Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth
"Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" is a song by American rock band the Dandy Warhols. It was released on June 16, 1997, as the first single from their second studio album, ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down.[1]
"Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by the Dandy Warhols | ||||
from the album ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down | ||||
Released | June 16, 1997 | |||
Length | 3:11 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Courtney Taylor-Taylor | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
The Dandy Warhols singles chronology | ||||
|
Background and content
As documented in the film Dig!, the song is dedicated to the band The Brian Jonestown Massacre, friends and rivals of The Dandy Warhols at the time, who in turn dedicated their own track "Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth" to them. Frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor revealed in an interview that the song is also about his girlfriend at the time who, according to him, had become a heroin addict while he was on tour.[2]
The song is known for its refrain "I never thought you'd be a junkie because heroin is so passé".[3] Because of this, the song has often been erroneously titled "Heroin Is So Passé", although the song was later subtitled with this in some markets around the world.
Music video
The music video for the song, directed by David LaChapelle,[4] features the group "playing among a troupe of dancing syringes" and was called an "arch, playful, taboo-shredding hoot" by Mojo.[2]
Release
"Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" was released in 1997 as the second single from ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down. It peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number 31 on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
Track listings
All tracks were written and composed by Courtney Taylor-Taylor except where indicated.
UK CD1[5]
UK CD2[6]
|
UK 7-inch single[7]
Australian CD single[8]
|
Charts
Chart (1997–1998) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[9] | 47 |
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[10] | 73 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] | 98 |
Scotland (OCC)[12] | 12 |
UK Singles (OCC)[13] | 13 |
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[14] | 31 |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | June 16, 1997 | Rock radio | ||
United Kingdom | April 20, 1998 |
|
[15] |
References
- Reece, Doug (June 14, 1997). "Capitol Betting Dandy Warhols Still 'Rule OK' on 'Come Down'". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020 – via Google Books.
- John Harris (June 2003). "Phone Home". Mojo. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
- Byrne, Ciar (November 23, 2005). "How to get ahead in music: Make an ad!". Artists whose tracks are used in television adverts often find instant fame and riches after years of obscurity, while having to face accusations of selling out. London: The Guardian. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- Rathe, Adam (May 31, 2012). "A Brief History of David LaChapelle's Music Videos". BlackBook. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
- Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth (UK CD1 liner notes). The Dandy Warhols. Capitol Records, Tim/Kerr Records. 1998. CDCL 800, 7243 8 85564 2 2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth (UK CD2 liner notes). The Dandy Warhols. Capitol Records, Tim/Kerr Records. 1998. CDCLS 800, 7243 8 85565 2 1.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth (UK 7-inch single sleeve). The Dandy Warhols. Capitol Records, Tim/Kerr Records. 1998. CL 800, 7243 8 85565 7 6.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth (Australian CD single liner notes). The Dandy Warhols. Capitol Records, Tim/Kerr Records. 1998. 8849822.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - "The Dandy Warhols – Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 19. May 9, 1998. p. 14. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- "The Dandy Warhols – Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- "The Dandy Warhols Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. April 18, 1998. p. 27.
External links
- "Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" at Discogs (list of releases)
- Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth official video on YouTube