"Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. It is the fourth track from the band's fifth studio album, Americana (1998), and was released as its first single in November 1998. The song peaked at number 53 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number five on the BillboardMainstream Rock Tracks chart, and number three on the BillboardModern Rock Tracks chart. It was successful internationally, reaching number one in 10 countries, including Australia, where it stayed at number one for six weeks and was certified quadruple platinum.
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, 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 ("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") and because he believes it attracts women ("and all the girlies say I'm pretty fly, for a white guy"). The “Give it to me baby” verse was done by voice actress Nika Futterman.[5]
As summed up by Dexter Holland, the people described in the lyrics "are from, like, Omaha, Nebraska, regular white-bread boys, but who act like they're from Compton. It's so fake and obvious that they're trying to have an identity."[6] Holland detailed that he meets many teenagers like those in his native Orange County, "going to the mall, where they buy FUBU, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ice Cube's latest record."[7] Given rap culture is the starting point, Holland clarified that it was not an attack on African-Americans, but "poseurs of any kind",[8] but without wanting "to be preachy about it... We're getting amusement out of it more than anything else."[9] When asked about the musical similarities with the Offspring's previous hit "Come Out and Play", Holland said he expected comparisons but added that the band attempted to "take it further than ‘Come Out and Play’", with a particular focus on more percussion.[10]
The music video for the song, directed by McG, begins with the "white guy" and some girls singing the opening lines, and Offspring guitarist Noodles walking on the pavement with his guitar, playing the introductory riff. The "white guy" drives through town in his lowrider and tries to act cool in front of African-Americans, playing with his car's hydraulic system and interrupting a break dance session to dance himself. He is then carried by a group of girls to a pool party and thrown into the pool. He jumps out of the pool and finds some bikini clad dancers in front of him. These scenes are cut with the band playing. The video ends with the "white guy" returning home and scaring his little sister, who is wearing a fairy costume, because of his dishevelled appearance.[citation needed]
According to Dexter Holland, the band wanted Seth Green to play the "white guy" but he was unavailable. After seeing an audition tape with "five unknowns", they settled on Israeli actor Guy Cohen,[13] who went on to cameo in the "Why Don't You Get a Job?" video and occasionally appear at Offspring concerts.[8]
DVD appearances
The music video also appears on the Complete Music Video Collection DVD. It was released in 2005. The DVD also contains a storyboard version of the video, in which the storyboard plays over top of the music video.
Track listings
US 7-inch single and UK cassette single[14][15][16]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) (UK cassette single sleeve). The Offspring. Columbia Records. 1998. 666880 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) (European CD single liner notes). The Offspring. Columbia Records. 1998. 666631.2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) (Australian CD single liner notes). The Offspring. Columbia Records. 1998. 666631.2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) (European CD single liner notes). The Offspring. Columbia Records. 1998. COL 666332 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) (UK CD1 liner notes). The Offspring. Columbia Records. 1998. 666880 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) (UK CD2 liner notes). The Offspring. Columbia Records. 1998. 666880 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) (Italian 12-inch single sleeve). The Offspring. Columbia Records. 1998. COL 667119 6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Borzillo, Carrie (October 10, 1998). "Offspring Explores Theme of 'Americana' on Columbia Set". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 41. p. 20. 'Pretty Fly (For A White Guy),' [...] will be serviced to other modern rock stations, as well as mainstream rock radio, Tuesday (6).
^"New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1274. November 13, 1998. p. 71.
^"New Releases: Singles". Music Week. January 16, 1999. p. 27.
