| "You Get What You Give" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by New Radicals | ||||
| from the album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too | ||||
| B-side | "To Think I Thought" | |||
| Released | November 10, 1998 (See release history) |
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| Format | CD, 12" | |||
| Genre | Pop rock, power pop | |||
| Length | 5:02 (Album Version) 4:42 (Single Edit) |
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| Label | MCA Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Gregg Alexander Rick Nowels |
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| Producer | Gregg Alexander | |||
| New Radicals singles chronology | ||||
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"You Get What You Give" is a song by the New Radicals. It was an international hit, the first and most successful single from their album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. It reached No. 30 on Billboard Hot 100 Airplay in January 1999, No. 36 on the overall Hot 100 and No. 8 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart[1]. It reached #5 in the United Kingdom and #1 in Canada and New Zealand.[2] It has been played over one million times on U.S. radio.[3]
The B-side was "To Think I Thought".
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The song has been featured in the films The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, A Walk to Remember, Surf's Up, and Click. It also has been featured in trailers for the films Big Daddy, The Muppets and Bubble Boy. Notably, the song was the theme for an advertising campaign used in Australia and New Zealand for Mitsubishi Motors,[4] leading to a repressing of Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too with the sticker "Featuring the song from the Mitsubishi ad." It is also the theme song used by Dr. Dean Edell and Dennis Miller on their radio shows, and has been used in promotional spots for PBS. Movistar used the song in the Latin American media in its advertising campaigns as a jingle.
In a Time Magazine interview, U2 lead guitarist The Edge is quoted saying "You Get What You Give" is the song he is most "jealous of." "I really would love to have written that," he stated.[5]
The song was listed #440 on Blender's list of The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born.[6]
The song is an unofficial Newcastle United anthem and is regularly played at their home ground St James' Park. The song was used by local radio station Metro Radio during Newcastle's FA cup-run of 1998-99, with Mick Lowes' commentary of Newcastle's cup goals mixed over the song.
In the liner notes to her 2004 compilation Artist's Choice, Joni Mitchell praises "You Get What You Give" for "rising from the swamp of 'McMusic' like a flower of hope."[7] Michelle Branch, Lulu, The Okay Feeling, and Martin Fry have covered this song live in concert. It was also performed by the Final 13 of Australian Idol 2005 & 2006. Both times the controversial "Health insurance..." section was omitted.
LMC released a remix of this song sampling the original Alexander vocals as "LMC vs. New Radicals" in 2005, under the title "Don't Let Go". Another remix entitled "You Get What You Give" was released in 2006, this time with a re-recorded vocal performance by Rachel McFarlane. "You Get What You Give" charted at #30 in the United Kingdom.
In 2006, Ice-T was asked on Late Night with Conan O'Brien about what he has heard, besides rap music, of late in the last few years that really grabbed him and his only reply was "You Get What You Give."
In 2010, Stephen Strasburg was quoted as saying this song really inspired him to become the pitcher he has become. The simplicity of the thought, "You Get What You Give," is easy to grasp and use in your day to day life.
Much of the media attention "You Get What You Give" received centered on the closing lyrics:
According to Alexander, he had written this section for the song as a test; to see whether the media would focus on the important political issues of the first few lines, or the petty celebrity-dissing. As suspected, a considerable amount of press begin to appear about the name-dropping, but the other political issues were largely ignored.[8]
Marilyn Manson commented that he was "not mad he said he'd kick my ass, I just don't want to be used in the same sentence as Courtney Love.... I'll crack his [Alexander's] skull open if I see him."[9] Beck reported that Alexander personally apologized for the line when they met each other by chance in a supermarket, claiming that it was never meant to be personal.[10] Alexander collaborated with Hanson, whose drummer, Zac Hanson, called him "a bit of a character, but a cool guy."[11]
VH1 voted it as the 64th greatest one-hit wonder in 2002.
In 2007, the song was voted #90 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s",[12] and in 2010 it was number 106 on Pitchfork Media's Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.[13] In 2011, VH1 ranked it as 11th on "40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 90s"
The music video for "You Get What You Give" was filmed in the Staten Island Mall, New York and directed by Evan Bernard. New Radicals' front man Gregg Alexander said he chose this setting because he sees the shopping mall as a metaphor for society—a fake, controlled environment engineered to encourage spending. The video showed a group of teenagers led by Alexander, going through the mall wreaking havoc—tossing nets on security guards, placing businessmen in animal cages, knocking over merchandise, hijacking Lambrettas, and moshing in the foodcourt.[14]
Two live recordings of "You Get What You Give" were officially released:
Also there are three MP3's circulating:
| Chart (1998-1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart[15] | 13 |
| Austrian Singles Chart[15] | 33 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[15] | 42 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[15] | 36 |
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart[16] | 1 |
| France Singles Chart[15] | 57 |
| Netherlands Singles Chart[15] | 22 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart[15] | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart[15] | 15 |
| Swedish Singles Chart[15] | 27 |
| Swiss Singles Chart[15] | 18 |
| UK Singles Chart[15] | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs[17] | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[17] | 36 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop Songs[17] | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Pop Songs[17] | 11 |
| Format | Release Date |
|---|---|
| United States | November 10, 1998 |
| United Kingdom | March 22, 1999 |
| Preceded by "...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears |
RIANZ (New Zealand) number one single 7 March 1999 |
Succeeded by "My Side of Town" by Lutricia McNeal |
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