The Old Apartment

"The Old Apartment" is a song by the Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was the band's first American hit, and appears on the albums Born on a Pirate Ship, Rock Spectacle and the compilation album, Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits. The music video for the song which garnered a Best Director nomination at the 1997 MuchMusic Video Awards, was directed by fellow Canadian and fan of the band, Jason Priestley, at his own suggestion.^[1]

Steven Page has said that the song was partly inspired by "Back to the Old House" by The Smiths. While some have misinterpreted the lyrics to mean that the man in the song is stalking an ex-girlfriend and breaks into her apartment to terrorize her, Page has said that this is definitely not the case. The person in the song and his girlfriend are still together and happy, having "bought an old house on the Danforth" (Danforth Avenue in Toronto). However, he goes back to visit "the old apartment" "where we used to live," and winds up breaking in to reminisce. Although recalling "broken glass," the "crooked landing, crooked landlord," and other disadvantages, he nonetheless feels nostalgia for "fading memories / blending into dull tableaux."

The song, thanks in part to its video, which Priestley strongly supported and urged American networks to play, drew a notable level of attention in the U.S. Priestley also invited the band to play the song at the fictional night club, "The Peach Pit After Dark" on his series, Beverly Hills, 90210. With some isolated exceptions, this was the band's first break into the American market, which continued with their next release, a live version of "Brian Wilson" from the album Rock Spectacle which went gold. The live version of "The Old Apartment" from that album was included on later American radio singles as an option for stations to play.

The studio version of the song has two main versions. The original album version, and a radio mix, which was a completely new mix of the song. Notable differences in the radio mix, besides a completely new audio mix, is that the radio mix had an 8-bar instrumental intro, and in the bridge, Page's vocal is put through a noticeable filter.

Apple Inc. included the music video on the Mac OS 8 installation CD as a QuickTime example.

Then-new band member Kevin Hearn was, as with "Shoe Box," in the music video for this song even though he was not involved in the recording of the song. He plays an electric guitar, and Steven Page (who did play guitar on the song, in addition to singing) does not have a guitar in the video.

Charts

References

1. ^ "Jason Priestley Biography". Jason Priestley. http://www.officialjasonpriestley.com/about/default.asp. Retrieved 2011-02-28. 
2. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 63, No. 24, July 29, 1996". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3048&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5. Retrieved 2010-10-17. 
3. ^ "The Old Apartment - Barenaked Ladies". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/song/barenaked-ladies/the-old-apartment/652655. Retrieved 2010-10-17.