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2000 single by the Offspring and Redman From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Original Prankster" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. It is featured as the third track from their sixth studio album, Conspiracy of One, and was released as its first single on October 10, 2000. The song features additional vocals by Redman[1] and is included on the band's 2005 Greatest Hits album.
"Original Prankster" | ||||
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Single by the Offspring featuring Redman | ||||
from the album Conspiracy of One | ||||
B-side | "Come Out Swinging" | |||
Released | October 10, 2000 | |||
Genre | Punk rock | |||
Length | 3:40 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | Dexter Holland | |||
Producer(s) | Brendan O'Brien | |||
The Offspring singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Original Prankster" on YouTube |
Prior to the release of Conspiracy of One, The Offspring distributed the track for free as a downloadable MP3 file on their official website.[2] A competition was held, featuring a prize of $1 million (USD), which was awarded to a randomly selected participant who downloaded the song.
"Original Prankster" reached the top 10 in several countries, including Australia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, and went to the top 10 on the US and Canadian rock charts. The single went Platinum in Australia in 2001, becoming the third song by The Offspring to reach Platinum status in that country after "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" and "Why Don't You Get a Job?."[3]
The song follows the prankster, the subject of the song, through his life, pulling various pranks on his superiors, being motivated by Redman as a spiritual guide.[1] As a child, he slips his dog's feces into his father's sandwich. In his teen years, he uses a bunsen burner on a perverted science teacher. When sent to the principal's office, he sets up the principal to be photographed in a compromising position with two students. Throughout the video, the band is shown to be playing around the Huntington Beach Pier in their hometown Huntington Beach, California.
Finally, in the present, he switches off the whole city's power supply, though the band still manages to play in the dark and the crowd use flares to light the scene. At the end of the video, lightning strikes the prankster and disintegrates him.
Version 1
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Original Prankster" | 3:40 |
2. | "Come Out Swinging" | 2:47 |
3. | "Staring at the Sun" (Live) | 2:26 |
Australia CD Maxi
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Original Prankster" | 3:40 |
2. | "Dammit, I Changed Again" | 2:49 |
3. | "Come Out Swinging" | 2:47 |
4. | "Gone Away" (Live) | 4:19 |
5. | "Staring at the Sun" (Live) | 2:26 |
Promo CD
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Original Prankster" (Album version) | 3:40 |
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA)[35] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
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