Rockin' the Suburbs (song)

"Rockin' the Suburbs" is a song by Ben Folds on the album of the same name.

"Rockin' the Suburbs"
Single by Ben Folds
from the album Rockin' the Suburbs
ReleasedApril 17, 2001
Recorded2000
GenreComedy rock
Length4.58
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Ben Folds
Ben Folds singles chronology
"Rockin' the Suburbs"
(2001)		 "Still Fighting It"
(2002)

Music and lyrics

Folds said of the inspiration for the song:

"I used to do this big rant at the end of some gigs with Ben Folds Five. The band broke into this big heavy metal thing and I started as a joke to scream in a heavy metal falsetto. I found myself saying things like: Feel my pain, I am white, feel my pain. I was going to write this song about Korn. I don't know, it wasn't as funny when I directed it at somebody. So I thought I would write it not directed to anybody. I mean, I would be happy to tell the guys from Korn that I wrote a song about them, but I think, when people listen to it, it is a better song when it is not directed to anybody."[1]

The song parodies Korn and Rage Against the Machine. Folds stated of the song "I am taking the piss out of the whole scene, especially the followers."[1]

The lyrics for a portion of the song are often changed during live performances. In the refrain of the song, "I'm rockin' the suburbs, just like ______ did", Folds inserts the name of a musical artist. In the album version, the order for the names is: Michael Jackson, Quiet Riot, and Jon Bon Jovi. For live performances Ben has inserted other names, such as Bryan Adams. On the Songs for Goldfish version, he mentions William Shatner (for whom he produced an album, Has Been) and Henry Rollins (whom he worked with on Shatner's song "I Can't Get Behind That").

Single track listing
  1. "Rockin' the Suburbs" [Radio Edit]
  2. "Girl"
  3. "Make Me Mommy"
  4. "Rockin' the Suburbs" [Video]

Japanese EP:

  1. "Rockin' the Suburbs" [Radio Edit]
  2. "One Down"
  3. "Girl"
  4. "Make Me Mommy"
  5. "The Secret Life of Morgan Davis"

Music video

The music video for "Rockin' the Suburbs" was directed by friend "Weird Al" Yankovic, who also plays the role of a producer who fixes Folds' "shitty track," directly riffing on one of the song's lyrics. The video, which resembles the style of Yankovic's own videos, features Folds playing multiple members of an angry rock band in a suburban den and in front of a white background.

After the song's bridge, Folds is shown outside in a suburban neighborhood wearing a backwards red New York Yankees cap, the trademark of Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst, while singing the lyrics, "girl give me something I can break", which were a riff on the Limp Bizkit song "Break Stuff". During this portion of the video, Folds engages in "suburban" activities such as skateboarding, jumping in pools and flipping burgers.

At the end of the video, the "band" (all played by Folds again) plays in front of a black background with holes punched in it, a style that deliberately matches the live-action parts of the Korn video for "Freak on a Leash." A subliminal message reading "Korn Sucks" briefly appears.

Over the Hedge remake

In 2006, Folds rewrote the song for the animated movie Over the Hedge, with film co-star William Shatner providing vocals during part of the song. Shatner does the voice for Ozzie the Opossum, who encourages his teenage daughter Heather (voice by Avril Lavigne) to play dead in threatening situations.

While the new version features none of the swearing and parodies of the original, Folds makes some very pointed barbs at the concept of suburbia in the song, including jabs at homeowner associations and driving long distances to work.

This version of the song was also featured in the film Marley & Me.

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2004-10-28. Retrieved 2004-10-16.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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