Self Esteem

"Self Esteem"
Single by The Offspring
from the album Smash
B-side	"Burn It Up" "Jennifer Lost the War"
Released	1994
Format	12" maxi, Cassette CD single, CD maxi
Recorded	1994
Genre	Punk rock
Length	4:17
Label	Epitaph
Writer(s)	Dexter Holland
Producer	Thom Wilson
The Offspring singles chronology
"Come Out and Play (Keep 'Em Separated)" (1994) "Self Esteem" (1994) "Gotta Get Away" (1995)

"Self Esteem" is a song by punk rock group The Offspring. It is the eighth (or seventh, on cassette) track from their third studio album Smash (1994) and was released as the second single from the album. The song was a worldwide hit, reaching #1 in Latvia, Norway, and Sweden and was one of the most successful singles released by the band. However, frontman Dexter Holland mentioned in the Complete Music Video Collection that this song has not been not very popular in Japan.

The song also appears as the third track on their Greatest Hits (2005).

Track listings

CD single

CD maxi

12" maxi

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Darren Lavett (who directed the previous video "Come Out and Play") and was shot in August 1994 after the Offspring had just gone both gold and platinum with Smash.^[1] In the music video, several people are doing things like stunts, with flashes with the band playing. In the music video, it can be clearly seen that the band is performing on stage. It is also clear that Dexter is only singing to the microphone at the start of the song, but later plays guitar.

In the video, Dexter wears three different band t-shirts. In the beginning, he was wearing a Sex Pistols t-shirt. Later he wears a t-shirt of The Germs, and then a Vandals t-shirt when he briefly appears as a human skeleton.

In an interview on The Offspring's Greatest Hits DVD, Noodles claimed that he gave his Fender Stratocaster (which he played in the video) to one of the actors who appeared in the video.

"Self Esteem" remains one of the Offspring's popular videos. It was extremely successful on MTV, and helped launch the song to success on mainstream radio.

DVD appearances

The music video also appears on the Complete Music Video Collection DVD. It was released in 2005.

Covers and other uses

• The song has for many years been the last song played when the Offspring play a live concert.
• The song was also featured on the game SingStar Rocks!.
• The song was also transcribed in the June 1997 issue of Guitar World.
• During Trivium's early days, guitarist Matt Heafy performed a cover version of this song at his middle school talent show at Lake Brantley High School.
• The song was covered by the Cuban Boys on their album Eastwood.
• The song was made available as downloadable content in the Rock Band series on October 7, 2008.
• Charles Hamilton sampled this song for his song "Rockstar Girl".
• Swedish singer/songwriter Veronica Maggio has made an acoustic cover of this song^[2].

Rock Band

The song was released as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band. The song was released in the first "Offspring pack" which was released on October 7, 2008 along with "Gone Away" and "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)".

Certifications

Charts

References