Berlin Chair

"Berlin Chair" is the second single from the album Sound As Ever by Australian rock band You Am I. It was released in 1994 and peaked at #73 on the Australian ARIA singles chart.[1] "Berlin Chair" also reached #23 in that year's Hottest 100,[2] while in the 1998 Hottest 100 of All Time it came in at #61[3] and #52 in the 2009 Hottest 100 of All Time.[4] In a phone-in poll in 1999, the song was voted best Australian song of the 1990s.[5] The track was featured on the soundtrack to the PC game Quarantine, released in the same year.

"Berlin Chair"
Single by You Am I
from the album Sound As Ever
ReleasedFebruary 1994
RecordedPachyderm Studio, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
GenreAlternative rock
Length2:34
LabelrooArt Records
Songwriter(s)Andy Kent, Tim Rogers, Mark Tunaley
Producer(s)Lee Ranaldo
You Am I singles chronology
"Adam's Ribs"
(1993)		 "Berlin Chair"
(1994)		 "Jaimme's Got A Gal"
(1994)

Composition

Tim Rogers wrote the song while living in Chippendale, Sydney,[6] and titled the song after a sculpture (actually a chair designed by Gerrit Rietveld) he'd seen in Canberra, where he had previously lived.[7] Biographer Craig Mathieson described the imagery of the chair as symbolising "the hard, even impenetrable male edge, that [the song's character] had with his girlfriend".[7]

Reception

You Am I biographer Craig Mathieson praised the song's lyrics for revealing a character that "admit[s] they're flawed, but still swear[s] their strength, support [and] love". He praises the band's musical performance for "increas[ing] the momentum with every verse, adding vigour and desperation to Tim's emotion. ... Berlin Chair leaves me drained and elated."[7]

Double J rated the song as the best Australian song of the 90s, saying, "In a way, it defies description. It bears little resemblance to any other song. It isn’t traditionally catchy, yet it won’t leave your head from the moment you hear those first lines."[8]

Junkee said, "It's a song of codependency, trust and endearing love through one another's flaws. It’s the kind of song any self-respecting band, genre regardless, would have fucking killed to have written."[9]

Track listing
  1. "Berlin Chair" - 2:34
  2. "Can't Explain" - 2:10
  3. "Jaimme (Makers Mark Version)" - 2:40
  4. "All I Want To Do Is Rock" - 5:42

All songs by Tim Rogers, except 2 (Pete Townshend) and 4 (Ross Wilson)

"Can't Explain" is a cover of "I Can't Explain" by The Who. "Jaimme (Makers Mark Version)" is an acoustic version of "Jaimme's Got A Gal". "All I Want To Do Is Rock" is a cover of the Mighty Kong song.

Cover versions

Australian band Kisschasy did a cover version of the song for their 2007 single release of "Opinions Won't Keep You Warm At Night". Australian Band SMUDGE did a cover version of the song for their 1994 Single "The Outdoor Type". The song has been performed by Holly Throsby on one of radio network Triple J's Like A Version segments; while Kevin Mitchell, performing as Bob Evans, covered the song with You Am I on one of the band's Live at the Wireless sets. Paul Dempsey included a version of the song on his "Shotgun Karaoke" EP, released in 2013.[10]

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gollark: ++select * from Marriage
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gollark: Do you want to marry logos?

References
  1. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 01 May 1994". ARIA. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  2. "Hottest 100 list 1994". Archived from the original on 2009-02-26. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  3. "Hottest 100 of all time 1998". Archived from the original on 2010-10-10. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  4. Hottest 100 of all time 2009
  5. You Am I.com.au Archived February 28, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Swan, David (27 August 2012). "Tim Rogers In The Firing Line:'I'm pretty low-brow entertainment'". FasterLouder. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  7. Mathieson, Craig (1996). Hi Fi Days. St Leonards, NSW, Australia: Allen & Unwin. pp. 106–7. ISBN 1 86448 232 X.
  8. Dan Condon. "The 50 best Australian songs of the 90s". Double J.
  9. David James Young. "God Bless The Fucking Lot Of Us: The History Of You Am I In 15 Essential Tracks". Junkee.
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-10-18. Retrieved 2013-10-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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