Nookie (Limp Bizkit song)

Last updated
"Nookie"
LBnookie.jpg
Single by Limp Bizkit
from the album Significant Other
ReleasedJune 15, 1999
Recorded1998
Genre
Length
  • 4:50(album version)
  • 4:26 (single version)
Label
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s) Fred Durst
Producer(s)
Limp Bizkit singles chronology
"Faith"
(1998)
"Nookie"
(1999)
"Re-Arranged"
(1999)

"Nookie" is a song by the American rap rock band Limp Bizkit, released on June 15, 1999 as the lead single from their second album Significant Other . [5]

Contents

Lyrics and background

In a 2008 interview with British rock magazine Kerrang , guitarist Wes Borland said the following about how the lyrical content turned out: "The music was cool, but I didn't like the lyrics at all. The funny thing is that Nookie was actually the working title. When we were in the studio there was a porn magazine that had the word 'nookie' on the cover, so I was like, 'This song's called Nookie!', I never thought someone would actually run with it. I suppose it's all my fault." [6]

Fred Durst said about the song, "It's about my ex-girlfriend, how she treated me like shit, and I couldn't leave her, wouldn't get over it," he said. "She screwed my friends and used me for my money. I tried to figure out why I did it, and I figured I did it all for the nookie." [7]

Music video

In the music video, filmed in Long Island City, [8] [6] Durst sings the song while walking through city streets drawing a crowd of female followers as he leads them to a secret concert performance of the song in an alley. The band allowed hundreds of fans to participate, playing the song in front of the large crowd. All the guys went to one side of the stage, and the girls on the other side. When Durst sang the chorus at certain parts, he would hold out his microphone to the crowd, getting that particular side to sing. This was, according to Durst, to show that "guys go off hard, but girls go off even harder". At the end of the video, Durst gets arrested and taken away by the police for disturbing the peace. [9]

Track listing

  1. "Nookie" – 4:28
  2. "Counterfeit" (Lethal Dose Remix) – 3:21
  3. "Counterfeit" (Phat Ass Remix) – 3:05
  4. "Nookie" (video)
  5. "Faith" (video)

Commercial performance

"Nookie" made Limp Bizkit extremely popular, [10] helping its parent album Significant Other become certified 7× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [11] It was their first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at number 80 on July 31, 1999 and staying on the chart for 11 weeks. [12] It also went to number 74 on the Radio Songs chart, [12] number six on the Mainstream Rock chart, [12] and number three on the Alternative Songs chart. [12] The song's music video went to number one on MTV's Total Request Live six times during late July and August of 1999. [13] "Nookie" was also the band's first single to chart internationally, reaching #13 in Australia, #33 in New Zealand, and #36 in the Netherlands.

The song gained Limp Bizkit its first Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance, which it lost to Metallica's "Whiskey In The Jar".

Reception

Pharrell Williams, while recording N.E.R.D.'s 2008 album Seeing Sounds, cited this song as part of the band's incentive and drive to record more energetic music, noting it as the last energetic hit single before the album's release. [14] According to Stereogum, "aside from the infantile lyrics, the awful rapping, and the yelling, it’s really not that bad of a song". [15] Author Dave Holmes wrote that "Nookie" is "terrible, yet the kids ate it up". [16] In 2022, Louder Sound and Kerrang ranked the song number two and number three, respectively, on their lists of Limp Bizkit's greatest songs. [17] [18]

Charts

Charts (1999)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [19] 13
El Salvador (Notimex) [20] 5
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [21] 36
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [22] 33
US Billboard Hot 100 [23] 80
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [24] 3
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [25] 6

Citations

  1. Young, Chris (May 27, 2013). "Faithful Limp Bizkit fans pack the Observatory". Orange County Register . Retrieved November 19, 2014. Released the summer before Y2K, that band's sophomore album Significant Other dominated modern-rock airwaves with instant nu-metal anthems like "Nookie" and "Break Stuff".
  2. Grierson, Tim. "Top 10 Essential Rap-Rock Songs". About.com . Archived from the original on March 27, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  3. Rosenblatt, Josh (August 22, 2008). "The Longshots". The Austin Chronicle .
  4. "Nookie". AllMusic. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  5. "Nookie - Limp Bizkit". AllMusic . Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "A Deep Dive Into The Music Video For Limp Bizkit's Nookie". Kerrang!. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  7. Teri vanHorn (June 22, 1999). "Limp Bizkit Score With 'Nookie' From Significant Other". MTV. Archived from the original on December 29, 2015. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  8. Carlson, Jen (2015-08-19). "The Worst Times NYC Was Featured In A Music Video, Ranked". Gothamist. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  9. Devenish 2000.
  10. Bush, John. "Limp Bizkit | Biography & History". AllMusic .
  11. "American album certifications – Limp Bizkit – Significant Other". Recording Industry Association of America.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Limp Bizkit". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  13. "Inside Total Request Live | Merchants Of Cool | FRONTLINE | PBS". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  14. Micallef, Ken (2008-06-01). "N.E.R.D - Old Money, New Money". Remix Magazine . Primedia Business Magazines & Media. Archived from the original on 2008-09-21. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
  15. "Video Hangover: Limp Bizkit – "Nookie"". Stereogum. 2007-08-07. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  16. Holmes 2016, p. 182.
  17. Hobson, Rich (February 7, 2022). "The 25 best Limp Bizkit songs ever". Louder Sound . Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  18. "The 20 greatest Limp Bizkit songs – ranked". Kerrang . August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  19. "Limp Bizkit – Nookie". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  20. "Britney Spears se coloca entre las más escuchadas". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). October 17, 1999. p. 88. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  21. "Limp Bizkit – Nookie" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  22. "Limp Bizkit – Nookie". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  23. "Limp Bizkit Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  24. "Limp Bizkit Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  25. "Limp Bizkit Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2021.

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limp Bizkit</span> American nu metal band

Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's musical style is marked by Durst's angry vocal delivery and Borland's sonic experimentation. Borland's elaborate visual appearance, which includes face and body paint, masks, and uniforms, also plays a large role in Limp Bizkit's live shows. The band has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, sold 40 million records worldwide, and won several other awards.

Nu metal is a subgenre of alternative metal that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu metal rarely features guitar solos or other displays of musical technique, and emphasizes rhythm with instrumentation that is heavily syncopated. Nu metal guitarists typically use seven-string guitars that are down-tuned to produce a heavier sound. Vocal styles are often rhythmic and influenced by hip hop, and include singing, rapping, screaming and sometimes growling. DJs are occasionally featured to provide instrumentation such as sampling, turntable scratching and electronic background music. Nu metal is one of the key genres of the new wave of American heavy metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Durst</span> American musician (born 1970)

William Frederick Durst is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and director. He is the frontman and lyricist of the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, formed in 1994, with whom he has released six studio albums.

<i>Results May Vary</i> 2003 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Results May Vary is the fourth studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released on September 23, 2003, through Flip and Interscope Records. It is the band's only release under the sole-leadership of vocalist Fred Durst after the temporary departure of guitarist Wes Borland, who left in 2001. Guitarist Mike Smith of Snot was brought in to replace Borland, although his time with the band was brief, and Durst along with a number of guests ended up handling the majority of the album's guitar work.

<i>Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water</i> 2000 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water is the third studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit. Released a year after the success of Significant Other; the album saw the band attempt to capitalize on their newfound mainstream success. It was released on October 17, 2000, through Flip and Interscope Records, setting a record for the fastest selling rock album upon release at the time. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart in the United States, selling 1,054,511 copies in its first week alone. The album ultimately sold over 6.7 million copies in the United States alone as it would also go onto receive platinum certification in 13 countries, selling a further 10 million copies worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rap rock</span> Music genre combining hip hop and rock

Rap rock is a music genre that developed from the early to mid-1980s, when hip hop DJs incorporated rock records into their routines and rappers began incorporating original and sampled rock instrumentation into hip hop music. Rap rock is considered to be rock music in which lyrics are rapped, rather than sung. The genre achieved its greatest success in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

<i>New Old Songs</i> 2001 remix album by Limp Bizkit

New Old Songs is the only remix album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit. Released on December 4, 2001, the album contains hip hop remixes of songs from the band's first three studio albums Three Dollar Bill, Y’all (1997),Significant Other (1999), and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000). It is also the sixteenth best-selling remix album of all time.

<i>Significant Other</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Significant Other is the second studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit. It was released on June 22, 1999, through Flip and Interscope Records. It saw the band expand their sound from that of their 1997 debut Three Dollar Bill, Y'all to incorporate further metal and hip hop influences, but with a more melodic and less hardcore punk-influenced sound.

<i>Three Dollar Bill, Yall</i> 1997 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Three Dollar Bill, Y'all is the debut studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released on July 1, 1997, through Flip and Interscope Records. It established the band's trademark sound with the singles "Counterfeit", which was influenced by hip hop and heavy metal, and "Faith", a cover of the 1987 song of the same name by George Michael. Limp Bizkit's rearrangement of the song incorporated scratching by DJ Lethal and heavier guitar playing by Wes Borland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boiler (song)</span> 2001 single by Limp Bizkit

"Boiler" is a song by the American rap rock band Limp Bizkit. It was released in July 2001 as the fifth and final single from their third studio album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. Guitar World described the song as "an old-school, L.L. Cool J.-style rap ballad".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Way (Limp Bizkit song)</span> 2001 single by Limp Bizkit

"My Way" is a song by American band Limp Bizkit from their third studio album, Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000). It was the fourth single released from the album. It features a prominent sample from Eric B. and Rakim's "My Melody."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Generation (Limp Bizkit song)</span> 2000 single by Limp Bizkit

"My Generation" is a song by the American rap rock band Limp Bizkit from their third studio album, Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000). It was released as the second and third single simultaneously, along with "Rollin'", on September 5, 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rollin' (Limp Bizkit song)</span> 2000 single by Limp Bizkit

"Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" is a song by the American rap rock band Limp Bizkit from their album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. It was released as the second and third single simultaneously, along with "My Generation", on September 5, 2000. The song peaked at number 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100, giving the band their highest-charting single in the US, and remained on the chart for 17 weeks. Internationally, "Rollin'" topped the charts in Ireland and the United Kingdom and peaked within the top 10 of the charts in Austria, Finland, Germany, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Re-Arranged</span> 1999 single by Limp Bizkit

"Re-Arranged" is a song by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit. It was released on October 12, 1999, as the second single from their second album, Significant Other. It was the band's only number one single on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Break Stuff</span> 2000 single by Limp Bizkit

"Break Stuff" is a song by American rap rock band Limp Bizkit, released on May 2, 2000, as the fourth and final single from their second studio album Significant Other (1999). The song was released alongside "N 2 Gether Now", and has remained a staple of Limp Bizkit's live shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">N 2 Gether Now</span> 1999 single by Limp Bizkit

"N 2 Gether Now" is a hip hop song by the American band Limp Bizkit and the rapper Method Man. It was the third single released from their second studio album, Significant Other. The single was released with their last single "Break Stuff". The song does not include the instrumentalist members Sam Rivers and Wes Borland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Counterfeit (song)</span> 1997 single by Limp Bizkit

"Counterfeit" is the debut single by American rap rock band Limp Bizkit, released in August 1997. It is from their debut album Three Dollar Bill, Y'all (1997). Notable for showcasing guitarist Wes Borland's experimental playing style, the song was written by Borland, DJ Lethal, Fred Durst, John Otto and Sam Rivers as a response to local bands that copied Limp Bizkit's style.

<i>Rock im Park 2001</i> 2008 video by Limp Bizkit

Rock im Park 2001 is a live album and DVD by the American rap rock band Limp Bizkit. Released in 2008, it features a performance from June 1, 2001, by the band at the Rock im Park festival in Nuremberg, Germany. In the UK, it was released as an album with a bonus DVD containing video of the performance, while the video was solely released as a DVD in the United States.

<i>Collected</i> (Limp Bizkit album) 2008 compilation album by Limp Bizkit

Collected is the second compilation album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit. Released in 2008, it a retrospective compilation album from the band's albums Three Dollar Bill, Yall$, Significant Other, Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, Results May Vary and The Unquestionable Truth .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ready to Go (Limp Bizkit song)</span> 2013 single by Limp Bizkit featuring Lil Wayne

"Ready to Go" is a song by the American rap rock band Limp Bizkit. The single features rapper and then label-mate Lil Wayne and is produced by Polow Da Don. The single is Limp Bizkit's first release for Cash Money Records after their departure from Interscope in 2011. The song was released in March 2013 as a free download on the band's website and, on April 16, as a digital single on iTunes and Amazon.