Whatareya?
Whatareya? is the third single by TISM off their album www.tism.wanker.com (1998).
"Whatareya?" | ||||
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Single by TISM | ||||
from the album www.tism.wanker.com | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 6 July 1998 | |||
Recorded | May-November 1997 | |||
Studio | Paisley Park | |||
Genre | Dance-pop, alternative rock | |||
Length | 3:34 | |||
Label | Shock/genre b.goode | |||
Songwriter(s) | TISM | |||
Producer(s) | Laurence Maddy, Magoo, TISM | |||
TISM singles chronology | ||||
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Song
One of the main themes on the album wanker.com is the differences between the cultures of male society, the Yobs and the Wankers. The first single from the album, Yob, describes the role of the Yob; however, this single distinctly marks the territorial bounds between the two classes of men.
Throughout the song it is revealed that the Yob is the basic equivalent of the American redneck and the Wanker is the more intellectual member of society, one who looks down upon the Yob.
As witnessed by the verse:
A wanker fights inequalities
And for people's rights;
A Wanker fights class prejudice -
A Yobbo just fights
The differences are many between the two; the song asks the listener to make the decision as to which side of the fence they fall on, and offers criteria with which to judge oneself.
Video
The video, directed by Craig Melville, follows a very irreverent storyline which has nothing to do with the song in question. It begins with a scene very reminiscent of an early morning aerobics television show, Aerobics Oz Style in which TISM are in the class.
After a very short time the members of TISM are depicted as being quite fatigued with the exercise routine and take a rest – some members bring in a couch to sit on and a television to watch, meanwhile another member brings an esky of beer and a football is introduced, with some members playing a makeshift game of Australian football. All the while, the exercisers continue their work-out routine.
It is not until the main exerciser (and presumably host of the show) knocks and spills one TISM members' beer, that the band becomes hostile towards the presenter, whom they drag to the ground and severely beat and kick as pandemonium overcomes the video, the director calls cut and a TISM member covers the camera lens with his hand, ending the clip.
Track list
Due to the verbose nature of the second track's title, it is frequently referred to as "Untz..." or a small number of the 101 words. Track 3 was also available on Att: Shock Records Faulty Pressing Do Not Manufacture, the bonus disc which came with initial pressings of the album.
- "Whatareya"
- "Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz... Untz..."
- "I’d Be Happier If I Was More Depressed"
- "Whatareya (Gratuitous Profanity Carelessly Slapped Into Verse With Spurious Artistic Merit And No Conceivable Motivation Other Than A Deliberately Perverse Desire To Shoot Oneself In The Foot-less Mix)"
The music to track 2 was originally used for a different song recorded during the sessions, "I Go Off", which appeared on the followup, "Thunderbirds are Coming Out", that October, alongside a song called "Untz" which used similar lyrics to track 2 but had an entirely different music bed.
Track 4 omits the word "fuck" from the first line of the song, "You're a yob or you're a wanker / Take your fucking choice".
Chart performance
"Whatareya?" peaked at #66 on the Australian ARIA singles chart, and spent 10 weeks in the top 100.[1]
References
- "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 27 Sep 1998". ARIA. Retrieved 2016-02-03.