Big Me

"Big Me" is the fourth single by the Foo Fighters from their self-titled debut album Foo Fighters.[4] Released in the spring of 1996, the song became a crossover hit for the band on pop radio, when it reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay.[5]

"Big Me"
Single by Foo Fighters
from the album Foo Fighters
Released	February 25, 1996
Recorded	October 1994
Genre	Alternative rock[1] power pop[2] pop rock[3]
Length	2:13
Label	Roswell/Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Dave Grohl
Producer(s)	Barrett Jones and the Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters singles chronology
"For All the Cows" (1995) "Big Me" (1996) "Alone + Easy Target" (1996)
Music video
"Big Me" on YouTube

Music video

The song became well known for its music video, which parodies Mentos advertisements, turning them into commercials for "Footos," with the "Freshmaker" slogan being rendered as "The Fresh Fighter".[6] The concept came from director Jesse Peretz, who had originally pitched the idea to another band, and the Foo Fighters accepted as according to Dave Grohl, "We had some difficulty finding a treatment that would suit the song, which is this short, tongue-in-cheek, ridiculously candy-coated pop tune. We didn't want to make this big, pretentious portrait video. We wanted to make fun of ourselves and the song." The video made its MTV debut on February 14, 1996, and quickly became a Buzz Bin clip.[7]

"Big Me" was nominated for 5 MTV Video Music Awards at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards, winning only "Best Group Video". The video, which parodies the Mentos ad campaign, was filmed on location in Sydney, Australia.

The video's success led to many fans throwing Mentos at the band whenever they played the song live.[8] For an extended period of time, the band did not play the song live due to this, as Grohl cited: "We did stop playing that song for a while because, honestly, it's like being stoned. Those little … things are like pebbles – they hurt." The band only started to change its mind after Weezer started performing "Big Me" during the Foozer tour both bands did together.[9][10]

2019 Record Store Day re-release

The "Big Me" single was re-released on a 3-inch vinyl for Record Store Day on April 13, 2019.[11] The single is one of several 3-inch Record Store Day re-issues that is playable on special miniature record players.[11]

Singles

CD single

1. "Big Me"
2. "Floaty (BBC Evening Session Recording 23 November 1995)"
3. "Gas Chamber (BBC Evening Session Recording 23 November 1995)" (Angry Samoans cover)
4. "Alone + Easy Target (BBC Evening Session Recording 23 November 1995)"

7" White Vinyl

1. "Big Me"
2. "Floaty (BBC Evenning Sessions Recording 23 November 1995)
3. "Gas Chamber (BBC Evenning Sessions Recording 23 November 1995) (Angry Samoans cover)

Maxi CD single

1. "Big Me"
2. "Winnebago"
3. "How I Miss You" (features Dave Grohl's sister Lisa on bass[8] and Mike Nelson on drums)
4. "Podunk"
5. "Ozone" (Ace Frehley cover)
6. "For All the Cows" (live at the Reading Festival, August 26, 1995)
7. "Wattershed" (live at the Reading Festival, August 26, 1995)

3” Record Store Day 2019 Exclusive Single

1. ”Big Me”

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1996) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[12] 65 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] 15 Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[14] 5 European Hot 100 Singles (Music & Media)[15] 58 European Hit Radio Top 40 (Music & Media)[16] 27 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[17] 18 Ireland (IRMA)[18] 27 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[19] 19 UK Rock and Metal (Official Charts Company)[20] 1 US Radio Songs (Billboard)[21] 13 US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[22] 9 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[23] 3 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[24] 23 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[25] 11 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[26] 18

Year-end charts Chart (1996) Peak position US Alternative (Radio & Records)[27] 14

Other versions

• A version recorded at Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, Netherlands on November 22, 1999 for the RTL 5/Kink FM 2 Meter Sessions programme was released on the CD1 version of the "Next Year" single.
• An acoustic version recorded on August 2006 at Pantages Theatre was released on Skin and Bones.
• A version recorded at the Live Room of Studio 606 West in Northridge, Los Angeles on September 5, 2007 for Walmart's Soundcheck series was released on the Maxi CD version of the "Long Road to Ruin" single. A video version is available on the Soundcheck website.
• A Muzak version can be heard when Grohl first enters the elevator in the music video for "Monkey Wrench".

Covers

• The song was covered by Sahara Hotnights in 2009 on their album Sparks.
• After Weezer covered this song often during the 2005 Foozer tour, the band brought it back into their live lineup. It was played during the encore of their Echoes tour. An acoustic version of the song was released on the band's 2006 live CD, Skin and Bones. This version featured Dave singing the song with Petra Haden.
• Canadian singer Kate Rogers covered the song on her 2005 record Seconds.
• An easy listening version of the song by The Moog Cookbook was featured in the Grohl-directed video for their song "Monkey Wrench".[28]
• Mateo Messina composed an arrangement of the song for 2011 film Young Adult.

References

1. "Foo Fighters Play With Ben Kweller and Gary Clark Jr., Talk New Songs at Austin City Limits". 10 October 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
2. "REVIEW: Foo Fighters at Cubby Bear a back-to-roots moment for Dave Grohl". Retrieved January 31, 2017.
3. Law, Sam. "The 20 Greatest Foo Fighters Songs - Ranked". Kerrang. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
4. Foo Fighters - Big Me discogs.com. Retrieved 20 April, 2013.
5. Foo Fighters - Hot 100 Airplay Chart History billboard.com. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
6. Peretz Has Lighthearted Approach, Billboard
7. Foo Fighters Make 'Big', Fresh Clip, Billboard
8. Foo Fighters Dictionary
9. Q&A With Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, Associated Press
10. Don't Throw Mentos - Foo Fighters, Big Me Live
11. Iahn, Buddy. "Foo Fighters Headlining DirectTV Saturday Night". themusicuniverse.com. The Music Universe. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
12. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 21 Jul 1996". ARIA. Retrieved April 16, 2020 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The HP column displays the highest position.
13. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2990." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
14. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 9197." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. April 13, 1996. p. 23. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
16. "M & M Charts Airplay EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Music & Media. April 20, 1996. p. 28. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
17. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (4.5 '96 – 10.5 '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). May 4, 1996. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
18. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Big Me". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
19. "Foo Fighters: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
20. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
21. "Foo Fighters Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
22. "Foo Fighters Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
23. "Foo Fighters Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
24. "Foo Fighters Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
25. "Foo Fighters Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
26. "Foo Fighters Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
27. "Alternative 96 of 1996" (PDF). Radio & Records. Radio & Records. December 13, 1996. p. 104. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
28. "The Foo Fighters And The Moog Cookbook Find Love In An Elevator". Yahoo! Music. May 20, 1997. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2013.

External links

• Walmart Soundcheck - Foo Fighters