Fat Lip

"Fat Lip" was written by Sum 41 members Deryck Whibley, Steve Jocz and Dave Brownsound, and in-house producer Greig Nori, with production by Jerry Finn. The song gets its title from the slang term for a swollen lip as a result of being punched in the face.

"It was the last song I had written for All Killer [No Filler]," Whibley told Stereogum in 2021. "The whole album was pretty much done. It was never meant to be a single. It wasn't even supposed to be a song. The very, very first thing I wrote was the guitar riff. And I didn't necessarily write it for this idea that I had for this sort of punk rock-rap kind of thing. I knew I had this old school rap idea mixed with punk rock sort of stuff, but I wrote this riff just as a riff. And then I ended up writing a chorus, like, months later. And then I had this verse. And none of them were supposed to be together. They were just separate things that I was writing over time. And then one day it kind of clicked, and I thought, 'Well, these all kind of work. They're all around the same tempo, they're all the same key.' I changed a few things and made it work, now all of a sudden I was like, 'OK, I've got the rap part, I've got a riff, and I've got a chorus.' But I don’t have the rest of the song. And then it took a long time before pieces just kind of came together."{{cite web |last=Menapace |first=Brendan |date=April 22, 2021 |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2144152/sum-41-fat-lip-all-killer-no-filler/interviews/qa/ |title=Still Killer: Deryck Whibley On Sum 41's "Fat Lip" 20 Years Later |website=Stereogum |access-date=December 21, 2022 |language=en}}

The uptempo song has been described as pop punk,{{cite magazine |title= 20 Essential Pop Punk Tracks Everyone Should Know |magazine= NME |date= June 2, 2011 |access-date= December 9, 2016 |url= http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/the-essential-pop-punk-playlist-1188256}} skate punk,{{cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701040345/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/sum-41-teenage-rock-roll-machine-20010924|archive-date=July 1, 2014 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/sum-41-teenage-rock-roll-machine-20010924 |title=Sum 41: Teenage Rock & Roll Machine |magazine=Rolling Stone |last=Edwards |first=Gavin |date=September 24, 2001}}{{citation |url=|title=Sum 41: All Killer No Filler. (Album reviews)|date=September 29, 2001|access-date=}} rap rock{{cite web | url=http://www.laweekly.com/music/ten-rap-rock-songs-that-are-actually-awesome-2401191 | title=Ten Rap-Rock Songs That Are Actually Awesome | work=LA Weekly | date=April 6, 2012 | access-date=August 9, 2016 | last=Weiss |first=Dan}} and easycore,{{Cite news|url=http://www.edge.ca/2016/02/17/what-the-hell-is-easycore/|title=What The Hell Is: Easycore|last=Edge|first=Citizen|work=102.1 the Edge|access-date=September 24, 2017|language=en|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224071232/http://www.edge.ca/2016/02/17/what-the-hell-is-easycore/|archive-date=February 24, 2016}} with Whibley, Brownsound, and Jocz sharing vocal duties. "The verses are really about what we do: growing up in the suburbs, going to parties and hanging out with our friends, and causing trouble. A lot of people say they relate to it," said Whibley.Jill, Pesselnick. "The Modern Age." Billboard May 19, 2001: 80. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. University of Illinois. February 18, 2008. Brian Hiatt of MTV.com described the song as "pop-punk-meets-hip-hop",{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1444240/3-doors-down-sum41-green-day-on-pie-2-soundtrack/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425170257/http://www.mtv.com/news/1444240/3-doors-down-sum41-green-day-on-pie-2-soundtrack/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 25, 2015 |title=3 Doors Down, Sum41, Green Day On 'Pie 2' Soundtrack |publisher=MTV |date=June 6, 2001 |access-date=May 5, 2001}} Loudwire cited it as a containing elements of hard rock{{cite web|url=https://loudwire.com/scenes-stalled-by-nu-metal/|publisher=Loudwire|date=August 29, 2022|access-date=August 30, 2022|title=5 Scenes Stalled by Nu-Metal|last=Childers|first=Chad|quote= ...while Sum 41 added elements of rap and hard rock into their punk-driven "Fat Lip".}} and PopMatters cited it as using elements of heavy metal.{{cite web |last1=Stewart |first1=Ethan |title=Ranking the Sum 41 Albums: From Pop-Punk to Trash Metal |url=https://www.popmatters.com/ranking-the-sum-41-albums |website=PopMatters |date=May 17, 2023 |access-date=May 17, 2023}} The song has also been described to be "Mixing elements of skate punk, nu-metal, and good old-fashioned pop"{{cite web |title=How Sum 41 Tapped Fan Content for a Moving Music Video |url=https://www.cinebody.com/cinebody-blog/how-sum-41-tapped-fan-content-for-a-moving-music-video | website=Cinebody |date=August 10, 2021 |access-date=September 27, 2023}}

The music video was directed by Marc Klasfeld. The song topped MTV's Total Request Live and MuchMusic's MuchMusic Countdown in mid-2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.jamshowbiz.com:80/JamMusicCharts/video.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010723225241/http://www.jamshowbiz.com:80/JamMusicCharts/video.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2001-07-23|title=VIDEOS : MuchMusic Top 30|date=July 20, 2001}} In the original Canadian version, the music video combines with fellow All Killer No Filler track "Pain for Pleasure", a very short Iron Maiden-esque song which is the final song on the album. The video, filmed in Pomona, California, was ranked at number 75 on MuchMusic's 100 Best Videos. At the beginning of the music video, the band performs an a cappella of the first half of the first verse of "It's What We're All About"—which would be their future single— with Jason McCaslin beatboxing for the staff of a liquor store.

The song was performed on Saturday Night Live on October 6, 2001, hosted by Seann William Scott.

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Canadian and Australian CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Fat Lip|others=Sum 41|year=2001|type=Canadian & Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Island Records|id=588 756-2}}

1. "Fat Lip" – 3:02
2. "Makes No Difference" – 3:10
3. "What I Believe" – 2:49
4. "Machine Gun" – 2:29

UK CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Fat Lip|others=Sum 41|year=2001|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=Island Records|id=588 801-2}}

1. "Fat Lip" (radio/clean edit) – 3:02
2. "Crazy Amanda Bunkface" (live)
3. "Machine Gun" (live)
4. "Fat Lip" (CD-ROM video)

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UK cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Fat Lip|others=Sum 41|year=2001|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=Island Records|id=588 801-4}}

1. "Fat Lip" (radio/clean edit)
2. "Crazy Amanda Bunkface" (live)

UK DVD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Fat Lip|others=Sum 41|year=2001|type=UK DVD single liner notes|publisher=Island Records|id=588 801-9}}

1. "Fat Lip" (video)
2. "Pain for Pleasure" (audio)
3. "Meet the Pain" (video)

European CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Fat Lip|others=Sum 41|year=2001|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Island Records|id=588 757-2}}

1. "Fat Lip" – 3:02
2. "Makes No Difference" – 3:10

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• Deryck Whibley – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar
• Dave Baksh – lead guitar, co-lead and backing vocals
• Jason McCaslin – bass guitar
• Steve Jocz – drums, co-lead vocals

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|award=Platinum|artist=Sum 41|title=Fat Lip|relyear=2001|certyear=2024|type=single|source=radioscope|refname="RMNZ"|access-date=December 29, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Sum 41|title=Fat Lip|award=Platinum|relyear=2001|certyear=2021|id=12990-1183-1|access-date=April 16, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|title=Fat Lip|artist=Sum 41|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2001|certyear=2024|accessdate=December 15, 2024}}

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Category:2001 singles

Category:2001 songs

Category:Island Records singles

Category:Rap rock songs

Category:Songs written by Dave Baksh

Category:Songs written by Deryck Whibley

Category:Songs written by Greig Nori

Category:Songs written by Steve Jocz

Category:Sum 41 songs