Walkin' on the Sun

"Walkin' on the Sun" is the debut single by American rock band Smash Mouth from the album Fush Yu Mang. Released in 1997, it was Smash Mouth's first major single, reaching #1 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay singles chart.^[1] It has since also been released on the Walkin' on the Sun EP and All Star Smash Hits, the Smash Mouth greatest hits album. The song appears in the music video game Rock Band 3.

Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for their 2007 video game Alvin and the Chipmunks. In this version, all references to drugs were removed.

Content

The song presents an ironic and implied Generation X view of the hippie movement, extolling ideals of peace and love, and the subsequent conversion of those ideals into simple commercial fads, "because fashion is smashin' the true meaning of it", and references the suburbanization of modern America and the LA Riots of 1992 when the song was written. "Weird Al" Yankovic included the chorus of the song in his "Polka Power!" polka medley for his Running With Scissors album.

Origins

The song's opening riff and counter-melody are based on "Swan's Splashdown" from the 1966 Perrey and Kingsley electronic music album, The In Sound From Way Out!.

EP track listing

1. "Walkin' on the Sun" – 3:28
2. "Sorry About Your Penis" – 1:26
3. "Dear Inez" – 2:53
4. "Push" – 2:52
5. "Walkin' on the Sun" (Love Attack Mix) – 5:38
6. "Walkin' on the Sun" (Phant 'N' Phunky Sunstroke Club) – 6:40

Europe single

1. "Walkin' on the Sun" – 3:25
2. "Sorry About Your Penis" – 1:23
3. "Dear Inez" – 2:50
4. "Push" – 2:49

Chart positions

See also

• List of RPM Rock/Alternative number-one singles (Canada)
• Number one modern rock hits of 1997

References

External links

• "Walkin' on the Sun" Official music video on YouTube