Saw Wheatus in a small club 30 mins outside of Pittsburgh. 10 people were there and instead of playing on stage they came down and asked us to form a circle around them. Was one of the most memorable shows I've been to. Thanks Wheatus!
I remember back in 2007/2008 they performed here in England and there had to be less than 30 people there and it was just Brendan on his own with his iconic guitar and he had us sitting on the stage
That's really cool, this reminds me of Bush in the late 90s when Gavin came off the stage to where we were sittting and ripping his guitar right next to us.
oh my, i hope it’s one of your favorites strictly for nostalgic reasons - which is absolutely fine btw - but in any other context this song is objectively awful.
"The song has a happy ending because it's not something I've experienced myself." Wow, that one hit hard, yet it is still melancholically beautiful. He truly is a poet.
The same reason I always felt an affinity with this song and it makes sense that the man who wrote it went through the same experience I did going to an all boys catholic school 😅🥹❤ I loved the ending coz it's something I always wanted to happen to me that never did
“Its your song singing it in your bathroom mirror, whoever you are” hits deep. I feel like I can relate to every word of this song but in my own way. Reminds me of girls I used to be crazy about in school. All those feelings now just distant memories
I'm from Australia.... I can't believe this song was never a 'hit' in the US!! I am shocked. This song is still played in pubs and events around Australia and has this ability to makes everyone stop what they're doing and sing along.
I'm from the US, didn't have cable, barely listened to radio and didn't explore music much at 13 and I remember this song so it had to be big enough for me to remember
I'm from Uganda and as a kid, this song was everywhere, especially on TV. I distinctly remember it charting on the local and urban charts here. I'm still crazy about it to this day.
3 hour round trip to a school with no girls and zero social life?? His mum fcked him over lol Edit: watched the whole thing now. Can confirm she’s pretty great haha
Me too, I was thinking my dad would hate having my friends over especially making noise .and He would of lost it when someone put tape on the wall . He would of also explained that the odds of this becoming a hit are basically zero and I’d better have a job soon or I’m out .
@@gordonbennett3213 My wife is cool though, she makes up for it. I wouldn't say my mums a narcissist but she definitely held me back from a lot, I still love her to bits tho lol
I saw Wheatus a few years ago when they played a small pub called Fat Lils in a town near me in the UK called Witney, around 100 people there and the band watched the support acts with us and spent a long time taking requests, people where googling old B sides to try and catch them out but they smashed every single song and it was a wonderful gig. Thank you Wheatus.
She's so proud at the very end while listening to the song. After all these years, she still doesn't hate it. She's probably heard it more than just about anyone else
Not once did he ever rely on anyone else - he wanted a studio feel so he built a studio in his family home. What an incredibly motivated, underrated musician.
This song defined my childhood. Every Aussie sleepover, BBQ, hang out would feature a song along. It still gets radio play and deservedly so. It just hits.
@@louiealouie it’s like a regular sleepover but with a rugby team. Best of all, they all wore roo mask while playing an 11 v 1 on your mum… and yes, it was in Australia
I lost my mom when she was just 59. Mama wheatus reminds me of her so much. Loved her son no matter what. Wants to gush about him to everyone. Everyone needs that in their life. Hard to lose. Amazing to remember. I love this ending!
I refuse to believe it wasn’t a hit in the US. I had it playing on loop when I was like 12 and for me to have discovered it makes me think it reached the right people here. I walked into my childrens hallway and heard it playing in my 14 yr old daughter’s room. It made me hella nostalgic and proud of her music taste lol
According to Wikipedia this song only got to number 124 in the US charts. Which is totally unbelievable, considering how ubiquitous it was here in the UK. I just assumed it was a huge hit world-wide.
Was in a Filipino kareoke bar in Hong Kong last week, Teenage Dirtbag came on and everyone sang in unison, my wife from a small town India grew up listening to it. Shocking to know it didnt do well in the US because I just thought it was just one of those songs everyone knows
Brendan wrote an incredible song. This was the song of my childhood and is incredibly important to me. I hope hes proud and feels he gets the credit he deserves for delivering such a masterpiece. Thank you Brendan my youth would not be the same without this.
Vice fucking smashing it out of the park with this sort of content. Got me hooked after the thousand miles episode. The stuff you never knew about a tune that you related to throughout your adolescence but it still resonates now. What a classic made better now I know it’s story. Love it
These “story of” videos are absolute homeruns. And this song was and still is such a BANGER. True artist. And I love it even more now knowing what went into it; what he’s signing about.
Wouldn't being a star overseas and not being a star at home be like living in a dream world? No Paparazzi or people taking pictures. Sounds like the best of both worlds.
You would think, but the issue is it’s costly to go perform over there even if you’re popular but that’s the only place you can make any money probably if all your following / more devoted following is there. But then since you can’t do that or do it much, you’re at home and no one wants to pay to see you. So even if you’re talented or loved elsewhere, you can’t really have your chosen career support you because you’d have to be rich enough to always play overseas or move their to do it full time. People don’t realize how costly it is just to do music as a career in your own home state/ country and like play in several states or etc. so much more to do financially and the traveling etc logistics if overseas.
This is what good music does, it connects with a feeling you can't express yourself as an inarticulate, pissed off teenager. This was my anthem when I was 15, my buddy would drive me to school and I'd blast it every single day. I found it by mistake searching for something else on napster or limewire and no one else I knew had heard it yet, so I felt like I had this secret gem. My girlfriends middle name was Noelle so I learned how to play the song and tried to convince her I wrote it for her but the song eventually got popular at my school and she figured it out. haha man I haven't thought about that in like 20 years. Still Love This Song! Mom's right about his voice, it's like our generations Geddy Lee and it's what makes the song so catchy! Thanks for the flashback Vice and thanks for the song Wheatus
I grew up in Scotland and this song was absolutely everywhere when I was a teenager. It was always playing on MTV! I’m shocked the US didn’t get on board
Just putting out my opinion: The music press in the UK tend to be more hyped, compared to the US critics being more reserved (prob something to so with imperialism), i've seen this pattern many times: Radiohead's The Bends, the grunge scene become popular with the UK before the US ate it up, and when the Arctic Monkeys put out their debut Whatever People Say I Am.... Basically, the UK has low standards lol. The US also has higher requirements for record certifications eg. 1 million sales for US platinum, 300,000 sales for UK platinum. When Bush, who were from London, became big in 1994, they were bigger in the US because they were hard rock/grunge-esque and that sound was popular because of bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam etc. Compared to their home country of UK, they were not that popular, probably because of the Britpop groups e,g, Oasis, Blur, Suede etc. You become popular in countries whose fans can resonate with them. In the US from 1999 onwards, what was popular at that time was nu-metal e.g. Korn, Incubus, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, and pop artists like Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears etc. And also Eminem. You could say Wheatus were the odd ones out. You can counter this and continue with the "I thought they were popular on MTV" argument. But Wheatus were on a major label Sony, and major labels usually pay to have the song played on radio for newer artists, so the song was probably everywhere because it was being paid to be played. And for MTV, like i said, what was popular in 1999 was Korn, Limp Bizkit, Britney, Backstreet Boys, and they were the most played on MTV. So much that Korn had to be retired from the 'Total Request Live' list, unlike Britney or Backstreet Boys (probably because its pop music, its commercial). So you can say Wheatus was always playing on MTV, but not to the extent of the aforementioned artists that some of them had to be retired. Wheatus had pop songs with dark lyrics, but in 1999, it was either dark music with dark lyrics, or pop music with poppy/happy/danceable lyrics. You dont see a lot of pop music with dark lyrics during this time.
@@ligmaballs2022 The US doesn't really have "higher" requirements for record certifications. 1 million is obviously a higher number than 300,000 but the US population is 332 million and the UK population is 66 million. The US platinum certification would have to be around 1.5 million to be the same population-to-sales ratio as the UK.
This song is a classic, and them guys deserve so much more. I'm 40 years old now, but every time I hear this tune it reminds me of teenage years and what I felt like to be young and free, awesome.
Such an epic song. I remember walking around the mall, on our way to play Marvel Vs Capcom 2 all day,and hearing it play over and over. We thought it was corny, but at the same time it was so catchy and a dope song to sing along too. We all loved it, but at the same time were fine realizing how pop and corny it was. Good times, one song I can remember exactly where I was when I first heard it. Really brings back the whole high-school feels
Me too! I was a secret "mental head" all throughout jr & high school. I'm what you might call, out of the closet, now days though.😂😂😂 This song makes it to EVERY playlist... as it should.
"It's your song, singing in your bathroom mirror, whoever you are. It belongs to you. And your history, and your place in time is more important in the reflection of the song and the way that you see yourself in it than my thing, which is weird, but cool 😎 "
These guys caught lightning in a bottle with this tune- it's a total earworm, one of the last great radio rock anthems, and the production is stellar (the electric guitar tones are so, so good). To know the whole story behind this makes it all that much more satisfying. For what it's worth, in the Fall of 2000 at my suburban Midwestern high school, this song was definitely a hit- if it wasn't charting well, no one told us!
I saw Wheatus live at conservatory in 2007 I believe. There may have been 40 people tops and it became a request a song show. I loved it and wish more people were there.
I love these stories that let us look behind the curtain and see how much work and experiences flow into a couple of minutes worth of music that stay with us forever.
Love all the 30 year old teenage dirtbags in the comments, there are dozens of us! I'm from England and that Wheatus album was one of the first I purchased, listened to it front to back religiously and knew every word. Chokes me up listening to some of those songs now - especially Teenage Dirtbag - a lot of nostalgia! Brendan seems like an honest person and his Mum is wonderful for supporting him.
Gotta love how his mum must have heard it a million times and is still genuinely blown away with it. Can't help but agree with her, he did good and his voice was good, and that's sat in his mum's living room not live on stage. Think I missed out not seeing them back in the day.
The end with mom in the floral pink living room on Anywhere St in Everytown USA is just incredible. It's so real it's almost surreal, like something Tarantino would come up with if he had to stay g rated. I can almost hear his mom in the next room, "are you boys hungry?".
Two points: 1 - I can't believe the whole album was recorded in his mum's house, that's so rock n' roll, and 2 - Nice to see a fellow Soul Coughing fan. :)
I love how self aware he was about sounding like a girl on recording and just not giving a f$&@. In retrospect, this song I hated encapsulated my whole musical journey as a middle/high schooler. I love this song now, unironically, since it seems to mock all the right people while being designed to subconsciously appeal directly to them. Contempt for one’s audience is a powerfully underappreciated 90’s trope that deserves to make a comeback, since so many people suck today.
I always thought the lyrics seemed really sincere- its an anthem for those who wouldn't generally warrant an anthem, giving power to the "dirtbag" by reclaiming the word. Do you think he's mocking the teenage dirtbag, or are you referring to the general "jocks" who the song directly antagonizes?
@@tempestuousseaurchin A little of both. The song has a mocking cadence and seems to self deprecate while also throwing out general disdain for pop culture.
@@florgonzalez1211 Someone who's rather honest, and pretty humble about their success? Someone who's got enough humility to be able to both laugh at, acknowledge and appreciate their past? And also someone who can tell a story pretty well? Yeah, I'd consider that charismatic.
I felt like my youth came full circle when I finally heard this song live at a festival in 2019, I'm from South Africa and this song was integral to my teens. We dont often get to see our musical icons in a live capacity here in Africa so what a pleasant surprise to finally be able to experience this 19yrs after first hearing it :)
I live in Mexico and my dad played this song when I was a kid and that was the reason I wanted to play guitar and he teached me the chords and it was the first song I learned to play on guitar. Amazing song.
His mom being as supportive as she was with the band taking up space the way they did and all that is the epitome of amazing for a parent. That’s some major love right there.
Imagine being his mum when he was a literal teenage dirtbag in his teenage years. And yet she still allowed him to take over her house and cooked them all chicken tenders for three weeks. I think you dropped this Queen 👉 👑
Mama Wheatus is the real OG. You can still see all these years later that she’s got nothing but love, adoration and pride in her son. She kept the wallpaper tears and everything.
I loved teenage dirtbag as a teenager because it was the high school experience I was missing out on, I used to travel and hour and a half by train to an all girls school. Never realised the song came from the same lonely place I was stuck in at the time.
The fact that this song now has the medieval bard version being used in the Sainsbury’s 2022 Christmas advert is so crazy. The feeling of triumph translates so well into that style it’s quite magical, it has that timeless quality. In the advert the boy reinvents the Christmas pudding to this rock anthem, and in my opinion it lives again
This is a terrific video. Filled with a sense of gratitude and folks who appear genuine. It’s a monster of a song that appears on people’s radars every few years. I was in my mid 30’s when I first heard it and it’s remained a big part of my life 20+ years later. That’s a testimony to what a truly great song it is. Kudos to Wheatus for their hit….outside of the USA!
This song transcended all boundaries in London. From mandem to rude gals and blonde good girls, we all jammed to this song in our adolescence. I think the link to American Pie helped solidify the song for us Brits as it fit so well with the film.
The movie Loser gave this song life in the US. Jason Biggs was an a-lister in 2000 and featured in the music video. That put them on. It's hard to believe that wasn't at least mentioned.
Also didn’t mention it getting sung in Generation Kill, actually what made me do back and listen to it and fall in love with both that series and the song.
Jason Biggs had nothing to do with this song, the movie loser may have gave it its platform, but the fact that you are giving credit to an actor for being in a music video which during the 90s the music videos were all related to movies that they were in is ridiculous. Jason Biggs has never been an A-list actor
One of the best shows I’ve ever been to in Cork, Ireland. They came down & jammed in the crowd- amazing energy! Met them at back door afterwards & they were lovely. Ran into a few of them again then later at the chipper- there was a busker on the street & we made up a song on the spot & started singing. It was before the days of video phones but great to have such memories. Haven’t thought about that night in years!
My wife and I had our first dance at our wedding to this song. If that’s not dirtbag enough I don’t what is. We love this song and love this story. Thank you Wheatus!
This man is ridiculously talented, his vocal skills at the drop of a hat are madness all things considered. Loved watching the making of this track. Brilliant.
I connected with this song so much in 2000. I was 14 and living overseas where dirtbag was a huge hit. In my life at the time, two dear friends died and just remembered feeling so lonely and lost.
Seeing Teenage Dirtbag performed live is the best experience at a concert I’ve ever had. I saw Wheatus supporting another band in 2017 and the audience participation for Dirtbag is incredible. A great song loved by millions.
I can't explain how much I loved this video, how much I admire Brendan. Teenage Dirtbag has always been one of my favourites and my dad played it throughout my childhood. To me, it's a classic. I just assumed it was huge all over the world because we lived in Kenya and heard it on the radio, so clearly it was international. Why would it be massive in every place except the US? Crazy to me. I do think the song was a bigger success than Brendan felt it was, even if it didn't gain the traction it deserved in his home country.
I was a teenager in the Scotland in a dead end small town when Teenage Dirtbag was in the charts my younger sister and brother would scream sing it at me as they weren't yet teenagers then it would come on the radio on the school bus and every kid would go nuts singing it especially the slow higher pitched "ive got 2 tickets for iron maiden..." Recently Wheatus were playing in my now hometown of Nottingham unfortunately I was on holiday otherwise I would have been there! Good to hear a little back story to it all. Thank you for an awesome choon of my youth.
It's weird to learn when a song is a hit here (Australia) but not really elsewhere, when they're a foreign act. I always just assume it's huge in the US/UK at the same time!
What a cool mom! She didn't let him went to public school where "Noelle" exist, but fully supportive when he turned the dining room to a rockstar lab..
Wow I’m blown away by the back story of “Teenage dirt-bag” but even more so at the genuine kinship and bond these two guys formed instantaneously. Man I tell you, the power of music…. It truly is indescribable. When you know, you just know!
I saw Wheatus perform this live with Everclear recently, and it was a lot of fun! “Nostalgia bands” can be a really fun time. Most bands rise and fall off the charts. They still put on a good show! A very inspired song!
"its your song, singing in the bathroom mirror. Whoever you are, its yours." That hits man, Everybody pictures something different in their heads and truly just makes whatever song you are listening to yours.
"It's your song singing it in your bathroom mirror... ot belongs to you" that is probably the most real, humble words ever spoken by an artist....thank you for that brother 🙏🙏
As a kid growing up in Seattle I heard teenage dirtbag played on the radio everyday.. Definitely influenced my taste in music I listen to as well as the music I make.
What I don't understand about this is that I remember this song being played ALL THE TIME on the radio and MTV when it came out. I grew up in the US. Was it really not a huge hit here? It felt like everyone was listening to it at the time.
I work in the industry. Basically what a label does with newer artists is pay radio and other outlets to play a song as much as possible. Do you remember baby by Justin bieber? He had little to no fans. But the song was everywhere not because it was being requested but it was being paid for. It's up to the listeners to buy (pun intended) into the song. So yeah you could've heard this song all of the time because it was being paid to play on radio but the audience just wasn't into it that much
doesn't necessarily mean it will sell well. remember this is a major label we're talking about. when you have money thrown into the equation, most of decisions made by major labels will be based on money. when's the last time there was a new and popular rock band on a major label? its all generic pop/k-pop and hip hop nowadays
I remember the term “dirt” (abridged from dirtbag) being used for long haired, poor, and/or metal heads in the 80s in my hometown. I think back on it now that I’m in my 40s on how incredibly discriminatory and horrible the term was for kids who didn’t have a lot of control over their lives at that time in their lives.
"They were asking me to rewrite my own personal history of life" I can relate to that because I had a rough ride as a kid. Group homes and such. Not easy finding people that can relate or understand why I would have a chip on my shoulder. So more times than not I get labeled someone trying to act tough or I have a bad attitude. The reality is people looking from the outside don't understand why I would want to scare people away.
I'm sorry Joe, I believe I know what those feelings are. Fyi, you matter, and you're worthy of love. Being vulnerable after a rough ride up as a kid sometimes feels impossible, but there are good humans out there that will love you as your are given the chance. It ain't easy, but it's possible. Journey well brother.
This song never gets old or dies. It has lived until now and will be alive in the next generations as well. Anybody can relate to it, that's what makes it so special.
Check out the rest of *The Story Of* series here ua-cam.com/play/PLDbSvEZka6GH6jrqvMbW0AcQF6Dh8X1Ld.html
Hi! Is this posted on IG?
@
I’m going back
@@mariasocorrodevilla fvv
@@MountainMomma11 tv hb
Saw Wheatus in a small club 30 mins outside of Pittsburgh. 10 people were there and instead of playing on stage they came down and asked us to form a circle around them. Was one of the most memorable shows I've been to. Thanks Wheatus!
Wow. That’s amazing. If you don’t mind sharing, what year was this when this happened? 💕
I'm insanely jealous. Amazing.
Ten people...that sounds about right.
I remember back in 2007/2008 they performed here in England and there had to be less than 30 people there and it was just Brendan on his own with his iconic guitar and he had us sitting on the stage
That's really cool, this reminds me of Bush in the late 90s when Gavin came off the stage to where we were sittting and ripping his guitar right next to us.
One of my favorite songs ever. I feel 15 every time I hear it.
oh my, i hope it’s one of your favorites strictly for nostalgic reasons - which is absolutely fine btw - but in any other context this song is objectively awful.
Same bro..
You say that like it's a good thing.
@@allex_ shut up
@@colebruno47 no u
That ending with his mom mouthing the lyrics and praising his voice at the end is so heartwarming
"The song has a happy ending because it's not something I've experienced myself." Wow, that one hit hard, yet it is still melancholically beautiful. He truly is a poet.
Just realized after he said that that the song is about people like me 🙃 Even though I grew up with the song
Unrequited love sucks
The same reason I always felt an affinity with this song and it makes sense that the man who wrote it went through the same experience I did going to an all boys catholic school 😅🥹❤ I loved the ending coz it's something I always wanted to happen to me that never did
And yet the outro repeats the chorus.
This series has been so good. And damn, props to that guy for still being able to sing in that voice over 2 decades later.
Right?! Homie still sounds good too!
And his homie keeping the original demos from 99
Not smoking or drinking excessively always helps.
I said the same! I was walking away from my phone and ran back to see if it was him live or not! Lol
Right?!
“Its your song singing it in your bathroom mirror, whoever you are” hits deep. I feel like I can relate to every word of this song but in my own way. Reminds me of girls I used to be crazy about in school. All those feelings now just distant memories
I agree. I'm also sure a lot of people agree. This song is a milestone in punk rock. 🤘🤙👍👍
I love to see how supportive Peter’s mom was/is to him. To let your son and his band use your house as a studio is awesome
Haha I know my mom would never let me do that. She wasn’t very supportive in anything i wanted to do.
THAT is so awesome, love it
@@twinturbobmw535xi7stop trauma dumping
At the end how she’s cheering him even now is just the best. Right on, mom!
So was his dad
I'm from Australia.... I can't believe this song was never a 'hit' in the US!! I am shocked. This song is still played in pubs and events around Australia and has this ability to makes everyone stop what they're doing and sing along.
Same. This song was so massive that it got a bit annoying back then, but I still crank it when it comes on the radio in my car to this day
I’m assuming there was a million other bands of that era with the same sound, so they probably just got lost in the shuffle
Same in the UK. It was a massive hit over here.
I'm from the US, didn't have cable, barely listened to radio and didn't explore music much at 13 and I remember this song so it had to be big enough for me to remember
@@dumbasses_R_us it was though?
This was brilliantly well made. Hats off to Vice for giving us the story we didn't know we deserved!!
PROPS to whoever captured the audio, sooooo well done
screw VICE.
100%!!
Great story about a great song. I've loved this song for years. BTW, I'm in my 50s.
I agree, a surprisingly enjoyable watch
His mom singing the chorus with him is the most wholesome thing I've seen all week.
I'm from Uganda and as a kid, this song was everywhere, especially on TV. I distinctly remember it charting on the local and urban charts here. I'm still crazy about it to this day.
All the way in Ghana. Yeah, we need better censorship in Africa
@@suezcontours6653 do you know da way?
@@suezcontours6653 It was in Ghana like crazy
@@suezcontours6653why would you want more censorship ?
@@twinturbobmw535xi7 To protect our African children. Media is propaganda and Western media is anti-black
I love his mom. She's so supportive and proud of her son.
i know right. She was like; Hercules, Hercules, Hercules! That boy good.
3 hour round trip to a school with no girls and zero social life?? His mum fcked him over lol Edit: watched the whole thing now. Can confirm she’s pretty great haha
Me too, I was thinking my dad would hate having my friends over especially making noise .and He would of lost it when someone put tape on the wall . He would of also explained that the odds of this becoming a hit are basically zero and I’d better have a job soon or I’m out .
@@BloodyBamPot If you wrote a song like Teenage Dirt Bag your dad would't hate you.
@@lookintothesky123 he would disown him.
What an awesome mom. That’s the kind of love and support kids need when chasing their dreams. Respect
Right . full support
2 women in the world if they are blessed you will be too, your mum and your wife
You should tell my mother that lol
@@sprh4ck3d my moms a narcissist aswell
@@gordonbennett3213 My wife is cool though, she makes up for it.
I wouldn't say my mums a narcissist but she definitely held me back from a lot, I still love her to bits tho lol
I saw Wheatus a few years ago when they played a small pub called Fat Lils in a town near me in the UK called Witney, around 100 people there and the band watched the support acts with us and spent a long time taking requests, people where googling old B sides to try and catch them out but they smashed every single song and it was a wonderful gig.
Thank you Wheatus.
Didn't happen, Ben.
@@gsd8225 believe what you like pal.
ua-cam.com/video/Ppxcv30U9Rc/v-deo.html
Love that!
@@gsd8225yes, it did. Wheatus tend to play whatever requests people shout out at their shows.
Let's all agree Mama Wheatus is the MVP. Without her dining room and chicken cutlets we may never have had Teenage Dirtbag. 🥰
She's so proud at the very end while listening to the song. After all these years, she still doesn't hate it. She's probably heard it more than just about anyone else
And her jazz hands are soooo cute!
And she’s in the living room singing with him like “You’re such a good singer!”
It’s funny because the song wouldn’t exist without her because she sent him to the all boys schools
Hell yea chicken cutlets
him playing while his mom genuinely enjoys it made me cry. what a good mom
Yeah that was nice. Then he was all embarrassed when she complimented his voice
I wish all moms are this supportive to their kids.
Brendan Brown is an underrated musician and has a killer vocal range.
Who's that?
@@jeil5676 the... singer of the band. The guy in the video lol
A little respect is my 2nd fav of wheatus. And he sang it so well
“It’s your song, it belongs to you”. That’s a TRUE artist speaking! Great segment, I’m without words. Well told 10/10
I just love his singing voice, it's so unique and strangely sweet.
Not once did he ever rely on anyone else - he wanted a studio feel so he built a studio in his family home. What an incredibly motivated, underrated musician.
I'm sorry wasn't he definitely relying on his mom at that point? She allowed all that to happen, not only that she supported them completely.
This song defined my childhood. Every Aussie sleepover, BBQ, hang out would feature a song along. It still gets radio play and deservedly so. It just hits.
Whats an Aussie sleepover? A sleepover in Australia?
@@louiealouie it’s like a regular sleepover but with a rugby team. Best of all, they all wore roo mask while playing an 11 v 1 on your mum… and yes, it was in Australia
Same!
Sleep over with bongs and booze
Ozzy
I lost my mom when she was just 59. Mama wheatus reminds me of her so much. Loved her son no matter what. Wants to gush about him to everyone. Everyone needs that in their life. Hard to lose. Amazing to remember. I love this ending!
May your mama be resting in peace. Not sure what your beliefs are, but wherever she is, I’m sure she’s proud of you.
I refuse to believe it wasn’t a hit in the US. I had it playing on loop when I was like 12 and for me to have discovered it makes me think it reached the right people here. I walked into my childrens hallway and heard it playing in my 14 yr old daughter’s room. It made me hella nostalgic and proud of her music taste lol
I'm 40 and didn't hear this song until last week. I thought it was a new song 🤷♂️
According to Wikipedia this song only got to number 124 in the US charts. Which is totally unbelievable, considering how ubiquitous it was here in the UK. I just assumed it was a huge hit world-wide.
AGREED!!!
I'm from Hungary and I totally knew this song, heard it all the time, saw the music video many times.
It wasn’t even a blip on the map here
Was in a Filipino kareoke bar in Hong Kong last week, Teenage Dirtbag came on and everyone sang in unison, my wife from a small town India grew up listening to it. Shocking to know it didnt do well in the US because I just thought it was just one of those songs everyone knows
I live in the US and am surprised that it apparently didn't do well here. I've heard it a million times over the years.
I think it’s like Colt .45. Everyone knows it but it never had radio time
Filipino KTV in Hong Kong with a Indian wife, what a mashup
When he said EVERYONE he ain't exaggerating either
Crazy grew up my teen days was 2010s and Im from Nairobi Kenya and played this so much.
Brendan wrote an incredible song. This was the song of my childhood and is incredibly important to me. I hope hes proud and feels he gets the credit he deserves for delivering such a masterpiece. Thank you Brendan my youth would not be the same without this.
Vice fucking smashing it out of the park with this sort of content. Got me hooked after the thousand miles episode.
The stuff you never knew about a tune that you related to throughout your adolescence but it still resonates now. What a classic made better now I know it’s story. Love it
These “story of” videos are absolute homeruns.
And this song was and still is such a BANGER. True artist. And I love it even more now knowing what went into it; what he’s signing about.
the song transcends age / it's timeless / kids will always feel like this
Love that the series is still going. Only thing is it takes months for a new one to drop lol
Wouldn't being a star overseas and not being a star at home be like living in a dream world? No Paparazzi or people taking pictures. Sounds like the best of both worlds.
It does sound like perfection but I can understand any resentment it could cause.
frfr
You would think, but the issue is it’s costly to go perform over there even if you’re popular but that’s the only place you can make any money probably if all your following / more devoted following is there. But then since you can’t do that or do it much, you’re at home and no one wants to pay to see you. So even if you’re talented or loved elsewhere, you can’t really have your chosen career support you because you’d have to be rich enough to always play overseas or move their to do it full time.
People don’t realize how costly it is just to do music as a career in your own home state/ country and like play in several states or etc.
so much more to do financially and the traveling etc logistics if overseas.
This is what good music does, it connects with a feeling you can't express yourself as an inarticulate, pissed off teenager. This was my anthem when I was 15, my buddy would drive me to school and I'd blast it every single day. I found it by mistake searching for something else on napster or limewire and no one else I knew had heard it yet, so I felt like I had this secret gem. My girlfriends middle name was Noelle so I learned how to play the song and tried to convince her I wrote it for her but the song eventually got popular at my school and she figured it out. haha man I haven't thought about that in like 20 years. Still Love This Song! Mom's right about his voice, it's like our generations Geddy Lee and it's what makes the song so catchy! Thanks for the flashback Vice and thanks for the song Wheatus
Your mom is so right! Never thought of that!
That's so cute
Awesome share 👌🏼👌🏼
You got me at napster
Don’t know what Napster was?
It was a bastion and symbol of freedoms lost...
I still listen to this song regularly. Miss 90s and early 00s music.
Same here my man .
@@micknayles7161 The next song on the playlist is Green Day - Basket Case
@@HiroProtaganist tremendous sir
The songs of the first american pie are dynamite also.
Me too! I raised 2 wonderful kiddos listening to that music each & _every_ morning!
I grew up in Scotland and this song was absolutely everywhere when I was a teenager. It was always playing on MTV! I’m shocked the US didn’t get on board
I, also a Scot, am likewise shocked. An era defining song.
Just putting out my opinion: The music press in the UK tend to be more hyped, compared to the US critics being more reserved (prob something to so with imperialism), i've seen this pattern many times: Radiohead's The Bends, the grunge scene become popular with the UK before the US ate it up, and when the Arctic Monkeys put out their debut Whatever People Say I Am.... Basically, the UK has low standards lol. The US also has higher requirements for record certifications eg. 1 million sales for US platinum, 300,000 sales for UK platinum.
When Bush, who were from London, became big in 1994, they were bigger in the US because they were hard rock/grunge-esque and that sound was popular because of bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam etc. Compared to their home country of UK, they were not that popular, probably because of the Britpop groups e,g, Oasis, Blur, Suede etc. You become popular in countries whose fans can resonate with them. In the US from 1999 onwards, what was popular at that time was nu-metal e.g. Korn, Incubus, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, and pop artists like Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears etc. And also Eminem. You could say Wheatus were the odd ones out.
You can counter this and continue with the "I thought they were popular on MTV" argument. But Wheatus were on a major label Sony, and major labels usually pay to have the song played on radio for newer artists, so the song was probably everywhere because it was being paid to be played. And for MTV, like i said, what was popular in 1999 was Korn, Limp Bizkit, Britney, Backstreet Boys, and they were the most played on MTV. So much that Korn had to be retired from the 'Total Request Live' list, unlike Britney or Backstreet Boys (probably because its pop music, its commercial). So you can say Wheatus was always playing on MTV, but not to the extent of the aforementioned artists that some of them had to be retired. Wheatus had pop songs with dark lyrics, but in 1999, it was either dark music with dark lyrics, or pop music with poppy/happy/danceable lyrics. You dont see a lot of pop music with dark lyrics during this time.
@@ligmaballs2022 The US doesn't really have "higher" requirements for record certifications. 1 million is obviously a higher number than 300,000 but the US population is 332 million and the UK population is 66 million. The US platinum certification would have to be around 1.5 million to be the same population-to-sales ratio as the UK.
Huh? This song was on the radio all the time in the US. And the video was always on mtv.
Funny, I’ve seen you say this from Scotland, someone from Africa, and someone from Germany saying this song was massive. This song truly was MASSIVE.
This song is a classic, and them guys deserve so much more. I'm 40 years old now, but every time I hear this tune it reminds me of teenage years and what I felt like to be young and free, awesome.
You must of miss a few math classes.😳
@@fbaallied not his teenage years. I think he means the song has a 'tennage years' vibe
Such an epic song. I remember walking around the mall, on our way to play Marvel Vs Capcom 2 all day,and hearing it play over and over. We thought it was corny, but at the same time it was so catchy and a dope song to sing along too. We all loved it, but at the same time were fine realizing how pop and corny it was. Good times, one song I can remember exactly where I was when I first heard it. Really brings back the whole high-school feels
@@brohymn2620 I stand corrected
Me too! I was a secret "mental head" all throughout jr & high school. I'm what you might call, out of the closet, now days though.😂😂😂 This song makes it to EVERY playlist... as it should.
"rather be forgotten than remembered for giving in" - good for you dude
I was in the a pub in London on the weekend and Teenage Dirtbag came on and we all still pretty much knew the words. It was huge over here.
Ok
"It's your song, singing in your bathroom mirror, whoever you are. It belongs to you. And your history, and your place in time is more important in the reflection of the song and the way that you see yourself in it than my thing, which is weird, but cool 😎 "
Yea, I guess he knows it has a nostalgic effect for a certain type of longing adolescence develop.
I have a whole new level of respect for this dude because of what he says here. ❤️
RESPECT
Yeah. For a guy who never actually went to a co-ed, public school himself, he nailed it. Young loserdom and adolescent longing, yes.
@@melissamullenax2158 This!
These guys caught lightning in a bottle with this tune- it's a total earworm, one of the last great radio rock anthems, and the production is stellar (the electric guitar tones are so, so good). To know the whole story behind this makes it all that much more satisfying. For what it's worth, in the Fall of 2000 at my suburban Midwestern high school, this song was definitely a hit- if it wasn't charting well, no one told us!
I saw Wheatus live at conservatory in 2007 I believe. There may have been 40 people tops and it became a request a song show. I loved it and wish more people were there.
In Okc
I love these stories that let us look behind the curtain and see how much work and experiences flow into a couple of minutes worth of music that stay with us forever.
They really humanise what is seen as mostly meme-like songs and give them the light they deserve.
Love all the 30 year old teenage dirtbags in the comments, there are dozens of us! I'm from England and that Wheatus album was one of the first I purchased, listened to it front to back religiously and knew every word. Chokes me up listening to some of those songs now - especially Teenage Dirtbag - a lot of nostalgia! Brendan seems like an honest person and his Mum is wonderful for supporting him.
you werent a teenager lol
So beautiful to see him with his mother playing the song after all those years. Thank you for this.
Gotta love how his mum must have heard it a million times and is still genuinely blown away with it. Can't help but agree with her, he did good and his voice was good, and that's sat in his mum's living room not live on stage.
Think I missed out not seeing them back in the day.
The end with mom in the floral pink living room on Anywhere St in Everytown USA is just incredible. It's so real it's almost surreal, like something Tarantino would come up with if he had to stay g rated. I can almost hear his mom in the next room, "are you boys hungry?".
Right?! It’s just beautiful and made me laugh and cry at the same time.
I'd watch that movie
Feel absolutely the same. Made me feel at home 🏡
"Gotta make some more chicken cutlets for my hungry recording boys!"
Props to Brendan's mom for supporting him & his creativity throughout his whole life. Supportive moms = the best.
Two points: 1 - I can't believe the whole album was recorded in his mum's house, that's so rock n' roll, and 2 - Nice to see a fellow Soul Coughing fan. :)
Move aside,
And let the man go through.
Let the man go through.
Also Check out Mike Doughty - Haughty Melodic....good album
Totally agree! I was thinking "how could the label not get them studio time?" but I love that it was in his dining room.
Recording an album in your mum's house is not rock and roll lmao.
It's heartwarming though
I love how self aware he was about sounding like a girl on recording and just not giving a f$&@. In retrospect, this song I hated encapsulated my whole musical journey as a middle/high schooler. I love this song now, unironically, since it seems to mock all the right people while being designed to subconsciously appeal directly to them. Contempt for one’s audience is a powerfully underappreciated 90’s trope that deserves to make a comeback, since so many people suck today.
“...since it seems to mock all the right people”
Everything you said from that sentence onwards was 🎯
I hope you can find peace someday ♥
Artists do it for the act not for themselves.
I always thought the lyrics seemed really sincere- its an anthem for those who wouldn't generally warrant an anthem, giving power to the "dirtbag" by reclaiming the word. Do you think he's mocking the teenage dirtbag, or are you referring to the general "jocks" who the song directly antagonizes?
@@tempestuousseaurchin A little of both. The song has a mocking cadence and seems to self deprecate while also throwing out general disdain for pop culture.
2023 i'm 62 years old and it's still one of my favorite songs. dirtbags forever.
I’m amazed they recorded this in his mom’s house! The production on Dirtbag sounds incredible. This is a great series. More please, Vice.
One of my favorite songs ever and the singer is a very charismatic person. Great video!
U find that charismatic ?
@@florgonzalez1211 Someone who's rather honest, and pretty humble about their success? Someone who's got enough humility to be able to both laugh at, acknowledge and appreciate their past? And also someone who can tell a story pretty well?
Yeah, I'd consider that charismatic.
@@florgonzalez1211 Not that you would know anything about charisma
Generic rock. Cool favourite
Ever...
I felt like my youth came full circle when I finally heard this song live at a festival in 2019, I'm from South Africa and this song was integral to my teens. We dont often get to see our musical icons in a live capacity here in Africa so what a pleasant surprise to finally be able to experience this 19yrs after first hearing it :)
now that's awesome
I live in Mexico and my dad played this song when I was a kid and that was the reason I wanted to play guitar and he teached me the chords and it was the first song I learned to play on guitar. Amazing song.
I like how when he sings he sounds like the studio version.
His mom being as supportive as she was with the band taking up space the way they did and all that is the epitome of amazing for a parent.
That’s some major love right there.
this whole '' the story of'' series is the GOAT. Vice...bloody good job!
Guessin your English??
Imagine being his mum when he was a literal teenage dirtbag in his teenage years. And yet she still allowed him to take over her house and cooked them all chicken tenders for three weeks. I think you dropped this Queen 👉 👑
Mama Wheatus is the real OG. You can still see all these years later that she’s got nothing but love, adoration and pride in her son. She kept the wallpaper tears and everything.
I loved teenage dirtbag as a teenager because it was the high school experience I was missing out on, I used to travel and hour and a half by train to an all girls school. Never realised the song came from the same lonely place I was stuck in at the time.
I hope this series never ends. They always choose the best songs that make you feel nostalgic for the days when life was a little simpler✨🙌
They chose my suggestion to do the song Who Let The Dogs Out.
The fact that this song now has the medieval bard version being used in the Sainsbury’s 2022 Christmas advert is so crazy. The feeling of triumph translates so well into that style it’s quite magical, it has that timeless quality. In the advert the boy reinvents the Christmas pudding to this rock anthem, and in my opinion it lives again
Sainsbury's won the British Christmas advert competition of the year with the song alone really. The bardcore songs are always a lot of fun
This is a terrific video. Filled with a sense of gratitude and folks who appear genuine. It’s a monster of a song that appears on people’s radars every few years. I was in my mid 30’s when I first heard it and it’s remained a big part of my life 20+ years later. That’s a testimony to what a truly great song it is. Kudos to Wheatus for their hit….outside of the USA!
This song transcended all boundaries in London. From mandem to rude gals and blonde good girls, we all jammed to this song in our adolescence.
I think the link to American Pie helped solidify the song for us Brits as it fit so well with the film.
The film it had ties to was Loser, Jason Biggs plays the lead in both.
Man said mandem.
Got him with the Loser movie song too.
This song epitomizes the year 2000 perfectly
Loser*
How was the placement in the classic teen film 'Loser' not mentioned? I feel like the tune had a moment in the US from that despite what this says!
I agree. I've attached the song to the movie Loser since the very first time I saw the video a decade ago.
Its truly amazing, these artists that have no idea how much of an impact their song will make on millions of people. Awesome.
LOL if you'd told me the inspiration was satanic panic I wouldn't believe it...
The movie Loser gave this song life in the US. Jason Biggs was an a-lister in 2000 and featured in the music video. That put them on. It's hard to believe that wasn't at least mentioned.
I thought that! Why no mention of the video. And how the song was picked for the film.
Also didn’t mention it getting sung in Generation Kill, actually what made me do back and listen to it and fall in love with both that series and the song.
I was waiting for that too 😶
Jason Biggs had nothing to do with this song, the movie loser may have gave it its platform, but the fact that you are giving credit to an actor for being in a music video which during the 90s the music videos were all related to movies that they were in is ridiculous. Jason Biggs has never been an A-list actor
Right ? That music video is iconic in of itself
One of the best shows I’ve ever been to in Cork, Ireland. They came down & jammed in the crowd- amazing energy! Met them at back door afterwards & they were lovely. Ran into a few of them again then later at the chipper- there was a busker on the street & we made up a song on the spot & started singing. It was before the days of video phones but great to have such memories. Haven’t thought about that night in years!
My wife and I had our first dance at our wedding to this song. If that’s not dirtbag enough I don’t what is. We love this song and love this story. Thank you Wheatus!
His voice sounds exactly like it does on the album. Hasn't changed a bit!
I remember when this came out in the US. It was all over the radio. Not sure how it wasn't more popular. I freakin' loved it. Still do.
This story is so dope. The real, existential story of a timeless kinda song, its creator, and why people love it.
This man is ridiculously talented, his vocal skills at the drop of a hat are madness all things considered. Loved watching the making of this track. Brilliant.
Shame they couldn't get other hits
His mom singing along is the sweetest thing I've seen in a while.
I connected with this song so much in 2000. I was 14 and living overseas where dirtbag was a huge hit. In my life at the time, two dear friends died and just remembered feeling so lonely and lost.
It rocked in Africa, I remember hearing it and it was awesome in Kenya
Here in Germany the song is right up on the list of Pub classics. Every live music evening in Pubs will have it at least once. Legendary stuff
Seeing Teenage Dirtbag performed live is the best experience at a concert I’ve ever had. I saw Wheatus supporting another band in 2017 and the audience participation for Dirtbag is incredible. A great song loved by millions.
I can't explain how much I loved this video, how much I admire Brendan. Teenage Dirtbag has always been one of my favourites and my dad played it throughout my childhood. To me, it's a classic. I just assumed it was huge all over the world because we lived in Kenya and heard it on the radio, so clearly it was international. Why would it be massive in every place except the US? Crazy to me. I do think the song was a bigger success than Brendan felt it was, even if it didn't gain the traction it deserved in his home country.
I was a teenager in the Scotland in a dead end small town when Teenage Dirtbag was in the charts my younger sister and brother would scream sing it at me as they weren't yet teenagers then it would come on the radio on the school bus and every kid would go nuts singing it especially the slow higher pitched "ive got 2 tickets for iron maiden..."
Recently Wheatus were playing in my now hometown of Nottingham unfortunately I was on holiday otherwise I would have been there! Good to hear a little back story to it all. Thank you for an awesome choon of my youth.
This song was absolutely massive in Australia. When I hear it it brings back vivid childhood memories because it was played non stop everywhere
It's weird to learn when a song is a hit here (Australia) but not really elsewhere, when they're a foreign act. I always just assume it's huge in the US/UK at the same time!
@@robertwalkley4665i mean the US was the only place it wasn't huge.
What a cool mom! She didn't let him went to public school where "Noelle" exist, but fully supportive when he turned the dining room to a rockstar lab..
What a track. Great memories of our youth. Have a nice weekend people. ❤️
Indeed it was.
Very watchable and well done. Whoever directed this did a good job.
Teenage Dirtbag was and still is an absolute banger! Rocking out here in December 2022! Merry Christmas everyone!🎉
December 2023 here 🎄 Merry Christmas!!
Wow I’m blown away by the back story of “Teenage dirt-bag” but even more so at the genuine kinship and bond these two guys formed instantaneously. Man I tell you, the power of music…. It truly is indescribable. When you know, you just know!
It's so nice to hear a true musician explain their creating process. I love the twist and turns.
I love how mom is still his biggest fan cheering him on.
I saw Wheatus perform this live with Everclear recently, and it was a lot of fun! “Nostalgia bands” can be a really fun time. Most bands rise and fall off the charts. They still put on a good show! A very inspired song!
Everclear was the first band I ever saw live in Australia!! Like in 1998 or something. Glad to hear they’re still playing!
“The song is 100% fantasy because it has a happy ending” is such a heavy thing to hear
"its your song, singing in the bathroom mirror. Whoever you are, its yours." That hits man, Everybody pictures something different in their heads and truly just makes whatever song you are listening to yours.
"It's your song singing it in your bathroom mirror... ot belongs to you" that is probably the most real, humble words ever spoken by an artist....thank you for that brother 🙏🙏
As a kid growing up in Seattle I heard teenage dirtbag played on the radio everyday.. Definitely influenced my taste in music I listen to as well as the music I make.
@J Whomst I’m from Seattle too 🤘🏿and I like the song even learning the back story of it I still love it.
I'm 60 and this is and has been one of my favorite albums.
What I don't understand about this is that I remember this song being played ALL THE TIME on the radio and MTV when it came out. I grew up in the US. Was it really not a huge hit here? It felt like everyone was listening to it at the time.
Everyone was. What becomes a hit on the radio in the US has nothing to do with what people like and everything to do with what they are fed.
I work in the industry. Basically what a label does with newer artists is pay radio and other outlets to play a song as much as possible. Do you remember baby by Justin bieber? He had little to no fans. But the song was everywhere not because it was being requested but it was being paid for. It's up to the listeners to buy (pun intended) into the song. So yeah you could've heard this song all of the time because it was being paid to play on radio but the audience just wasn't into it that much
doesn't necessarily mean it will sell well. remember this is a major label we're talking about. when you have money thrown into the equation, most of decisions made by major labels will be based on money. when's the last time there was a new and popular rock band on a major label? its all generic pop/k-pop and hip hop nowadays
This is the most dramatic and elaborate doc on a one-hit-wonder Ive ever seen. Love to see more.
The one on Shaggy’s, “It Wasn’t Me,” is just as good.
I remember the term “dirt” (abridged from dirtbag) being used for long haired, poor, and/or metal heads in the 80s in my hometown. I think back on it now that I’m in my 40s on how incredibly discriminatory and horrible the term was for kids who didn’t have a lot of control over their lives at that time in their lives.
"They were asking me to rewrite my own personal history of life"
I can relate to that because I had a rough ride as a kid. Group homes and such. Not easy finding people that can relate or understand why I would have a chip on my shoulder. So more times than not I get labeled someone trying to act tough or I have a bad attitude. The reality is people looking from the outside don't understand why I would want to scare people away.
I'm sorry Joe, I believe I know what those feelings are. Fyi, you matter, and you're worthy of love. Being vulnerable after a rough ride up as a kid sometimes feels impossible, but there are good humans out there that will love you as your are given the chance. It ain't easy, but it's possible. Journey well brother.
Wow. I got choked up when he sang that part with his mother at the end. Good for you man. Good for you.
"This song is about you" - this sentiment behind it is what makes it so relatable.
Since 1999, I've been 'playing' guitar.
Teenage Dirtbag is the only full song I've ever been able to play and sing.
Thanks, Vice. :)
This song never gets old or dies. It has lived until now and will be alive in the next generations as well. Anybody can relate to it, that's what makes it so special.
It was dead to me until right now.