D.A.F. (song)

"D.A.F." is a song by Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger, released as a single from their second studio album, Double Allergic, on 5 August 1996.

"D.A.F."
Single by Powderfinger
from the album Double Allergic
Released5 August 1996 (Australia)
RecordedSing Sing Studios, Melbourne
GenreAlternative rock
Length3:30
LabelUniversal Music Australia
Songwriter(s)Jon Coghill, John Collins, Bernard Fanning, Ian Haug, Darren Middleton
Producer(s)Tim Whitten
Powderfinger singles chronology
"Pick You Up"
(1996)		 "D.A.F."
(1996)		 "Living Type"
(1997)

"D.A.F." reached number 39 on the Australian music chart. The song was doubly nominated in the 1997 ARIA Awards, once for Song of the Year and once for Single of the Year, however won neither.

History

When "D.A.F." was first released, Australian television program Recovery ran a competition asking what the song's title stood for. Powderfinger guitarist Darren Middleton recalls that "people wrote in saying something like Dylan something farts" (referring to then host Dylan Lewis),[1] but Middleton stated that the title was actually the song's chord progression - D,A,F.[1][2] When asked about the naming of the song, bassist John Collins replied "It's just because we were stupid".[3]

"D.A.F." received healthy radio airplay from numerous mainstream stations including the Today Network.[4] This came as a surprise for the band, as only their previous single, "Pick You Up", had achieved such airplay. Lead singer Bernard Fanning commented that "You can't really control who plays what you do on the radio, so it's pretty weird hearing your song on B105".[5]

Although it was produced as a mainstream song, "D.A.F." was released as a single which included their cover version of the Warumpi Band single, "Blackfella/Whitefella", which was in recognition of Australian Indigenous people. Fanning commented on the band choosing to include the song, saying "we don't set out to preach or give social commentary, but we do have the opportunity to put forward an opinion".[4] He also explained that the topic of social justice was one the band felt strongly about, and that the song had "the perfect lyrics to reflect that opinion".[4]

In a separate interview, with Juice, Fanning said that "D.A.F." centered on "the old theme of searching for truth". He said the song related heavily to the ideal of "being honest with yourself so you can be honest with other people".[6]

Response

"D.A.F." was generally received well by reviewers. Allmusic reviewer Jonathan Lewis commended the song, calling it "superb" and stating it was a "radio staple".[7] Sputnikmusic reviewer blueyxd described "D.A.F." as "quirky" and "straight forward rock", recommending it for those who prefer songs "Plain and simple, Powderfinger like they are these days".[8] Juice stated that "D.A.F." was "driven by dramatic tension".[9]

"D.A.F." was nominated for "Song of the Year" and "Single of the Year" at the 1997 ARIA Awards, but failed to win either.[10] It appeared at #18 on the Triple J Hottest 100 in 1996, and appeared on the CD release.[11] "D.A.F." charted moderately, reaching #39 on the ARIA singles chart, and spending four weeks on the chart.[12]

Track listing
  1. "D.A.F." – 3:30[13]
  2. "Blackfella/Whitefella"
  3. "Ibis"
  4. "Pogo Style"

Charts
Chart (1996) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[14] 39

References
  1. Angie Lawrence). "Make Mine A Double". Rave Magazine. Powderfinger Central. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  2. "What does d.a.f. stand for?". The Powdefinger FAQ. Powderfinger Central. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  3. "D.A.F." Songs. Hindley Site. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  4. "An Interview with Bernard Fanning". Buzz: Mini Semper. Powderfinger Central. September 1996. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  5. Peter Blythe (29 October 1996). "I Is Not Me". Drum Media. Powderfinger Central. Archived from the original on 19 February 2001. Retrieved 21 December 2007.
  6. Simon Wooldridge (March 1997). "Out Of The Blue". Juice. Powwderfinger Central. Archived from the original on 19 February 2001. Retrieved 21 December 2007.
  7. Jonathan Lewis. "Doble Allergic > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  8. blueyxd (16 January 2005). "Powderfinger - Double Allergic". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  9. "Double Allergic Review". Juice. Hindley Site. Archived from the original on 27 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
  10. "History: Winners by Artist: Powderfinger". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
  11. "Hottest 100 1996". History. Triple J. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  12. "Powderfinger - D.A.F." australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
  13. "d.a.f. by Powderfinger". Rate Your Music. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2007.
  14. "Powderfinger – D.A.F.". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
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