You're Gonna Go Far, Kid

"You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" is a song by American punk rock band the Offspring. It is the third track from the band's eighth studio album, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) and was released as its second single on September 4, 2008.

"You're Gonna Go Far, Kid"
Single by the Offspring
from the album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
ReleasedSeptember 4, 2008
RecordedNovember 2006–April 2008
StudioMaui, Hawaii and Orange County, California
GenrePunk rock, alternative rock[1]
Length2:58
LabelColumbia[2]
Songwriter(s)Dexter Holland
Producer(s)Bob Rock[2]
The Offspring singles chronology
"Hammerhead"
(2008)
"You're Gonna Go Far, Kid"
(2008)
"Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?"
(2008)
Music video
"You're Gonna Go Far, Kid (Official Music Video) on YouTube

Background

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The song had previously impacted radio on August 12.[3] This is the band's third number one single on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, after "Come Out and Play", and "Hit That". The song stayed at No. 1 for 11 weeks and has sold 1.6 million copies in United States, making it the longest consecutive run for any Offspring single at No. 1. "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" is certified Platinum by the RIAA. The band has notched 16 top 10s on the Alternative chart since then, including three No. 1s, the most recent being "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid".

Track listing

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Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" (Radio edit)2:58
CD maxi[4]
No.TitleLength
1."You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" (Explicit album version)3:00
2."You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" (Live)2:59
3."Hammerhead" (Live)4:36
4."You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" (Video)4:36

Music video

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The music video for this single was directed by Chris Hopewell,[5] who has also directed videos for several other bands. On October 16, 2008, it was announced on the Offspring's official website that the video would debut Friday, October 17 at 3:00 pm Eastern/12 noon Pacific on Myspace.com.[6]

As in the videos for "Hammerhead" and "Hit That", the video contains large amounts of CGI and does not include any footage of the band performing the song. However, unlike "Hammerhead" and "Hit That", the video also contains live actors recorded by camera mixed in with the CGI effects.

The plot follows a peasant working in a garden in a dystopian future. Suddenly, a nymph appears and gives the peasant a magical, golden acoustic guitar and he begins strumming to the song. He enters town and plays for the locals. The magical abilities of the guitar make the peasant a sensation, earning him much-needed money and causing various townsfolk to start dancing uncontrollably. The peasant then plays for plague-infested townspeople, and they are cured by the magic of the guitar. In return, he demands from one of them her expensive necklace while the nymph looks upon him disapprovingly. The peasant moves on to a very expensive hotel but is denied entry based on his appearance. He plays more to earn money for a nice suit. He buys the suit, enters the restaurant, and begins to play his guitar for the wealthy socialites, for more money. The nymph appears and punishes the peasant for his selfishness by first forcing him to dance alone to the music and then dragging him into the ground through a whirlpool. The guitar lands on the floor and dissolves into leaves at the end of the song.

Personnel

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The Offspring

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Additional musicians

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Charts

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Chart performance for "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid"
Chart (2008) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[7] 54
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[8] 25
Canada Rock (Billboard)[9] 1
CIS Airplay (TopHit)[10] 176
France (SNEP)[11] 1
Germany (GfK)[12] 67
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] 28
Poland (LP3)[14] 42
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[15] 19
US Billboard Hot 100[16] 63
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[17] 10
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[18] 1

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[19] Gold 30,000
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[20] Gold 45,000
France (SNEP)[21] Gold 100,000
Germany (BVMI)[22] Gold 150,000
Italy (FIMI)[23] Gold 25,000
Poland (ZPAV)[24] Gold 25,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[25] Platinum 60,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] Platinum 600,000
United States (RIAA)[28] Platinum 1,000,000 / 1,600,000[27]

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Offspring, The – You're Gonna Go Far, Kid". Discogs. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  3. ^ "AllAccess.com Alternative eWeekly". AllAccess. August 5, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  4. ^ "The Offspring – You're Gonna Go Far, Kid". Allmusic. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  5. ^ "The Offspring - You're Gonna Go Far, Kid". MTV. October 16, 2008. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  6. ^ "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid Video Premiere!". Offspring.com. October 16, 2008. Archived from the original on October 19, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  7. ^ ARIA Report - issue 968 - September 15 2008 pandora.nla.gov.au. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  8. ^ "The Offspring Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  9. ^ "The Offspring Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard.
  10. ^ The Offspring — You're Gonna Go Far Kid. TopHit. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  11. ^ "The Offspring – You're Gonna Go Far Kid" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  12. ^ "The Offspring – You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  13. ^ "The Offspring – You're Gonna Go Far, Kid". Top 40 Singles.
  14. ^ "Lista Przebojów Programu 3" (in Polish). LP3. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  15. ^ "The Offspring – You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" Canciones Top 50.
  16. ^ "The Offspring Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  17. ^ "The Offspring Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  18. ^ "The Offspring Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  19. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Offspring – You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil.
  20. ^ "Danish single certifications – Offspring – You're Gonna Go Far, Kid". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  21. ^ "French single certifications – Offspring – You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  22. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Offspring; 'You're Gonna Go Far, Kid')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  23. ^ "Italian single certifications – Offspring – You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  24. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2022 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  25. ^ "Spanish single certifications – The Offspring – You're Gonna Go Far, Kid". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  26. ^ "British single certifications – Offspring – You're Gonna Go Far Kid". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  27. ^ The Offspring Still Fly as 'Days Go By' Rises on Rock Charts. Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  28. ^ "American single certifications – Offspring – You're Gonna Go Far, Kid". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 23, 2021.