One Week
Encyclopedia
"One Week" is a 1998 single by Barenaked Ladies
, the first single off their 1998 album, Stunt
. It was written by Ed Robertson
, who is featured on the lead vocal of the rapped verses. Steven Page
sings lead on the song's chorus, while the two co-lead the prechoruses in harmony. The song is notable for its significant number of pop culture references. It is one of the band's signature song
s. The song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart and, fittingly, spent one week at #1.
"One Week" is the band's best-performing single on the charts in both the United States
and the United Kingdom
, though it slightly under-performed several other singles in the band's native Canada
. It was the band's first and only number one single in the U.S. on both the Hot 100
(for one week) and the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks (for five non-consecutive weeks). the song spent seven weeks at number 3 on the Hot 100 Airplay
and an additional four at number two land locked behind the Goo Goo Dolls
' "Iris". Both "The Old Apartment
" and "Brian Wilson
" barely broke the top 100 of the US chart. The band's US chart success has not been equaled, and was neared only by followup singles "It's All Been Done
" and "Pinch Me
", the first single off follow-up album Maroon; both broke the top 50 of the U.S. Hot 100.
In 1999, American parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic
recorded a parody titled "Jerry Springer," about a man's strange obssession with The Jerry Springer Show
, for his album Running with Scissors
.
The song has been featured numerous times in other media, including Digimon: The Movie
, the first American Pie
movie, the video game Alvin and the Chipmunks
, and in an ad for Mitsubishi Lancer
, which featured teens trying to sing the song but being unable to keep up with the fast rapping at some points.
wrote the ideas for the non-rap 'choruses' with the concept being the structure of a fight where the protagonist knows they are wrong and is just trying to save face. He wanted to come up with a rapping verse for the song but all attempts failed. Bandmate Steven Page
suggested he simply improvise the rap as the two commonly did onstage every night. Robertson heeded the advice and set up a video camera. He improvised the song at a slower pace to make rhyming easier and arrived at about four minutes of rap. He sent it to Page who told him not to change a word. Two minutes of the improvising was almost directly compiled (with very little, if any, tweaking) into the verses of the song. As it is improvised, it is not intended to directly have any relation to the plot of the chorus sections. The lyrics in the liner notes
from Stunt contain some additional lines that did not make it into the recorded version.
Band members have stated that the first live run-through of "One Week" did not go well, and that it took some time to get the song to sound good live. The instrumental parts are played by band members, notably Ed Robertson
and Steven Page
on guitar, and Kevin Hearn
sometimes on guitar and sometimes on keyboards; as well, while Hearn was away from touring shortly after the song's release, his place at shows was taken by one of two other musicians on keyboards who each added their own unique parts to the song, helping to shape its live sound early.
The song is also featured on the third installment of the Big Shiny Tunes
series, Big Shiny Tunes 3
.
In performances starting in 2003, the band developed an acoustic, bluegrass version of the song. It is typically used in a new performance setting they developed on the Peepshow Tour that year, in which they play acoustically while they stand around and sing into one omni-directional microphone
.
With the departure of Page in early 2009, Robertson has taken over singing Page's lead chorus vocal, while Page's harmonies have been performed by drummer Tyler Stewart
.
and begins with them singing in a royal court, featuring a singing girl on a wind-up pedestal, similar to a scene from the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
. During the interlude they make an escape and sing while driving a lookalike of The General Lee
from The Dukes of Hazzard
(using the numbers 07 instead of 01 and minus the Confederate flag on the roof) and Starsky & Hutch's Ford Gran Torino. The band drives into a suburb, where they perform a concert in front of a trailer, with a female motorcyclist, dressed like Evel Knievel
, performing stunts. The video ends with a shot of the cyclist stuck on a tree. The video features Carmit Bachar
from the Pussycat Dolls
, playing an angel.
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
, the first single off their 1998 album, Stunt
Stunt (album)
Stunt is the fourth full-length studio album by Barenaked Ladies. By far their most successful album, it entered the US charts at #3 and sold over 4 million units by the end of its chart run. Its first single, "One Week" would become the band's breakthrough single in the U.S. market by hitting #1...
. It was written by Ed Robertson
Ed Robertson
Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson , better known as Ed Robertson, is the Canadian lead singer, as well as a guitarist and songwriter in the band, Barenaked Ladies...
, who is featured on the lead vocal of the rapped verses. Steven Page
Steven Page
Steven Jay Page , is a Canadian musician. Along with Ed Robertson, he was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies ; he left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career....
sings lead on the song's chorus, while the two co-lead the prechoruses in harmony. The song is notable for its significant number of pop culture references. It is one of the band's signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
s. The song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and, fittingly, spent one week at #1.
"One Week" is the band's best-performing single on the charts in both the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, though it slightly under-performed several other singles in the band's native Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was the band's first and only number one single in the U.S. on both the Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
(for one week) and the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks (for five non-consecutive weeks). the song spent seven weeks at number 3 on the Hot 100 Airplay
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
and an additional four at number two land locked behind the Goo Goo Dolls
Goo Goo Dolls
The Goo Goo Dolls are a Grammy-nominated American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik and vocalist and bass guitarist Robby Takac. Since the end of 1994, Mike Malinin has been the band's drummer, a position previously held by George Tutuska...
' "Iris". Both "The Old Apartment
The Old Apartment
"The Old Apartment" is a song by the Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was the band's first American hit, and appears on the albums Born on a Pirate Ship, Rock Spectacle and the compilation album, Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits...
" and "Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson (song)
"Brian Wilson" is a song by the Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies. It was released a single from the band's debut studio album, Gordon.The song was written by singer/guitarist Steven Page in his parents’ basement on his twentieth birthday, in 1990...
" barely broke the top 100 of the US chart. The band's US chart success has not been equaled, and was neared only by followup singles "It's All Been Done
It's All Been Done
"It's All Been Done" is a song by the Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the second single from their 1998 album, Stunt....
" and "Pinch Me
Pinch Me
"Pinch Me" is the title of a song by the Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. It was released in August 2000 as the first single from their 2000 album, Maroon, which was a follow-up to their hit album, Stunt. As such, "Pinch Me" is often regarded as an attempted follow-up to the hit single "One Week"...
", the first single off follow-up album Maroon; both broke the top 50 of the U.S. Hot 100.
In 1999, American parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
recorded a parody titled "Jerry Springer," about a man's strange obssession with The Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show is a syndicated television tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician, broadcast in the United States and other countries...
, for his album Running with Scissors
Running with Scissors (album)
Running with Scissors is the 10th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 29, 1999. The album contains the hit single "The Saga Begins", a parody of Don McLean's song "American Pie".-Details:...
.
The song has been featured numerous times in other media, including Digimon: The Movie
Digimon: The Movie
Digimon: The Movie is a 2000 American film adaptation of the first three Japanese Digimon films distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film used footage from the films Digimon Adventure , Our War Game!! , and Digimon Hurricane Touchdown!! / Supreme Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals .In comparison to...
, the first American Pie
American Pie
"American Pie" is the title of a song by American folk rock singer-songwriter Don McLean. Recorded and released on the American Pie album in 1971, the single was a number-one U.S. hit for four weeks in 1972. A re-release in 1991 did not chart in the U.S., but reached No. 2 in the UK...
movie, the video game Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks (video game)
Alvin and the Chipmunks is a video game based on the film of the same name. The game was released on December 4, 2007 and was the first release by short-lived video game company Brash Entertainment. It follows The Chipmunks as they play their way from small venues to massive crowds at Burning Munk...
, and in an ad for Mitsubishi Lancer
Mitsubishi Lancer
The Mitsubishi Lancer is a family car built by Mitsubishi Motors. It has been known as the Colt Lancer, Dodge/Plymouth Colt, Chrysler Valiant Lancer, Chrysler Lancer, Eagle Summit, Hindustan Lancer, Soueast Lioncel, Mitsubishi Carisma, and Mitsubishi Mirage in various countries at different times,...
, which featured teens trying to sing the song but being unable to keep up with the fast rapping at some points.
History
Ed RobertsonEd Robertson
Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson , better known as Ed Robertson, is the Canadian lead singer, as well as a guitarist and songwriter in the band, Barenaked Ladies...
wrote the ideas for the non-rap 'choruses' with the concept being the structure of a fight where the protagonist knows they are wrong and is just trying to save face. He wanted to come up with a rapping verse for the song but all attempts failed. Bandmate Steven Page
Steven Page
Steven Jay Page , is a Canadian musician. Along with Ed Robertson, he was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies ; he left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career....
suggested he simply improvise the rap as the two commonly did onstage every night. Robertson heeded the advice and set up a video camera. He improvised the song at a slower pace to make rhyming easier and arrived at about four minutes of rap. He sent it to Page who told him not to change a word. Two minutes of the improvising was almost directly compiled (with very little, if any, tweaking) into the verses of the song. As it is improvised, it is not intended to directly have any relation to the plot of the chorus sections. The lyrics in the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
from Stunt contain some additional lines that did not make it into the recorded version.
Band members have stated that the first live run-through of "One Week" did not go well, and that it took some time to get the song to sound good live. The instrumental parts are played by band members, notably Ed Robertson
Ed Robertson
Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson , better known as Ed Robertson, is the Canadian lead singer, as well as a guitarist and songwriter in the band, Barenaked Ladies...
and Steven Page
Steven Page
Steven Jay Page , is a Canadian musician. Along with Ed Robertson, he was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies ; he left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career....
on guitar, and Kevin Hearn
Kevin Hearn
Kevin Neil Hearn is a Canadian musician who is currently the keyboardist of Barenaked Ladies and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He is also a former member of Rheostatics.-Early life:...
sometimes on guitar and sometimes on keyboards; as well, while Hearn was away from touring shortly after the song's release, his place at shows was taken by one of two other musicians on keyboards who each added their own unique parts to the song, helping to shape its live sound early.
The song is also featured on the third installment of the Big Shiny Tunes
Big Shiny Tunes
Big Shiny Tunes is a series of rock albums featuring Various Artists compiled and released by the Canadian music television station MuchMusic, beginning in 1996. The best-selling album of the series was Big Shiny Tunes 2, which was certified Diamond in Canada by the CRIA on March 25, 1998...
series, Big Shiny Tunes 3
Big Shiny Tunes 3
"Big Shiny Tunes 3" is the third edition of the MuchMusic compilation series, Big Shiny Tunes. It was a successful follow-up to the series' previous Diamond certified release, Big Shiny Tunes 2. The album was assembled by having its audience vote on which songs they would like to have included, a...
.
In performances starting in 2003, the band developed an acoustic, bluegrass version of the song. It is typically used in a new performance setting they developed on the Peepshow Tour that year, in which they play acoustically while they stand around and sing into one omni-directional microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
.
With the departure of Page in early 2009, Robertson has taken over singing Page's lead chorus vocal, while Page's harmonies have been performed by drummer Tyler Stewart
Tyler Stewart
Tyler Joseph Stewart is the drummer for the Canadian music group Barenaked Ladies. He was the last of the original five Barenaked Ladies to join the band.-Role in Barenaked Ladies:...
.
Music video
The music video was directed by McGMcG
Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer....
and begins with them singing in a royal court, featuring a singing girl on a wind-up pedestal, similar to a scene from the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (film)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a 1968 musical film with a script by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes, and songs by the Sherman Brothers, loosely based on Ian Fleming's novel Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car. It starred Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts and Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious. The...
. During the interlude they make an escape and sing while driving a lookalike of The General Lee
The General Lee
The General Lee is the modified Dodge Charger driven by the Duke cousins Bo and Luke in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. It is known for the chases and stunts, especially high jumps, in almost every episode, and for having the doors welded shut, leaving the Dukes to climb in and out...
from The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
(using the numbers 07 instead of 01 and minus the Confederate flag on the roof) and Starsky & Hutch's Ford Gran Torino. The band drives into a suburb, where they perform a concert in front of a trailer, with a female motorcyclist, dressed like Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
, performing stunts. The video ends with a shot of the cyclist stuck on a tree. The video features Carmit Bachar
Carmit Bachar
Carmit Bachar is an American singer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. She was a member of the successful pop/R&B group, The Pussycat Dolls and one of the main vocalists of the group, along with Nicole Scherzinger and Melody Thornton. Bachar left the group in February 2008. She is currently...
from the Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
, playing an angel.
Peak positions
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
3 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Hot 100 Airplay The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks is a defunct airplay chart from Billboard Magazine. It was created in 1998, when Billboard Magazine changed the airplay profile of The Hot 100 Airplay to include more R&B, Country, and Rock stations to its profile . To preserve the notion of the former chart, Top 40 Tracks was... |
3 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1998) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 51 |