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Pinch Me

{{Short description|2000 single by Barenaked Ladies}}

{{More citations needed|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Pinch Me

| cover = PinchMe_Single.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Barenaked Ladies

| album = Maroon

| B-side =

| released = {{start date|2000|8|7}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length =

  • 4:45 (album version)
  • 4:37 (radio edit {{abbr|w/o|without}} fade)
  • 3:49 (radio edit {{abbr|w/|with}} fade)

| label = Reprise

| writer =

| producer = Don Was

| prev_title = Alcohol

| prev_year = 1999

| next_title = Too Little Too Late

| next_year = 2001

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|u3NE6UuaLiY|"Pinch Me"}}}}

}}

"Pinch Me" is a song by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the first single from their fifth studio album, Maroon (2000), on August 7, 2000. The song became the band's last top-10 hit in Canada, peaking at number four on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. In the United States, the single reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 2000, becoming the band's final top-40 hit there. It also peaked at number two on Billboard{{'}}s Triple-A and Adult Top 40 charts.

Background

The fundamental guitar riff of the song (through the verses) was based on the song "Leaving Las Vegas" by Sheryl Crow. The recording (and most live performances) is based on a drum loop (along with which drummer Tyler Stewart plays). The loop was created by taking the best two bars of Stewart himself playing drums, and then looping them. The song was originally written with the chorus rap as the less prominent "underpinning" half of the vocal, with the melody being more prominent, but as the writing process went along, the rap became the foreground. Noting that the melody line was now the background, they took the lyric and also used it for the bridge of the song.

According to Ed Robertson, during the Austin, TX concert on July 21, 2012, "Pinch Me" has one of his favorite "fake lyrics". He explained, "Often when we're writing a song, we just put in fake lyrics for a while, just to fill the space, 'cause we know what we want the melody to be, but we haven't finished the lyrics." The original chorus of the song was this: "Doesn't anyone, make a Chelsea bun, like they used to back, in the day? Sticky-sweet, it's a special treat. If Chelsea Buns were men, I'd be gay."{{Cite web|url=https://soundcloud.com/barenaked-ladies/last-summer-on-earth-tour-3|title=SoundCloud - Hear the world's sounds|website=SoundCloud.com|access-date=1 December 2021}}

Critical reception

Chuck Taylor, of Billboard magazine, reviewed the song favorably, saying that "the production is tight, and the melody alternates between minimalist verses and Ed Robertson's trademark hyperkinetic delivery." He goes on to say that the "quirky lyric doesn't go for the wit as past hits have, but it still captures the band's friendly side, which had earned it a strong cult following long before it tore up the charts."Billboard, August 12, 2000 – Vol. 112, No. 33, Page 57.

Track listings

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US CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Pinch Me|others=Barenaked Ladies|year=2000|type=US CD single liner notes|publisher=Reprise Records|id=9 16827-2}}

  1. "Pinch Me" (radio edit)
  2. "Powder Blue"

US 7-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title=Pinch Me|others=Barenaked Ladies|year=2000|type=US 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Reprise Records|id=7-16827}}

  1. "Pinch Me" (radio edit) – 3:48
  2. "Falling for the First Time" (album version) – 3:40

{{col-2}}

European and Australian CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Pinch Me|others=Barenaked Ladies|year=2000|type=European & Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Reprise Records|id=9362 44929-2}}

  1. "Pinch Me"
  2. "Pinch Me" (radio edit)
  3. "Inline Bowline"
  4. "Born Human"

{{col-end}}

Personnel

Charts

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=Weekly charts=

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

|+Weekly chart performance for "Pinch Me"

!Chart (2000)

!Peak
position

scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://imgur.com/8eOsexC|title=Imgur|website=Imgur|access-date=February 20, 2019}}

|126

{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|4|chartid=7090|rowheader=true|access-date=September 18, 2019}}
{{single chart|Canadaadultcontemporary|10|chartid=7102|rowheader=true|access-date=September 18, 2019}}
{{single chart|Canadarock|14|chartid=8648|rowheader=true|access-date=September 18, 2019}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|41|artist=Barenaked Ladies|song=Pinch Me|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|15|artist=Barenaked Ladies|rowheader=true|access-date=September 18, 2019}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultalternativesongs|2|artist=Barenaked Ladies|rowheader=true|access-date=September 18, 2019}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|2|artist=Barenaked Ladies|rowheader=true|access-date=September 18, 2019}}
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|30|artist=Barenaked Ladies|rowheader=true|access-date=September 18, 2019}}
{{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|17|artist=Barenaked Ladies|rowheader=true|access-date=September 18, 2019}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

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

|+Year-end chart performance for "Pinch Me"

!Chart (2000)

!Position

scope="row"|US Adult Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2000|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=8|issue=51|page=48|date=December 22, 2000}}

|35

scope="row"|US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2000|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=8|issue=51|page=54|date=December 22, 2000}}

|77

scope="row"|US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 2000|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=8|issue=51|page=38|date=December 22, 2000}}

|98

scope="row"|US Triple-A (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=The Best of 2000: Most Played Triple-A Songs|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=8|issue=51|page=44|date=December 22, 2000}}

|24

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

!Chart (2001)

!Position

scope="row"|Canada Radio (Nielsen BDS){{cite web|url=http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100page2_2001.html|title=BDS CHART : Top 100 of 2001|publisher=Jam!|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020726115818/http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100page2_2001.html|archive-date=July 26, 2002|access-date=March 26, 2022}}

|63

scope="row"|US Adult Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=The Year in Music 2001: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks|magazine=Billboard|volume=113|issue=52|page=YE-82|date=December 29, 2001}}

|13

scope="row"|US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2001|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=9|issue=51|page=60|date=December 21, 2001}}

|88

{{col-end}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+Release dates and formats for "Pinch Me"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

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

scope="row" rowspan="3"|United States

|August 7, 2000

|{{hlist|Hot adult contemporary|modern adult contemporary radio}}

|rowspan="3"|Reprise

|rowspan="2" align="center"|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2000/RR-2000-08-04.pdf|title=Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1362|pages=95, 118|date=August 4, 2000|access-date=May 28, 2021}}{{cite magazine|title=Impact Dates|magazine=Gavin Report|issue=2316|pages=10, 24|date=August 4, 2000}}

August 8, 2000

|{{hlist|Contemporary hit|alternative radio}}

September 25, 2000

|Adult contemporary radio

|align="center"|{{cite magazine|title=Gavin AC/Hot AC: Impact Dates|magazine=Gavin Report|issue=2322|page=33|date=September 15, 2000}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Barenaked Ladies}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2000 singles

Category:2000 songs

Category:Barenaked Ladies songs

Category:Music videos directed by Phil Harder

Category:Patter songs

Category:Reprise Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Don Was

Category:Songs written by Ed Robertson

Category:Songs written by Steven Page