In my previous post, I wrote about the gentle, tender Tiny Flame by The Softies – a song defined by its restraint and lack of cheap thrills. Today we flip that idea completely on its head with Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) by The Offspring, a track built on fanfare and exaggerated, catchy hooks.
“Give it to me baby / Uh huh, uh huh!”
From the opening chant, subtlety is firmly off the table.
The song – and especially the video – is knowingly obnoxious like the protagonist in the song and it’s stuffed with exaggerated stereotypes and broad humour. But it’s hard not to give in to the sheer catchiness and get caught up in the whole hoo-ra. The song ridicules a “wannabe gangsta” who is immersed in hip-hop culture, not because he truly loves or understands it but because it is trendy, makes him feel tough.
I like how Pretty Fly mixes it up with rap, punk and post-grunge, delivered with such intent. The boldness is part of its appeal. It’s just a cool piece of late-90s pop-punk theatre. I also like the Latin-influenced vibe and the sexiness of the imagery and ladies’ background voices. Dexter Holland (Singer-songwriter) in an interview featured in Louder said the chord progression and rhythm drew on ideas from Latin-rock classics (like Santana’s Oye Cómo Va) as a creative starting point.
Pretty Fly is the fourth track from the Offspring’s 5th studio album – Americana. I’m surprised the song did so modestly in the US reaching just No. 53 on the Billboard. It was successful internationally, reaching number one in 10 countries, including Australia (my home country), where it stayed at number one for six weeks and was certified quadruple platinum. That’s how I would have become so well acquainted with it.
Beginning with a sample of the pseudo-German nonsense phrase “Gunter glieben glauchen globen” from Def Leppard’s 1983 song “Rock of Ages“, chanted as a replacement for the traditional “1, 2, 3, 4” to start the recording.
Gunter glieben glauten globen
Give it to me, baby!
Uh huh, uh huh!
Give it to me, baby!
Uh huh, uh huh!
Give it to me, baby!
Uh huh, uh huh!
And all the girlies say I’m pretty fly for a white guy
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, cinco, seis
You know, it’s kinda hard just to get along today
Our subject isn’t cool, but he fakes it anyway
He may not have a clue and he may not have style
But everything he lacks, well, he makes up in denial
So don’t debate a player straight
You know he really doesn’t get it anyway
Gotta play the field and keep it real
For you, no way, for you, no way
So if you don’t rate, just overcompensate
At least that you’ll know you can always go on Ricki Lake
The world needs wannabes, ah
Hey, hey, do that brand new thing!
Give it to me, baby!
Uh huh, uh huh!
Give it to me, baby!
Uh huh, uh huh!
Give it to me, baby!
Uh huh, uh huh!
And all the girlies say I’m pretty fly for a white guy
He needs some cool tunes, not just any will suffice
But they didn’t have Ice Cube, so he bought Vanilla Ice
Now cruisin’ in his Pinto, he sees homies as he pass
But if he looks twice, they’re gonna kick his lily ass
Now he’s gettin’ a tattoo, yeah, he’s gettin’ ink done
He asked for a thirteen, but they drew a thirty-one
Friends say he’s tryin’ too hard and he’s not quite hip
But in his own mind, he’s the, he’s the dopest trip
References:
1. Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Ten years ago, I probably would have dismissed that type of song but nowadays I dig its bouncy vibe. The obnoxious video certainly adds to it. Without the visual, it wouldn’t be as impactful!
I also think I probably shared a similar high-mindedness to it when I first heard it. Now I find it, just kinda cool and fun to listen to. Yes, I agree about the video rounding out the whole song.