Volvo Driving Soccer Mom

Last updated
"Volvo Driving Soccer Mom"
Volvo soccer mom.jpg
Single by Everclear
from the album Slow Motion Daydream
ReleasedJanuary 14, 2003
Genre Alternative rock, pop rock, grunge
Length3:13
Songwriter(s) Art Alexakis, Greg Eklund, Craig Montoya
Producer(s) Art Alexakis, Lars Fox
Everclear singles chronology
"Out of My Depth"
(2001)
"Volvo Driving Soccer Mom"
(2003)
"The New York Times"
(2003)
Music video
"Volvo Driving Soccer Mom" on YouTube

"Volvo-Driving Soccer Mom" is a song by the alternative rock band Everclear, from their album Slow Motion Daydream (2003). The song was performed by Everclear lead singer Art Alexakis during his solo tour and was made the first single off Slow Motion Daydream.

Contents

Content

The song is about girls who use drugs and are sexually promiscuous in high school and college, but later grow up to be more conservative, suburban housewives when they decide it will be to their advantage. The lyrics allude to having a threesome and being busted for possession in the earlier part of the song, and describes the subjects' lives later on as "blonde, bland, middle-class Republican lives".

In an October 2003 interview with Songfacts, Alexakis explained the inspiration for "Volvo Driving Soccer Mom":

This is a song about definitions, about being defined by people, allowing yourself to be defined by other people's standards. It's very junior-high to be able to say 'that person's this, that person's a slut, that person's that.' It's understandable in junior high school, it's just unacceptable in your 20s, 30s, and 40s. People doing it is not right, so it's kind of poking fun at them and people who allow it to happen to them. Who cares if you're a porn star? Who cares if you're a stripper. Who cares if you have a bunch of tattoos? What matters is, are you a good person? Do you pay your taxes? Are you good to your kids? Are you a good neighbor? Nothing else should matter to anybody else. What people do in their own life, if it doesn't hurt other people, should not matter. [1]

Music video

The video for the song features the story of a blonde wild child and former stripper who grows up to become a Volvo-driving soccer mom just like the song describes. In the video, scenes from her "checkered" past are intercut with scenes from her present life as a housewife to highlight the differences between the two. The video also features scenes of Everclear performing the song at a house party.

Australian CD single

  1. "Volvo Driving Soccer Mom"
  2. "Your New Disease"
  3. "Happy"

Charts

Chart (2003)Peak
position
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [2] 30

See also

Related Research Articles

Everclear (band) American alternative rock band

Everclear is an American rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1991. The band was formed by Art Alexakis, the band's lead songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist; and for most of the band's height of popularity, consisted of Craig Montoya on bass guitar and Greg Eklund on drums. After the limited release of their independently released debut album, World of Noise, the band found success with their first three albums on Capitol Records: Sparkle and Fade, So Much for the Afterglow, and Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile, which were all certified platinum in sales. However, the following two albums Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude and Slow Motion Daydream, were not as well received, and as sales suffered, Montoya and Eklund left the band shortly after in 2003.

<i>Slow Motion Daydream</i> 2003 studio album by Everclear

Slow Motion Daydream is the sixth studio album by Everclear. It was released in the U.S. in 2003 on Capitol Records and recorded in 2002.

Art Alexakis American musician

Arthur Paul Alexakis is an American musician best known as the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the rock band Everclear. He has been a member of several notable bands, in addition to his own work as a songwriter for other artists. Alexakis founded several record labels throughout his career, and worked as an A&R representative for major record labels between and during his own musical projects. Later he became a political activist, and lobbied for special concerns which included drug awareness policies, and support of the families of the military.

<i>World of Noise</i> 1993 studio album by Everclear

World of Noise is the debut album recorded by the band Everclear. It was recorded in a friend's basement for $400 with Art Alexakis on vocals/lead guitar, Craig Montoya on bass, Scott Cuthbert on drums and was released in 1993 by Tim Kerr Records.

<i>So Much for the Afterglow</i> 1997 studio album by Everclear

So Much for the Afterglow is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Everclear, released on October 7, 1997. It contained the singles "Everything to Everyone", "I Will Buy You a New Life", "Father of Mine", "So Much for the Afterglow", and "One Hit Wonder". "Everything to Everyone", "I Will Buy You A New Life" and "Father of Mine," received heavy rotation on MTV's Total Request Live and launched Everclear into mainstream popularity in the late-90s. So Much for the Afterglow provided Everclear with their only Grammy nomination to date, a Best Rock Instrumental nod in 1998 for "El Distorto de Melodica."

<i>Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994–2004</i> 2004 greatest hits album by Everclear

Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994–2004 is a 'Best of' album by Everclear. It was released on October 5, 2004. It includes tracks from all of their albums up to 2003, as well as two tracks not previously released on any album. "The New Disease" was previously released on a "Volvo Driving Soccer Mom" CD single, and "Sex With a Movie Star " did not appear anywhere else.

<i>Duran Duran</i> (1983 video) 1983 video compilation by Duran Duran

Duran Duran is a video compilation and is sometimes unofficially referred to in print as the Duran Duran video album or Duran Duran: The First 11 Videos. This pioneering video album won a 1984 Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video. It was certified Gold by the RIAA.

AM Radio (song) 2000 single by Everclear

"AM Radio" is a song by American rock band Everclear from their fourth album, Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile (2000). The song was released as the second single from the album on August 22, 2000 and failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number one on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

Dare to Be Stupid (song) 1985 "Weird Al" Yankovic song

"Dare to Be Stupid" is an original song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a musical pastiche of the band Devo.

<i>Welcome to the Drama Club</i> 2006 studio album by Everclear

Welcome to the Drama Club is the seventh studio album from rock band Everclear. It was released on September 12, 2006 by Eleven Seven Music. It was the first album to include the new line-up of Everclear, established following the departure of Craig Montoya and Greg Eklund after Everclear's previous album, Slow Motion Daydream. It was also the first album since Everclear's departure from Capitol Records.

"Father of Mine" is a rock song by the band Everclear from the 1997 album So Much for the Afterglow. This song is autobiographical, as lead singer Art Alexakis's father left his family when he was a young boy. "Father of Mine" was the third top-five Modern Rock Tracks single from So Much for the Afterglow, peaking at number four, it also hit number 23 and 24 on the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40 charts. This song is also recorded in a radio mix, which can be heard on Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994-2004.

Wonderful (Everclear song) 2000 song by Everclear

"Wonderful" is a song by the band Everclear, released as the first single from their fourth studio album, Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile (2000), on May 22, 2000. It reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's only top-40 hit on the Hot 100. Outside the United States, the song reached number 12 in Iceland, number 13 in Canada, number 21 in New Zealand, number 36 in the United Kingdom, and number 38 in Australia. In Canada, the song reached number one on the RPM Top 30 Rock Report.

Wrapped Around Your Finger 1983 single by The Police

"Wrapped Around Your Finger" is the second UK single from the Police's 1983 album Synchronicity. Written by Sting, it was released worldwide by A&M Records and featured the non-album track "Someone to Talk To" as a B-side in the UK, while a live version of "Tea in the Sahara" was the US B-side.

Everything to Everyone (song) 1997 single by Everclear

"Everything to Everyone" is a song by American alternative rock band Everclear, released as the first single off their album So Much for the Afterglow (1997). It was commercially successful, topping the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in December 1997. It also hit No. 15 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and No. 43 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, as chart rules at the time prevented it from reaching the main Hot 100 listing.

Let Me Be Myself 2008 single by 3 Doors Down

"Let Me Be Myself" is the second main single by rock band 3 Doors Down from their eponymous fourth studio album. The song was released on December 2, 2008. The song is a power ballad, similar to previous hits by the band, "Be Like That" and "Here Without You".

I Will Buy You a New Life 1997 single by Everclear

"I Will Buy You a New Life" is a rock song by American rock band Everclear from their third studio album, So Much for the Afterglow (1997). The song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, number 20 on the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart, and number 31 on the Billboard Top 40 Mainstream chart. In Canada, the song peaked at number 49 on the RPM Top Singles chart and number one on the RPM Alternative 30 chart.

Everclear discography

The discography of the American rock band Everclear consists of nine studio albums, six compilation albums, five extended plays, and twenty-four singles. Their first studio album, World of Noise, was released in 1993 and did not chart. Their second, 1995's Sparkle and Fade, peaked at number 25 in the United States and went platinum in both the US and Canada. Four singles were released from the album, including "Santa Monica", which reached number one on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

Mr. Wrong (song) 2011 single by Mary J. Blige featuring Drake

"Mr. Wrong" is a song taken from American R&B singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige's album My Life II... The Journey Continues . It features rapper, Drake. The song was produced by Jim Jonsin and Rico Love. It was released as the album's second official single on October 28, 2011.

Tragedys a Comin 2011 single by Primus

"Tragedy's a' Comin'" is the first single from Green Naugahyde, the seventh studio album by rock band Primus. It marked the band's first new material since 2003's Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People EP. It is their first single in 12 years.

References

  1. "Art Alexakis of Everclear". Songfacts. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  2. "Everclear Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2021.