B-side "Come Out Swinging" Recorded 2000 Length 3:40 | Released October 24, 2000 Genre Pop punk | |
Format CD
12"
digital download | ||
"Original Prankster" is a song by American rock band The Offspring, released from their sixth studio album Conspiracy of One and was released as the first single from the album in October 2000. The song features additional vocals by Redman and is included on the band's 2005 Greatest Hits album.
Contents
Prior to the release of Conspiracy of One, The Offspring distributed the track for free as a downloadable MP3 file on their official website. A competition was held, featuring a prize of $1 million (USD) which was awarded to a randomly selected participant who downloaded the song.
"Original Prankster" reached the top 10 in some countries including Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, and went top 10 on US Rock radio.
Music video
The song follows the prankster, the subject of the song, through his life, pulling various pranks on his superiors, being motivated by Redman. As a child, he slips his dog's feces into his father's sandwich. In his teen years, he uses a bunsen burner on a perverted science teacher. When sent to the principal's office, he sets up the principal to be photographed in a compromising position with two students. Throughout the video, the band is shown to be playing at their hometown Huntington Beach, California.
Finally, in the present, he switches off the whole city's power supply, though the band still manages to play in the dark and the crowd use flares to light the scene. At the end of the video, lightning strikes the prankster and disintegrates him.
DVD appearances
The music video appears also appears on the Complete Music Video Collection DVD (2005).
Sales
The single went platinum in Australia in 2001. It was the third single by the Offspring to reach platinum after "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" and "Why Don't You Get a Job?." It was the largest selling single from Conspiracy of One.
Media
The song was featured in Season 3 of the The Cleveland Show in the episode "American Prankster".