Will Smith featuring Coko of SWV
from the album Big Willie Style and Men in Black: The Album
B-side Remix
Released June 16, 1997
Format CD single, CD maxi, 12" maxi
Recorded 1997
Genre Hip hop
Length 3:48
Label Sony Music Entertainment
Writer(s) Will Smith, Patrice Rushen, Terry McFadden, Fred Washington
Producer Poke and Tone
Will Smith singles chronology
"Boom! Shake the Room"
(1993)		 "Men in Black"
(1997)		 "Just Cruisin'"
(1997)
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince: Greatest Hits track listing
"Girls Ain't Nothin' but Trouble"
(1)		 "'Men in Black"
(2)		 "Summertime"
(3)
Will Smith: Greatest Hits track listing
"1,000 Kisses"
(7)		 "Men in Black"
(8)		 "Gettin' Jiggy wit It"
(9)

"Men in Black" is a song by Will Smith (featuring singer Coko from group SWV) from the movie Men in Black, in which he also starred. The song plays during the movie's closing credits. Will Smith raps about how the MiBs "Walk in shadow, move in silence" and play the role of "first, last and only line of defense, against the worst scum of the universe", while Coko adds her soulful soprano vocals in the background. The song won Smith a Grammy in 1998 for Best Rap Solo Performance.

Contents

Release and success

"Men In Black" features a sample of and a re-sung chorus from "Forget Me Nots" by Patrice Rushen. In a twist, the line "I want you to remember" is changed to "They won't let you remember", in reference to memory-erasing devices used in the Men in Black movie.

Aside from appearing on the movie's soundtrack, the song also appears on Will Smith's Columbia Records album Big Willie Style and reached number one on charts in Australia, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. The song did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 because it was not released as a commercial single in the US; at the time, only songs that were commercially released as singles were eligible, but it did however top the airplay chart. The music video for the song also appears on the DVD The Will Smith Collection. It was also included in the album All Time Greatest Movie Songs, released by Sony in 1999. It was also featured after the end credits of the VHS release of "Men in Black". It was also covered by Forever the Sickest Kids for the compilation album Punk Goes Crunk & by Alvin and the Chipmunks for the album The A-Files: Alien Songs. An instrumental version plays over the end credits in Men in Black: The Series.

Music video

Robert Caruso directed the video. The video starts with a dark hallway lighting up. Tommy Lee Jones enters from around the corner and begins to explain in a voiceover the purpose of the Men in Black. Will Smith enters with the line: "And we dress in black." There is then a cut to what appears to be an alleyway, a steel box which looks a bit like a commercial refrigerator in the middle. The surface begins to deform and show a glowing light from within. The video then cuts to several scenes of Agents experimenting on alien organisms and technology, with Will rapping into further detail of the operations of the Men in Black. It soon has him surrounded by MIB agents in a warehouse. In the middle of the dance routine, an alien (Mikey from the film) comes in and screams at Will. Will Smith then leads the agents and the alien to do a modified Electric Slide, where the alien slips out in the middle.

After dancing along with the agents, he goes after the alien. The same glowing light from the beginning of the video is then seen in the drivers seat of an SUV, the two female Agents who were with Will in the vehicle, which speeds off just as Will reaches it. Disappointed, he puts on his glasses and takes out a Neuralyzer, pointing it to the camera (neuralyzing the viewers so that they do not remember what they saw in the video). The flash takes the viewer back to the empty hallway from the opening scene, effectively erasing the video's contents entirely. Just before the flash, he says, somewhat regretfully, "Sorry".

Track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Men in Black".[1]

Europe
  • CD maxi
  1. "Men in Black" (album/video version) — 3:48
  2. "Men in Black" (MIB Master mix) — 3:40
  3. "Men in Black" (track masters instrumental) — 3:48
  • CD single
  1. "Men in Black" (album version) — 3:48
  2. "Men in Black" (MIB master mix) — 3:40
UK
  • CD maxi
  1. "Men in Black" (album version)
  2. "Men in Black" (instrumental)
  3. "Men in Black main theme"
  4. "Men in Black the Snippets"
  • CD single
  1. "Men in Black" (album version) — 3:49
  2. "Men in Black" (MIB master lix) — 3:41
  3. "Men in Black" (alternate lix) — 3:42
  4. "Dah Dee Dah" (sexy thing) (by Alicia Keys) — 4:12
U.S.
  • 12" maxi
  1. "Men in Black" — 3:48
  2. "Men in Black" (track masters instrumental) — 3:48
  3. "Men in Black" (track masters a cappella ) — 3:29
  4. "Men in Black" (MIB master mix) — 3:40
  5. "Men in Black" (MIB alternate mix) — 3:40
  6. "Men in Black" (MIB instrumental) — 3:40
Australia
  • CD single
  1. "Men in Black" — 3:48
  2. "Men in Black" (track masters instrumental) — 3:48
  3. "Men in Black" (track masters a cappella) — 3:29
  4. "Some Cow Fonque (More Tea, Vicar ?)" (by Buckshot LeFonque) — 5:10

Personnel

Charts and certifications

Peak positions

Chart (1997) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart[2] 1
Austrian Singles Chart[2] 2
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart[2] 3
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[2] 1
Canadian RPM Singles Chart[3] 2
Dutch Top 40[4] 2
Eurochart Hot 100 1
Finnish Singles Chart[2] 2
French SNEP Singles Chart[2] 1
German Singles Chart[2] 1
Irish Singles Chart[5] 1
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart[2] 1
Norwegian Singles Chart[2] 3
Swedish Singles Chart[2] 2
Swiss Singles Chart[2] 1
UK Singles Chart[6] 1
U.S. Billboard Latin Pop Airplay[7] 7
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay[7] 1
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream[7] 2
U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40[7] 1

End of year charts

End of year chart (1997) Position
Australian Singles Chart[8] 6
Austrian Singles Chart[9] 12
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart[10] 16
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[11] 11
Canadian RPM Singles Chart[12] 23
Dutch Top 40[4] 23
French Singles Chart[13] 7
Swiss Singles Chart[14] 16

Certifications

Country Certification Date Sales certified[15]
Australia[16] 2 x Platinum 1997 140,000
France[17] Diamond December 17, 1997 750,000
Germany[18] Platinum 1997 500,000
Netherlands[19] Gold 1997 ? 40,000
Norway[20] Platinum 1997 10,000
Sweden[21] Platinum September 16, 1997 20,000
Switzerland[22] Gold 1997 15,000
UK[23] Silver August 1, 1997 200,000

Successions

Order of precedence
Preceded by
"I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112		 UK Singles Chart number-one single
August 10, 1997 - August 31, 1997 (4 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"The Drugs Don't Work" by The Verve
New Zealand RIANZ number-one single
August 10, 1997 - September 7, 1997 (5 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"Barbie Girl" by Aqua
Preceded by
"Alane" by Wes		 French SNEP number-one single
August 23, 1997 - September 6, 1997 (3 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" / "Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John
Preceded by
"I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112		 Irish IRMA number-one single
August 23, 1997 - September 6, 1997 (3 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba
Australian ARIA number-one single
September 7, 1997 - September 28, 1997 (4 weeks)		 Succeeded by
Something about the Way You Look Tonight" / "Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John
German number-one single
September 12, 1997 (1 week)
Preceded by
"Alane" by Wes		 Belgian (Wallonia) number-one single
September 13, 1997 (1 week)
Preceded by
"I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112		 Swiss number-one single
September 14, 1997 (1 week)

References

  1. ^ "Will Smith — "Men in Black"". Discogs. http://www.discogs.com/Will-Smith-Men-In-Black/master/6092. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k ""Men in Black", in various singles charts". Lescharts. http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Will+Smith&titel=Men+In+Black&cat=s. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  3. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 65, No. 25, August 25, 1997". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.3306&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5. Retrieved 2011-02-21. 
  4. ^ a b "Single top 100 over 1997" (in Dutch) (pdf). Top40. http://www.top40.nl/pdf/Top%20100/top%20100%20-%201997.pdf. Retrieved 20 April 2010. 
  5. ^ "Irish Singles Chart, database". Irishcharts. http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  6. ^ ""Men in Black", UK Singles Chart". Chartstats. http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=25487. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  7. ^ a b c d "Will Smith, Billboard charts". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p278403. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  8. ^ "1997 Australian Singles Chart". aria. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-singles-1997.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  9. ^ "1997 Austrian Singles Chart". Austriancharts. http://www.austriancharts.at/1997_single.asp. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  10. ^ "1997 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart". Ultratop. http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1997. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  11. ^ "1997 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart". Ultratop. http://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=1997. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  12. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 66, No. 15, December 15, 1997". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.3416&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5. Retrieved 2011-02-21. 
  13. ^ "1997 French Singles Chart". Snep. http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/page-259376.xml?year=1997. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  14. ^ "1997 Swiss Singles Chart". Hitparade. http://www.swisscharts.com/year.asp?key=1997. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  15. ^ "Certification for every country in the world". IFPI. http://www.ifpi.org/content/library/certification-award-levels.pdf. Retrieved 2008-08-07. 
  16. ^ "Australian certifications". Aria. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-singles-1997.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  17. ^ "1997 French certifications". Snep. http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/monopage.xml?id=259165&year=1997&type=10. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  18. ^ AT LEAST ONE OF artist or title MUST BE PROVIDED for GERMAN CERTIFICATION.
  19. ^ "Dutch certifications, database". Nvpi. http://www.nvpi.nl/nvpi/pagina.asp?pagkey=60461#resultaat. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  20. ^ "Norwegian certifications". Ifpi. http://www.ifpi.no/sok/index_trofe.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-06. 
  21. ^ "Swedish certifications". Ifpi. http://www.ifpi.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/guld-platina-1987-1998.pdf. Retrieved 2009-07-11. 
  22. ^ "1997 Swiss certifications". Swisscharts. http://swisscharts.com/awards.asp?year=1997. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
  23. ^ "UK certifications, database". Bpi. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Retrieved 2010-04-20. 

External links

Will Smith
Studio albums
Compilations
Singles
Related articles
Comic books
The Men in Black (1990–1997)
Films
Men in Black (1997) · Men in Black II (2002) · Men in Black 3 (2012)
Television
Music
Men in Black: The Album (1997) · "Men in Black" (1998) · "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)" (2002)
Video game
Men in Black: The Game (1997) · Men in Black - The Series: Crashdown (2001) · Men in Black II: Alien Escape (2002)
Characters
J · K · Frank the Pug
Related topics