Work (Jimmy Eat World song)
Encyclopedia
"Work" is a song by Jimmy Eat World
from their 2004 album, Futures
. It was the second single released from that album. The song was written by Jim Adkins and features backing vocals by Liz Phair
.
"Work" received positive reviews from critics, and it appeared on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and the UK Singles Chart
. A music video was released for the song; it featured interviews with high school
students. Since the song's release, Jimmy Eat World have included it in their live performances.
Liz Phair agreed to sing backing vocals on the song after the band played it for her. Adkins later said, "We're all fans of [Phair's album Exile in Guyville
], so maybe a bit of a crush thing was happening. She definitely brings the sexiness. An unquantifiable sexiness, sure, but she definitely brings it. She was super cool to work with. 'Work' sounded like something she would sing, so we hunted her down through people we knew in Los Angeles. We showed her the song, she really liked it, so she came down and sang on it."
wrote: "The gem of [Futures] is 'Work,' a catchy song featuring backup vocals by Liz Phair. It's too bad that you can barely hear Phair over the guitar riffs. The lyrics make up for this flaw. Though not as deep and brooding as other tracks, 'Work' will replay in your head."
and Gossip Girl
.
in Madison, Wisconsin
. It features interviews with some of the school's students, who talk about their futures and their lives after graduation. The students are shown during the school day and also after school, doing things such as skateboarding, smashing television sets, and going to parties. The video also features the band playing under a tree in a field.
The music video's director, Marc Webb
, grew up in Madison and attended Madison West High School.
version of the song in Live 105
's annual Studio Sessions concerts. Aidin Vaziri of the San Francisco Chronicle
wrote that "the simple acoustic setting added to [the] song."
The band played "Work" while touring in 2005, as well. At the Dunkin' Donuts Center
on April 16, 2005, Jim Adkins' voice "nearly went hoarse with what appeared to be righteous anger" while singing the song. During their May performance at the Sony E3 party in Los Angeles
, Liz Phair appeared on-stage to sing backing vocals. On October 5, Jimmy Eat World opened for Green Day
at the American West Arena, and The Arizona Republic
s Larry Rodgers reported that: "The poppy, upbeat 'Work' then spotlighted the solid rhythm section of bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind, as well Adkins ability to lay on the sugary vocals when necessary."
In 2008, the band played an "energetic rendition" of "Work" at The Bamboozle
festival and also played the song in Leeds
.
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
from their 2004 album, Futures
Futures (album)
Futures is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock/emo band Jimmy Eat World, released on October 19, 2004. Futures was led by the successful single "Pain", followed by "Work" and "Futures"...
. It was the second single released from that album. The song was written by Jim Adkins and features backing vocals by Liz Phair
Liz Phair
Phair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw and Phair moved to San Francisco together, and Phair tried to become an artist there...
.
"Work" received positive reviews from critics, and it appeared on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and the 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 ...
. A music video was released for the song; it featured interviews with high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students. Since the song's release, Jimmy Eat World have included it in their live performances.
Background
"Work" was written by Jimmy Eat World's frontman, Jim Adkins. According to Adkins, "'Work' is about doing something you know you shouldn't be doing ... It's about walking into an unhealthy situation, on purpose. Which could mean it's about an interoffice romance."Liz Phair agreed to sing backing vocals on the song after the band played it for her. Adkins later said, "We're all fans of [Phair's album Exile in Guyville
Exile in Guyville
The album, which was out of print, was again available on CD, vinyl and, for the first time, in digital format. The special reissue package includes three never-before-released songs from the original recording sessions: "Ant in Alaska", "Say You", and an untitled instrumental with Phair on guitar...
], so maybe a bit of a crush thing was happening. She definitely brings the sexiness. An unquantifiable sexiness, sure, but she definitely brings it. She was super cool to work with. 'Work' sounded like something she would sing, so we hunted her down through people we knew in Los Angeles. We showed her the song, she really liked it, so she came down and sang on it."
Critical reception
"Work" received praise from music critics. It has been called a "classic" and has also been described as "a song tailor-made for teenage runaway fantasies." Tim Sendra of Allmusic noted that the song "display[s] the sweetly melodic side of the band." However, The Trades' Tony Pascarella called it "a more emo-geared track that stays shrouded on the dark side of Jimmy Eat World." Carrie Pierce of The BattalionThe Battalion
The Battalion is the student newspaper of Texas A&M University. Started in 1893 as a monthly publication, it continues to this day, now as a daily paper. The first paper at Texas A&M University was the Texas Collegian published in 1878...
wrote: "The gem of [Futures] is 'Work,' a catchy song featuring backup vocals by Liz Phair. It's too bad that you can barely hear Phair over the guitar riffs. The lyrics make up for this flaw. Though not as deep and brooding as other tracks, 'Work' will replay in your head."
Chart performance
"Work" was the second single from the 2004 album Futures. In the U.S., it stayed on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart for 21 weeks, peaking at number six on March 19, 2005. The song made two appearances on the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number 49 on April 9, 2005.In popular media
The song has been featured on the television shows One Tree HillOne Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
and Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
.
Music video
The music video for "Work" was filmed at Madison West High SchoolMadison West High School
Madison West High School is one of four comprehensive four-year high schools in Madison, Wisconsin. It was established in 1930. Its mascot is the "Reggie the Regent," a lion, and its school colors are maize and blue...
in Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. It features interviews with some of the school's students, who talk about their futures and their lives after graduation. The students are shown during the school day and also after school, doing things such as skateboarding, smashing television sets, and going to parties. The video also features the band playing under a tree in a field.
The music video's director, Marc Webb
Marc Webb
Marc Preston Webb is an American music video, short film and major motion picture director. He directed the 2009 romantic comedy-drama Days of Summer and is currently directing the 2012 Spider-Man reboot The Amazing Spider-Man.-Life and career:Webb was born in Bloomington, Indiana, the son of...
, grew up in Madison and attended Madison West High School.
Live performances
Jimmy Eat World have included "Work" in their live performances since 2004. In November 2004, they played an acousticAcoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
version of the song in Live 105
KITS
KITS is a San Francisco, California, USA-based radio station broadcasting at 105.3 MHz. The station is owned by CBS Radio and programs a modern rock format. The station also broadcasts on HD channel L2, locally on Comcast cable channel 986, and is streaming online.-Hot Hits:The station's...
's annual Studio Sessions concerts. Aidin Vaziri of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
wrote that "the simple acoustic setting added to [the] song."
The band played "Work" while touring in 2005, as well. At the Dunkin' Donuts Center
Dunkin' Donuts Center
The Dunkin' Donuts Center , is an indoor arena, located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States...
on April 16, 2005, Jim Adkins' voice "nearly went hoarse with what appeared to be righteous anger" while singing the song. During their May performance at the Sony E3 party in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Liz Phair appeared on-stage to sing backing vocals. On October 5, Jimmy Eat World opened for Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
at the American West Arena, and The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic is a daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. It was ranked tenth in US daily newspapers by circulation in 2007.-Early years:The newspaper was founded...
s Larry Rodgers reported that: "The poppy, upbeat 'Work' then spotlighted the solid rhythm section of bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind, as well Adkins ability to lay on the sugary vocals when necessary."
In 2008, the band played an "energetic rendition" of "Work" at The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle is an annual rain-or-shine, three-day music festival held in New Jersey. Every year, new bands compete for spots during the two days. The event evolved out of the Skate and Surf Festival.- The Characters:...
festival and also played the song in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
.
Tracklist
CD- "Work"
- "Drugs Or Me" (Styrofoam remix)
- "Work" (acoustic)
- "Work" (video)
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Alternative Songs |
6 |
| UK Singles 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 ... |
49 |