Why Don't You Get a Job?

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"Why Don't You Get a Job?"
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Single by the Offspring
from the album Americana
B-side"Beheaded (1999)"
ReleasedMarch 15, 1999 (1999-03-15)
Genre
Length2:51
LabelColumbia
SongwriterDexter Holland
ProducerDave Jerden[2]
The Offspring singles chronology
"Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)"
(1998) 		"Why Don't You Get a Job?"
(1999) 		"The Kids Aren't Alright"
(1999)
Music video
"Why Don't You Get a Job?" on YouTube

"Why Don't You Get a Job?" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. The song is the 11th track on the Offspring's fifth studio album, Americana (1998), and was released as its second single on March 15, 1999. The song also appears as the eighth track on the band's Greatest Hits album (2005). The single peaked within the top 10 of the charts in several countries, including reaching number two in the United Kingdom, Australia, Iceland, and Sweden.

The song drew attention from multiple music writers for its similarities to the song "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", the Beatles' 1968 hit from their self-titled double album (also known as the White Album).[3][4][5]

Music video

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The music video, directed by McG,[6] was shot on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood. Lead singer Dexter Holland hang-glides down to a suburban street and starts singing acapella while walking down the street, beats are soon added by a girl with a boombox, the rest of the band and a man playing the steelpan. As the video progress, the group walks through several TV and movie set locations, such as Colonial Street and Courthouse Square. More and more people join them as the video progress into an impromptu parade, including a marching band, female contestants walking out on the filming of a dating game show, and both friends with terrible partners discussed in the song. Eventually the crowd walks up to a large red button labelled "Do not push" which Holland presses. This triggers an explosion and the crowd scatters in a panic.

Several cameos are featured: Bob Eubanks hosts the parody dating show, Chris "X-13" Higgins and Pussycat Dolls member Carmit Bachar are the deadbeat boyfriend and his girlfriend mentioned in the third verse, and Guy Cohen, who played the main character in the "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" video, makes an appearance shortly before the video ends. The video appears on the Complete Music Video Collection DVD, released in 2005.

Track listings

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Australia CD maxi

No.TitleLength
1."Why Don't You Get a Job?"2:51
2."Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" (Lowriders Remix)3:03
3."Beheaded (1999)"2:39
4.""Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)"" (Music Video in the CD-ROM)3:09

Part 2

No.TitleLength
1."Why Don't You Get a Job?"2:51
2."Why Don't You Get a Job?" (The Baka Boyz Remix)4:24
3."Beheaded (1999)"2:39
4."I Wanna Be Sedated" (Ramones Cover)2:21

Later version

No.TitleLength
1."Why Don't You Get a Job?"2:51
2."Beheaded (1999)"2:39
3."I Wanna Be Sedated" (Ramones Cover)2:21

Personnel

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The Offspring

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Additional musicians

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  • Gabrial McNair – horn
  • Álvaro Macías – vihuela
  • Phil Jordan – horn
  • Carlos Gómez – guitar
  • Derrick Davis – flute

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[53] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Italy (FIMI)[54] Gold 50,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[55] Platinum 30,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[56] Gold 30,000‡
Sweden (GLF)[57] Gold 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[58] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[59] Platinum 1,000,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States January 25, 1999 Active rock radio Columbia [60]
Australia March 15, 1999 CD [61]
United States March 23, 1999 Contemporary hit radio [62]
Europe March 30, 1999 CD [18]
United Kingdom April 26, 1999
  • CD
  • cassette
 [63]
Japan June 19, 1999 CD Epic [64]

Cover versions

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Australian country singer John Williamson covered the song as part of the Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge album in 2000

South African singer Snotkop translated the song into Afrikaans as "Kry jou ass by die werk"[65] (radio edit titled "Kry jouself by die werk").

References

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  7. ^ Argentina Airplay Charts Archive
  8. ^ "The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  9. ^ "The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  10. ^ "The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  11. ^ "The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7445." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 7450." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  14. ^ Danish Charts Archive. 21 May 1999.
  15. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  17. ^ "The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?" (in French). Le classement de singles.
  18. ^ a b "The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
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  21. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Why Don't You Get a Job?". Irish Singles Chart.
  22. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  25. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 21, 1999" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  26. ^ "The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  27. ^ "The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?". Top 40 Singles.
  28. ^ "The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?". VG-lista.
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  31. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  32. ^ "The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?". Singles Top 100.
  33. ^ "The Offspring – Why Don't You Get a Job?". Swiss Singles Chart.
  34. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  35. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  36. ^ "The Offspring Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  37. ^ "The Offspring Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  38. ^ "The Offspring Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  39. ^ "The Offspring Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  40. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
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