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Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth

{{Short description|1997 single by the Dandy Warhols}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth

| cover = Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = the Dandy Warhols

| album = ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down

| released = {{start date|1997|6|16}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre = Alternative rock{{cite web|website=BuzzFeed|author=Brian Galindo, Alex Naidus & Ryan Creed|title=37 Alt Rock Songs You Haven't Thought About Since The Late '90s|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/90s-alt-rock-songs-you-forgot-you-loved|access-date=November 19, 2015|date=November 5, 2023}}

| length = 3:11

| label =

| writer = Courtney Taylor-Taylor

| producer =

  • Tony Lash
  • Courtney Taylor-Taylor

| prev_title = Nothin' to Do

| prev_year = 1996

| next_title = Every Day Should Be a Holiday

| next_year = 1997

}}

"Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" is a song by American rock band the Dandy Warhols. It was released on June 16, 1997, as the first single from their second studio album, ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down.

Background and content

As documented in the film Dig!, the song is dedicated to the band the Brian Jonestown Massacre, friends and rivals of the Dandy Warhols, who in turn dedicated their own track "Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth" to them. Frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor revealed in an interview that the song is also about his girlfriend who he said had become a heroin addict while he was on tour.{{cite journal |title=Phone Home |journal=Mojo |author=John Harris |date=June 2003 |url=http://www.slabtown.net/articles/article_mojophone.html |access-date=March 10, 2012}}

The song is known for its refrain "I never thought you'd be a junkie because heroin is so passé".{{cite news|last=Byrne|first=Ciar|title=How to get ahead in music: Make an ad!|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/how-to-get-ahead-in-music-make-an-ad-516535.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220621/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/how-to-get-ahead-in-music-make-an-ad-516535.html |archive-date=June 21, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=Artists whose tracks are used in television adverts often find instant fame and riches after years of obscurity, while having to face accusations of selling out|publisher=The Guardian|access-date=August 10, 2013|location=London|date=November 23, 2005}} Because of this, the song has often been erroneously titled "Heroin Is So Passé", and the song was later subtitled with this in some markets.

Music video

The music video for the song, directed by David LaChapelle,{{cite journal |last1=Rathe |first1=Adam |date = May 31, 2012 |title= A Brief History of David LaChapelle's Music Videos |journal= BlackBook |url= http://www.blackbookmag.com/music/a-brief-history-of-david-lachapelle-s-music-videos-1.49143 |access-date= March 29, 2013}} features the group "playing among a troupe of dancing syringes" and was called an "arch, playful, taboo-shredding hoot" by Mojo.

Release

"Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" was released in 1997 as the first single from ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down. It peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number 31 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Track listings

All tracks were written and composed by Courtney Taylor-Taylor except where indicated.

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

UK CD1{{cite AV media notes|title=Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth|others=The Dandy Warhols|year=1998|type=UK CD1 liner notes|publisher=Capitol Records, Tim/Kerr Records|id=CDCL 800, 7243 8 85564 2 2}}

  1. "Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth"
  2. "Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" (live)
  3. "It's a Fast Drivin' Rave Up with the Dandy Warhols Sixteen Minutes" (live) {{small|(Taylor-Taylor, Eric Hedford, Peter Holmström)}} – 7:17

UK CD2{{cite AV media notes|title=Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth|others=The Dandy Warhols|year=1998|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=Capitol Records, Tim/Kerr Records|id=CDCLS 800, 7243 8 85565 2 1}}

  1. "Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth"
  2. "Genius" (live)
  3. "Ride" (live)

{{col-2}}

UK 7-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title=Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth|others=The Dandy Warhols|year=1998|type=UK 7-inch single sleeve|publisher=Capitol Records, Tim/Kerr Records|id=CL 800, 7243 8 85565 7 6}}

:A. "Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth"

:B. "Genius" (live)

Australian CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth|others=The Dandy Warhols|year=1998|type=Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Capitol Records, Tim/Kerr Records|id=8849822}}

  1. "Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth (Heroin Is So Passé)" – 3:12
  2. "One (Ultra Lame White Boy)" – 3:10
  3. "Head" – 3:16

{{col-end}}

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Weekly chart performance for "Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth"

!Chart (1997–1998)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|47|artist=The Dandy Warhols|song=Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth|rowheader=true|accessdate=April 10, 2018}}
scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1998/MM-1998-05-09.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=15|issue=19|page=14|date=May 9, 1998|access-date=December 16, 2020}}

|73

{{single chart|Dutch100|98|artist=The Dandy Warhols|song=Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth|rowheader=true|access-date=April 10, 2018}}
{{single chart|Scotland|12|date=19980502|rowheader=true|access-date=April 10, 2018}}
{{single chart|UK|13|date=19980502|rowheader=true|access-date=April 10, 2018}}
scope="row"|US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/alternative-airplay/1997-09-06/|title=Alternative Airplay|magazine=Billboard|date=September 6, 1997|url-access=subscription|access-date=February 14, 2024}}

|31

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+Release dates and formats for "Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|United States

|June 16, 1997

|{{hlist|College|modern rock radio}}

|rowspan="2"|{{hlist|Capitol|Tim/Kerr}}

|{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2w8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12|title=Capitol Betting Dandy Warhols Still 'Rule OK' on 'Come Down'|last=Reece|first=Doug|magazine=Billboard|via=Google Books|volume=109|issue=24|page=12|date=June 14, 1997|access-date=February 17, 2025}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|April 20, 1998

|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD}}

|{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=27|date=April 18, 1998}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Discogs master |113360 |type=single}}
  • {{Youtube|APrpB-i4d_E|Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth official video}}

{{The Dandy Warhols}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:The Dandy Warhols songs

Category:1997 singles

Category:Capitol Records singles

Category:Music videos directed by David LaChapelle

Category:Songs about drugs

Category:Songs about heroin

Category:Songs written by Courtney Taylor-Taylor