Clumsy (Our Lady Peace song)

Updated on Nov 15, 2023

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Released April 7, 1997 Recorded 1996-1997 Label Columbia		Format CD Length 4:29
Genre Alternative rock post-grunge

"Clumsy" is a song by Canadian alternative rock band Our Lady Peace. It was released in April 1997 as the second single from their second album, Clumsy. It was one of their most successful singles, reaching number-one in Canada. The song also became very successful in the United States reaching the Billboard top ten of the modern rock chart peaking at number 5 and remaining in the top ten for 15 weeks straight. It is one of the few tracks on the album not to feature vocalist Raine Maida's falsetto-controlled singing voice, although his trademark paranoid edged-voice is still used. This song is also the lightest on the album. The song was included on the soundtrack to the 1997 movie, I Know What You Did Last Summer.

"Clumsy" has become a staple in Our Lady Peace's live setlist. A live version of the song is featured on their first live compilation Live released in 2003.

Background and writing

Although the band has left most of their work interpretation up to the fans, guitarist Mike Turner and vocalist Raine Maida have said this about the song:

"You can be destructive without being malicious if you're clumsy. With the problems that I encounter, they're obviously not unique. Everyone goes through the same things I go through, so I think 'Clumsy' was just a word that would give those problems the benefit of the doubt and then enable you to get through them rather than seeing them just from one perspective [like], 'O.K., it's bad. It's not going to change from being bad.' Because things DO change. People change" ... "It's really honest.The lyrics really match the song in that there are a lot of different colours and stuff, just as [with] personalities."

They also said this in relating to the title of the album:

"We went back into that same studio [from Naveed] with our producer friend and made Clumsy. Clumsy is about making decisions. There is a connection between the song Clumsy and it being the title of the album. The lyric; 'I'll be waving my hand/watching you drown/ watching you scream' is about seeing something, but not seeing it for what it really is. You may decide to help... or to just wave back."

Content

The song begins with a slow piano starting the introduction. At around the 0:14 mark, the song's tempo speeds up. The chorus is then played, and after another verse and another repeat of the chorus, guitarist Mike Turner creates a soothing hum, and the song ends up in a final repeat of the chorus.

Music video

The video for "Clumsy" was filmed on March 18, 1997 and was directed by Matt Mahurin. It features a teenage boy in his room filmed in a green sepia-tone. Upon entering the room, he removes the door from the wall (leaving a blank space) and throws it out the window; he then takes the window (which also leaves a blank space on the wall) and shoves it under his bed. The boy then accidentally knocks over a glass of water, which endlessly empties into his room, flooding it. At the last moment, the boy grabs a giant breath and swims down, removing the window from under his bed, swimming through to safety. Unlike other singles, "Clumsy" had only one music video internationally.

Columbia CSK 2935