B-side "Blind (Live)" Format CD
7" Length 4:25 | Released 16 September 1994 Genre Grunge | |
Recorded 1994 at Triple J, Sydney | ||
"Tomorrow" is a song by Australian rock band Silverchair which was released on 16 September 1994 on their debut extended play album, also titled Tomorrow. The song also appeared on the band's first full-length album, Frogstomp (27 March 1995). It won the 1995 ARIA Music Award for Single of the Year and Highest Selling Single. The track was written by the band's lead vocalist, lead guitarist and front man, Daniel Johns, and their drummer-percussionist, Ben Gillies. It was produced and engineered by Phil McKellar at national radio station, Triple J's studios for SBS-TV's show, Nomad, which aired on 16 June 1994. After the broadcast the band were signed to the Murmur label – a Sony Music subsidiary – which subsequently issued the Tomorrow EP.
Contents
- Meaning
- History
- Music videos
- Reception
- ARIA Music Awards
- Critical response
- Notable live performances
- Soundtrack appearances
- Parody
- Tomorrow EP and other releases
- Personnel
- Awards and nominations
- References
"Tomorrow" became a breakthrough hit for Silverchair when it reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart in October and remained at the top position for six weeks. In the United States a re-recorded version was issued in the following year and also peaked at number one on both the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and the Album Rock Tracks charts; it made No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. In the United Kingdom, the song made No. 59 on the UK Singles Chart in September 1995. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1995, "Tomorrow" won three awards in the categories 'Single of the Year', 'Highest Selling Single' and 'Breakthrough Artist – Single'; they won two further awards for Frogstomp.
Meaning
Johns explained writing "Tomorrow": "I saw on SBS once this documentary about a poor guy that takes a rich guy to a poor persons' hotel to experience what it's like being a poor person and that. And the rich guy is complaining to get out and that, and he has to wait 'til tomorrow to get out of the hotel".
History
Ben Gillies (on drums and percussion) and Daniel Johns (on lead vocals and lead guitar) co-wrote "Tomorrow" when they were performing with Chris Joannou (on bass guitar) as Innocent Criminals. Innocent Criminals entered YouthRock, a competition for school-based bands, in 1994. Early in that year they recorded demos of "Acid Rain", "Cicada", "Pure Massacre" and "Tomorrow" at Platinum Sound Studios. Johns recalled making the demos "[w]e had just recorded that at a really cheap studio ... It cost about $75. We weren't in there for more than an hour. The version we entered went for about six minutes".
In April 1994, the band won a national band competition called Pick Me, using their demo of "Tomorrow". The competition was conducted by the SBS TV show Nomad and Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) alternative radio station Triple J.
As part of the prize, Triple J recorded the song and ABC filmed a video, which was aired on 16 June. For the video's broadcast, they had changed their name to Silverchair (styled as silverchair until 2002). On 16 September, their Triple J recording of "Tomorrow" was released as a four-track extended play with "Acid Rain", "Blind", and "Stoned". From late October, it spent six weeks at number-one on the ARIA Singles Chart. It also reached number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart in February 1995.
In 1995, a re-recorded version of "Tomorrow" (and a new music video) was made for the United States market, becoming the most played song on US modern rock radio that year. In the US it peaked at number one on both the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and the Album Rock Tracks charts; it made No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.
Music videos
Two different music videos were released to promote "Tomorrow". The original version was made for SBS-TV show Nomad, which was produced and directed from 1992 to 1994 by Kerry Negara. It was broadcast on 16 June 1994 as part of the group's prize for winning the Pick Me competition.
The second version was shown in the US and is directed by Mark Pellington. This video has been described as similar to the music video for the Pearl Jam song "Jeremy", also directed by Pellington. Like the "Jeremy" video, the US "Tomorrow" video includes: harsh lighting, especially on the face; various disturbing images, such as a pig eating money and shots of a spider-like creature; quick shifting between random images; and handwritten notes. The US version of "Tomorrow" received high rotation on MTV, which "led to an abundance of radio requests".
Reception
In the United Kingdom, the song made No. 59 on the UK Singles Chart in September 1995.
ARIA Music Awards
On 20 October 1995, at the ARIA Music Awards, "Tomorrow" won three categories: 'Single of the Year', 'Highest Selling Single' and 'Breakthrough Artist – Single'; the group won two further awards for their work on the related album, Frogstomp. At the ceremony they performed a cover version of Radio Birdman's "New Race" with Tim Rogers (of You Am I) joining them on stage. Their trophies were collected by Josh Shirley, the young son of Frogstomp's producer, Kevin Shirley.
Critical response
Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the "angst-ridden single" as "from the standard grunge formula".
In February 2004 Australian rock musician Scott Owen of The Living End was asked for "the most influential Australian music release" and answered that it was Silverchair's "Tomorrow", he explained "it taught kids that if you give it a go you have the chance to take on the world".
Notable live performances
On 9 December 1995 "Tomorrow" and "Pure Massacre" were performed by Silverchair on Saturday Night Live, hosted by David Alan Grier.
Silverchair continued to perform "Tomorrow" live until 1999 during the early leg of the Neon Ballroom tour, but it has not been played subsequently. Johns asserted that he preferred newer, more experimental material in concert.
Soundtrack appearances
"Tomorrow" was used in "The Mystery of Morning Wood", an episode on season six of Beavis and Butt-head. At the start of the episode the two main characters are singing Boston's "More Than a Feeling", then concluded that the song was stupid and ended by stating how the video fails to disturb them.
The song is a downloadable track on Rock Band and Guitar Hero World Tour.
The song "Stoned" from the Australian single release features in the 1995 film Mallrats. A re-recorded version of "Blind" was in the 1996 movie The Cable Guy along with its soundtrack.
Parody
Australian band Silverpram released a parody version of "Tomorrow", titled "Frogstamp", in 1995. The lyrics of the parody were centred around the young age of the Silverchair band members at the time, with the chorus lyrics changed to "I turn four tomorrow." The single peaked at #72 on the Australian ARIA singles chart.
Tomorrow EP and other releases
All tracks written by Ben Gillies and Daniel Johns.