Bathwater
Encyclopedia
"Bathwater" is a ska punk
song written by Tom Dumont
, Tony Kanal
, and Gwen Stefani
for No Doubt
's fourth studio album Return of Saturn
(2000). It was released as the album's fourth and final single on November 14, 2000.
brass and Adrian Young
as a human beat-box. The lyrics discuss overcoming insecurities about a relationship with adoration. The lyric "to wash in your old bathwater" means accepting a lover's faults.
"Bathwater" is a ska punk song written in the key of E minor
. It is composed in swing time
with a medium swing and moves at a moderately fast tempo of 138 beats per minute. The song's verses are carried by perfect fifth
chords with a i-IV chord progression
. Some use minor key piano chords on the off beat. Stefani's vocal range spans over two octaves in the song, from G3 to B5.
described the song's cabaret
style as campy and noted that "even lovelorn teen girls may... think it's pretty yucky." Rolling Stone
described it as a combination of 2 Tone
and the slapstick
of farce
s by Gilbert and Sullivan
that "never drops the band's signature blend of adrenaline and sugar." In its review of The Singles 1992-2003
, OMH Media disagreed and referred to it as an "uncomfortable merging" of 1940s dance music
and the work of 2 Tone band Madness
.
, who also directed the video to their previous single, "Simple Kind of Life
". The whole video comprises dancing. In it, Adrian Young appears in drag as Gwen. It also features members of the burlesque
group The Pussycat Dolls.
, the song failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100
and barely entered the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, inching to #39. In its initial release the song also failed to chart on the Top 75 Singles chart in the UK; however, upon re-release in 2004 as the second single from the compilation album The Singles 1992-2003
, it peaked at #17.
In the territories where the song did chart, it performed poorly. On the Australian ARIA
Singles Chart, the single managed a #79 peak position. In Germany
, the song reached #73.
On American Idol (season 6)
, Sanjaya Malakar
performed "Bathwater", the week that Gwen Stefani
was the mentor for the contestants. This performance is most famed for the mohawk
Malakar wore, which was composed of seven ponytails.
Remix)" was released as a single for the album The Singles 1992-2003
, although it is actually not on the album. It charted poorly until released as a double A-side single with a cover of Talk Talk
's It's My Life when it peaked at #17. The video for "Bathwater (Invincible Overlord Remix)" is mostly an edited version of the video for "Bathwater".
Ska punk
Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...
song written by Tom Dumont
Tom Dumont
Tom Dumont is an American guitarist and producer. Dumont is a member of third wave ska band No Doubt, and during the band's hiatus, he began Invincible Overlord as a side project and produced Matt Costa's Songs We Sing.-Life and career:The Dumont family lived in Irvine, California...
, Tony Kanal
Tony Kanal
Tony Kanal is an English musician, record producer and songwriter. Kanal is the bassist for the American rock band No Doubt...
, and Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
for No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
's fourth studio album Return of Saturn
Return of Saturn
Return of Saturn is the fourth studio album by the American rock band No Doubt, released on April 11, 2000 by Interscope Records. After touring for two and a half years to promote their breakthrough third studio album, Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt wrote several dozen songs for its follow-up and...
(2000). It was released as the album's fourth and final single on November 14, 2000.
Background and writing
The song was written in only ten minutes, opening with slow New Orleans funeralJazz funeral
Jazz funeral is a common name for a funeral tradition with music which developed in New Orleans, Louisiana.The term "jazz funeral" was long in use by observers from elsewhere, but was generally disdained as inappropriate by most New Orleans musicians and practitioners of the tradition...
brass and Adrian Young
Adrian Young
Adrian Samuel Young is the drummer for the rock band No Doubt.-Biography:Young's parents were hippies. He has four brothers: Alex, Damian, Jeff and Aaron. His father is a teacher in Cypress CA and his stepmother, Jeanne, is currently suffering from ALS...
as a human beat-box. The lyrics discuss overcoming insecurities about a relationship with adoration. The lyric "to wash in your old bathwater" means accepting a lover's faults.
"Bathwater" is a ska punk song written in the key of E minor
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on the note E. The E natural minor scale consists of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. The E harmonic minor scale contains the natural 7, D, rather than the flatted 7, D – to align with the major dominant chord, B7 .Its key signature has one sharp, F .Its...
. It is composed in swing time
Swing Time
Swing Time is a 1936 RKO musical comedy film set mainly in New York City and stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Helen Broderick, Victor Moore, Eric Blore and Georges Metaxa, with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Dorothy Fields...
with a medium swing and moves at a moderately fast tempo of 138 beats per minute. The song's verses are carried by perfect fifth
Perfect fifth
In classical music from Western culture, a fifth is a musical interval encompassing five staff positions , and the perfect fifth is a fifth spanning seven semitones, or in meantone, four diatonic semitones and three chromatic semitones...
chords with a i-IV chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
. Some use minor key piano chords on the off beat. Stefani's vocal range spans over two octaves in the song, from G3 to B5.
Critical reception
"Bathwater" received mixed reviews from music critics. Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
described the song's cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
style as campy and noted that "even lovelorn teen girls may... think it's pretty yucky." Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
described it as a combination of 2 Tone
2 Tone
2 Tone is a music genre created in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s by fusing elements of ska, punk rock, rocksteady, reggae, and New Wave. It was called 2 Tone because most of the bands were signed to 2 Tone Records at some point. Other labels associated with the 2 Tone sound were Stiff...
and the slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
of farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
s by Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
that "never drops the band's signature blend of adrenaline and sugar." In its review of The Singles 1992-2003
The Singles 1992-2003
The only single from The Singles 1992–2003 was a cover of the song "It's My Life", originally released in 1984 by the synthpop band Talk Talk. Because the band were taking a break while lead singer Gwen Stefani recorded her solo debut album Love. Angel. Music. Baby., they decided to do a cover...
, OMH Media disagreed and referred to it as an "uncomfortable merging" of 1940s dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
and the work of 2 Tone band Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
.
Music video
The music video was directed by Sophie MullerSophie Muller
Sophie Muller is a British music video director, noted for her long-time collaborations with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Sade, Shakira, Shakespears Sister, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics.-Background:...
, who also directed the video to their previous single, "Simple Kind of Life
Simple Kind of Life
"Simple Kind of Life" is a pop rock ballad written by Gwen Stefani for No Doubt's fourth album Return of Saturn . The song contrasts Stefani's desire to settle down and start a family with her commitment to the band...
". The whole video comprises dancing. In it, Adrian Young appears in drag as Gwen. It also features members of the burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
group The Pussycat Dolls.
Track listing
- Bathwater (G. Stefani/T. Kanal/T. Dumont) - 4:03
- Beauty Contest (G. Stefani/T. Kanal) - 4:14
- Under Construction (G. Stefani/T. Kanal) - 3:12
- Ex-GirlfriendEx-Girlfriend (song)"Ex-Girlfriend" is a song written by Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal and Gwen Stefani for No Doubt's fourth studio album Return of Saturn . The song was released as the album's first official single in mid-2000 and it was moderately successful, reaching the top 40 in most countries.-Background and...
- Acoustic Live (G. Stefani/T. Dumont/T. Kanal) - 3:50
Chart performance
The single was a commercial failure, as had been much of the Return of Saturn project. In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the song failed to enter 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...
and barely entered the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, inching to #39. In its initial release the song also failed to chart on the Top 75 Singles chart in the UK; however, upon re-release in 2004 as the second single from the compilation album The Singles 1992-2003
The Singles 1992-2003
The only single from The Singles 1992–2003 was a cover of the song "It's My Life", originally released in 1984 by the synthpop band Talk Talk. Because the band were taking a break while lead singer Gwen Stefani recorded her solo debut album Love. Angel. Music. Baby., they decided to do a cover...
, it peaked at #17.
In the territories where the song did chart, it performed poorly. On the Australian ARIA
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
Singles Chart, the single managed a #79 peak position. In Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the song reached #73.
On American Idol (season 6)
American Idol (Season 6)
The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host...
, Sanjaya Malakar
Sanjaya Malakar
Sanjaya Joseph Malakar is an American singer of Indian origin, who was a finalist on the sixth season of American Idol. He gained national attention on the series, controversially advancing to 7th place with public votes, despite being poorly received by the show's judges, particularly Simon...
performed "Bathwater", the week that Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
was the mentor for the contestants. This performance is most famed for the mohawk
Mohawk hairstyle
The mohawk is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair...
Malakar wore, which was composed of seven ponytails.
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|
|---|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 79 | |
| German Singles Chart | 73 | |
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 | 39 | |
| Chart (2004) | UK Singles Chart | 17 |
Invincible Overlord Remix
"Bathwater (Invincible OverlordInvincible Overlord
Invincible Overlord is a side-project band by Tom Dumont and Ted Matson. Their only album, The Living Album, is available as a free download on the band's website. The first five tracks were released May 2005, and two new songs more recently in January 2006 and August 2007...
Remix)" was released as a single for the album The Singles 1992-2003
The Singles 1992-2003
The only single from The Singles 1992–2003 was a cover of the song "It's My Life", originally released in 1984 by the synthpop band Talk Talk. Because the band were taking a break while lead singer Gwen Stefani recorded her solo debut album Love. Angel. Music. Baby., they decided to do a cover...
, although it is actually not on the album. It charted poorly until released as a double A-side single with a cover of Talk Talk
Talk Talk
Talk Talk were an English musical group, active from 1981 to 1991. The group had a string of international hit singles including "Today", "Talk Talk", "It's My Life", "Such a Shame", "Dum Dum Girl", "Life's What You Make It" and "Living in Another World"....
's It's My Life when it peaked at #17. The video for "Bathwater (Invincible Overlord Remix)" is mostly an edited version of the video for "Bathwater".
Track listing
- "Bathwater" (Invincible Overlord remix)
- "It's My Life" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke mix)
- "Bathwater" (Invincible Overlord remix) (video)
- "It's My Life" (video)
Charts
The remix of the track charted higher in Australia than the original version| Year | Chart | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
61 |
Official versions
- "Bathwater" - 4:03
- "Bathwater" (Invincible Overlord Remix)
- "Bathwater" (2002 Live) (Recorded live 23 November 2002, Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, California) - 4:01