Push_(Matchbox_Twenty_song)

Push (Matchbox Twenty song)

Push (Matchbox Twenty song)

1997 single by Matchbox Twenty


"Push" is a song by American rock band Matchbox Twenty. It was released in 1997 as the second single from their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You (1996). After landing "Long Day" on several rock radio stations paving the way, "Push" topped the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and became one of the band's signature songs.

Quick Facts Single by Matchbox Twenty, from the album Yourself or Someone Like You ...

Composition

Vocalist Rob Thomas wrote the lyrics to "Push" with Matt Serletic. The song's lyrics are about the stress of falling in and out of love.[2] Thomas stated that the man in the song (either himself or fictional) was the one being abused, either emotionally or physically, by a woman.[3] Later after its release, some feminist groups were outraged and claimed the song was about abusing women, Thomas expressed surprise when he heard that the song was being interpreted as misogynistic.[3] In an interview with The Morning Call, the bass guitarist Brian Yale adding "We were kind of surprised when we heard all that stuff. [Our response] was, 'Wow, really? No, it's not about that.'[2]

Music video

The video for "Push" was directed by Nigel Dick, and shot March 27–28, 1997, in Los Angeles.[4] The video starts and ends with Rob Thomas playing with a puppet. Throughout the song, the band is seen playing in an alley. A couple of scenes feature Thomas chained to a wall. Another scene is of Thomas holding onto a barbed wire fence while the band stands in the background. He gets stuck by the fence but keeps putting his hands back on it. Thomas is also seen in a room containing a clock and a bed, though no windows are shown.

Track listings and formats

  • 12-inch vinyl, cassette, and CD single[5][6][7]
  1. "Push"  – 3:59
  2. "Tired"  – 3:44
  1. "Push"  – 3:59
  2. "Busted" (acoustic) – 4:24
  3. "Tired"  – 3:44

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel are adapted from the Yourself or Someone Like You album liner notes.[9]

  • Rob Thomas – vocals, writer
  • Kyle Cook – lead guitar, background vocals
  • Adam Gaynor – rhythm guitar, background vocals
  • Brian Yale – bass
  • Paul Doucette – drums
  • Matt Serletic – writer, producer, mixing, composition and arrangement
  • Jeff Tomei – engineering
  • Greg Archilla – mixing
  • John Nielson – recording assistant
  • Malcolm Springer – mixing assistant
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering
  • Don C. Tyler – digital editing

Charts

More information Chart (1997–1998), Peak position ...

Certifications

More information Region, Certification ...

Release history

More information Region, Date ...

An extract of the song was used in the "Weird Al" Yankovic polka medley, "Polka Power!", along with many other popular songs of the late 90s, off the album Running with Scissors.[45]

In the 2023 fantasy comedy Barbie, Ken (played by Ryan Gosling) adopts it as his favorite song after visiting the real world, and it becomes "a tongue-in-cheek anthem of patriarchal dominance" in Barbieland.[46] While many reviews of the film interpreted this as a critique of the song,[47][48] director Greta Gerwig said that she was a fan of Matchbox Twenty and "I never put anything in a movie I don’t love."[49] Gosling's cover of the song was included on Barbie the Album (Best Weekend Ever Edition).[50]

See also


References

  1. "The 79 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1997". Spin. p. 4. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  2. Gardner, Elysa (September 5, 1997). "The Roaring 20's". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2011-11-28.
  3. "PRODUCTIONS 1997". Nigel Dick - Director.
  4. Push (UK 12-inch vinyl liner notes). Matchbox Twenty. Atlantic Records. 1997. AT0021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. Push (US cassette vinyl liner notes). Matchbox Twenty. Atlantic Records. 1997. AT0021C.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. Push (European CD single liner notes). Matchbox Twenty. Lava Records. 1997. 7567-98011-9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. Push (Australian maxi-single liner notes). Matchbox Twenty. Atlantic Records. 1997. 7567-95590-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. Yourself or Someone Like You (Inlay cover). Matchbox Twenty. Lava Records. 1996. 7567927212.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. "Major Market Airplay" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 19. May 9, 1998. p. 25. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  10. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1997". ARIA. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  11. "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Retrieved March 3, 2019 via Library and Archives Canada.
  12. "RPM '97 Year End Top 50 Alternative Tracks". RPM. Retrieved March 3, 2019 via Library and Archives Canada.
  13. "The Year in Music 1997: Hot 100 Airplay". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. December 27, 1997. p. YE-36. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  14. "The Year in Music 1997: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. December 27, 1997. p. YE-83. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  15. "The Year in Music 1997". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. December 27, 1997. p. YE-73. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  16. "Best of '97: Top 40/Mainstream Singles". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 5, no. 52. December 26, 1997. p. 38.
  17. "Best of '97: Triple A Tracks". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 5, no. 52. December 26, 1997. p. 28.
  18. "The Year in Music 1998: Hot 100 Singles Airplay". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 52. December 26, 1998. p. YE-46. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  19. "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. December 25, 1998. p. 55.
  20. "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. December 25, 1998. p. 45.
  21. "New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1200. June 6, 1997. p. 39.
  22. "プッシュ | マッチボックス・トゥエンティ" [Push | Matchbox Twenty] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  23. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. March 21, 1998. p. 37.
  24. Hines, Will (January 6, 2015). "An Insanely Thorough and Expansive Ranking of Every Weird Al Polka Medley". Vulture. Retrieved July 21, 2023.

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Push_(Matchbox_Twenty_song), and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.