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 July 1997, it was Smash Mouth's first major single, reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. It was also a success abroad, peaking at No. 3 in Canada and Iceland, No. 5 in Italy and Spain, and No. 7 in Australia, where it is certified Platinum for shipments exceeding 70,000.

This article is about the debut single by Smash Mouth. For the song by Inna, see Inna (album).

"Walkin' on the Sun"
European single cover
Single by Smash Mouth
from the album Fush Yu Mang
B-side
  • "Sorry About Your Penis"
  • "Dear Inez"
  • "Push"
ReleasedJuly 18, 1997
Recorded1996
Genre
Length3:25
Label
Songwriter(s)Greg Camp
Producer(s)
Smash Mouth singles chronology
"Walkin' on the Sun"
(1997)		 "Why Can't We Be Friends?"
(1997)
Audio sample
"Walkin' on the Sun"
  • file
  • help
Music video
"Walkin' on the Sun" on YouTube

Background

Smash Mouth guitarist Greg Camp said about "Walkin' on the Sun":

"It was written during the whole Rodney King thing. The song was basically a social and racial battle cry. It was a sort of "Can't we all get along?" song for the time when I wrote it. It was just about all the things that were going on around me as a young person. And I'm, like, God, what is going on? I don't understand why this is happening. It's like we might as well be walking around a planet on fire. And that's how it came about."[3]

Paul De Lisle stated the original version of "Walkin' on the Sun" was more of a rap song.[4]

The band decided to record the song after band drummer Kevin Coleman discovered it on one of Camp's tapes. It was the last song to be added onto Fush Yu Mang.[4]

Critical reception

Music & Media described it as a "punchy and highly infectious track." They added that it "deftly fuses punk and ska—and that's a feat which it manages while avoiding sounding stereotypical of either genre."[5] NME wrote, "'Walkin' On The Sun' is a classic, straight out of the groovy, secret agent world of Austin Powers. Although it was written in the aftermath of the Rodney King beatings, it has an organ hook that's a deadringer for The Zombies' 'She's Not There' and growling staccato vocal that make it the perfect soundtrack for a strut down Carnaby Street circa 1967."[6] Ian Hyland from Sunday Mirror gave the song 9 out of 10. He commented, "It's jingly jangly American guitar music and Radio One are playing it to death. It'll be massive, then they'll disappear."[7]

Music video

The music video for the song begins with each band member, one at a time, walking down a dark alley. Then, the band performs in a room while scenes of Harwell pushing a remote control makes two girls appear in a chamber. Afterwards, the band performs on a beach while beachgoers dance around them. The scene then changes to the band performing in front of the two same girls in an area full of flashing bright lights. We then see a drag race in the street where a yellow hot rod races against an orange hot rod where the band is in. However, in the middle of the race, the orange hot rod crashes, and the race attendees and female race judge rush over to the scene. The band still performs while lying on the ground despite the crash. The video ends with them leaning close to the camera.

Track listings
  • Digital download
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Walkin' on the Sun"Greg CampEric Valentine3:25

All tracks are written by Greg Camp.

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Walkin' on the Sun"Eric Valentine3:28
2."Sorry About Your Penis"Valentine1:26
3."Dear Inez"Valentine2:53
4."Push"Valentine2:52
5."Walkin' on the Sun" (Love Attack Mix) 5:38
6."Walkin' on the Sun" (Phat 'N' Phunky Sunstroke Club) 6:40
  • European Maxi Single

All tracks are written by Greg Camp and produced by Eric Valentine.

No.TitleLength
1."Walkin' on the Sun"3:25
2."Sorry About Your Penis"1:23
3."Dear Inez"2:50
4."Push"2:49
  • Dave Aude Club Remix Single
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Walkin' on the Sun" (Dave Audé Club Remix)Greg Camp4:29

Charts and certifications

Use in media

The song is a playable track in the video game Rock Band 3.[42] The song was also featured in the television film Shredderman Rules (2007).[43] This song was also featured in the television series ER, during the opening scene of Season 4 Episode 13 "Carter's Choice", when Dr. Carter was arriving at work in the snow.[44] It was featured in the 1997 horror film An American Werewolf in Paris and the 1998 film Can't Hardly Wait.

Neil Cicierega sampled the song in "Daft Mouth" off his album Mouth Sounds.

See also

References
  1. Lamb, Bill. "The Top 10 Best Pop Songs of 1997". ThoughtCo. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  2. "The 50 Best Deep Cuts of 1999". Billboard. April 11, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019. Few would've guessed that Smash Mouth had the juice to escape one-hit wonder status following the pop-rock ubiquity of 'Walking on the Sun,' from 1997's otherwise unremarkable Fush Yu Mang.
  3. Wiser, Carl (January 11, 2017). "Smash Mouth Songwriter Greg Camp". Songfacts. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  4. Leong, Alphonse. "Guinness, U2 and the Mob". Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  5. "Airborne" (PDF). Music & Media. November 1, 1997. p. 22. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  6. "Singles Archive 18/10/97". NME. Archived from the original on August 31, 2000. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  7. Hyland, Ian (October 12, 1997). "Take That! It's a Smash Hit for the Mouth". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  8. Artist Direct – http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,375024,00.html
  9. "Australian-charts.com – Smash Mouth – Walkin' on the Sun". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  10. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3376." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  11. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 3422." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  12. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3361." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  13. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14 no. 44. November 1, 1997. p. 16. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  14. "Offiziellecharts.de – Smash Mouth – Walkin' on the Sun". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  15. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (15.1–22.1. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 16, 1998. p. 22. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  16. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 6. February 7, 1998. p. 11. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  17. "Dutchcharts.nl – Smash Mouth – Walkin' on the Sun" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  18. "Charts.nz – Smash Mouth – Walkin' on the Sun". Top 40 Singles.
  19. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  20. "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. March 7, 1998 – via Google Books.
  21. "Swedishcharts.com – Smash Mouth – Walkin' on the Sun". Singles Top 100.
  22. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  23. "Smash Mouth Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  24. "Smash Mouth Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  25. "Smash Mouth Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  26. "Smash Mouth Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  27. "Smash Mouth Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  28. "Smash Mouth Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  29. "Smash Mouth Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  30. "Smash Mouth Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  31. "1997 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  32. "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  33. "RPM '97 Year End Top 50 Alternative Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  34. "Year In Music: 1997 - Hot 100 Airplay". Billboard. Vol. 109 no. 52. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 27, 1997. p. YE-36. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  35. "Year In Music: 1997 - Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 109 no. 52. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 27, 1997. p. YE-73. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  36. "1998 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  37. "RPM's Top 100 Hit Tracks of '98" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 63 no. 12. December 14, 1998. p. 20. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  38. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 100 – Vinsælustu Lögin '98". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 2, 1999. p. 34. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  39. "Year In Music: 1998 - Hot 100 Singles Airplay". Billboard. Vol. 110 no. 52. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 26, 1998. p. YE-46. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  40. "Year In Music: 1998 - Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 110 no. 52. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 26, 1998. p. YE-96. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  41. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  42. "This is the full 83-track Rock Band 3 setlist". Engadget. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  43. "Shredderman Rules (TV Movie 2007) - Soundtrack". IMDB. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  44. "Music from ER S4E13". Tunefind.
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