"Is She Really Going Out with Him?" is a song written and performed by British musician
Joe Jackson. It was released in October 1978 as his debut single and was later included on Jackson's debut album, ''
Look Sharp!'' The track was one of the first Jackson recorded with his new backing band, a band he would perform with for his first three albums. Written as a humorous commentary on women dating unattractive men, the song contains a prominent bass line and a chorus praised by critics as memorable. Jackson has since stated that the song's reputation for being angry was untrue.
On its initial release, the single was commercially unsuccessful and failed to chart. Two follow-up singles, "
Sunday Papers" and "
One More Time", were also chart failures. However, when "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" was rereleased in 1979 after Jackson's reputation and
new wave music
New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. La ...
grew in popularity, the single saw more attention and became a chart success. This second release reached the top 20 in the UK and top 30 in the US, becoming one of Jackson's highest charting singles worldwide.
Since then, the song has been praised as one of Jackson's greatest and most famous and has been covered by multiple artists. The song has appeared on several of Jackson's compilation albums and remains a staple of Jackson's live setlist. A live ''
a cappella'' version released in 1988 was a top five single in the Netherlands. It has been described as one of the classics of the new wave genre, though Jackson does not consider it his best song.
Background
"Is She Really Going Out with Him?" was one of the first songs
Joe Jackson recorded with the Joe Jackson Band, which included bassist
Graham Maby
Graham Maby (born 1 September 1952), is an English bass guitar player. He has recorded and toured with Joe Jackson since his first album, appearing on most of Jackson's albums and tours. He has continued to record and tour with Jackson even w ...
, guitarist Gary Sanford, and drummer Dave Houghton. The song was immediately popular with the band; Jackson recalled in his autobiography, "Everyone liked it. It was catchy, they said, and had the makings of a hit. I wouldn't know a hit, I protested, from a hole in my head. I liked all my songs, and if I'd written a hit it was by accident. But I appreciated the enthusiasm, and something else, too: a growing feeling that I was up to something". The final version of the song was recorded with American producer
David Kershenbaum
David Kershenbaum is an American record producer and entrepreneur, born in Springfield, Missouri. He has worked with many artists including Duran Duran, Tracy Chapman, Joe Jackson, Laura Branigan, Bryan Adams, Supertramp, Cat Stevens, Elkie Br ...
in August 1978 after Jackson was signed to
A&M Records
A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
.
According to Jackson, the song originated from when he heard the title. Jackson claimed that he had first heard it on a
song
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...
by
the Damned, who had gotten it from
the Shangri-Las
The Shangri-Las were an American pop girl group of the 1960s. Between 1964 and 1966 several hit songs of theirs documented teen tragedies and melodramas. They continue to be known for their hits "Remember (Walking in the Sand)", " Give Him a ...
' song, "
Leader of the Pack
"Leader of the Pack" is a song written by George "Shadow" Morton, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich. It was a number one pop hit in 1964 for the American girl group the Shangri-Las. The single is one of the group's best known songs as well as ...
". From there, he came up with the basis for lyrics for "a funny little song about watching couples and wondering what the girls could possibly see in the guys". Jackson recalled, "It wasn't based on a specific incident or anything like that ... I tried to write a funny song around that title, and that’s about all there was to it, really".
Though the song was written to be comical, it has been interpreted by some critics as angry, earning Jackson the tag of "angry young man".
He said of the song's origins in an interview:
In another interview, Jackson recalled another incident where the lyrics to the song were misinterpreted. He explained that he was accused of racism by a black man because of the song's opening lyric "Pretty women out walking with gorillas down my street", which the man had thought was about black men dating white women. Jackson concluded, "And no matter what I said he wouldn't believe me, and as far as he was concerned that was what it was. So, I mean, really, what can you do? (Laughs) I always feel like my lyrics are very clear, but what can I say?"
Music and lyrics
"Is She Really Going Out with Him?" has been described by critics as "snotty piano pop" and "the sound of New Wave boiled down into three minutes and 35 seconds."
The song contains a "soft seesaw rhythm of plunking guitar and bass"; the bass line, played by Jackson's longtime collaborator
Graham Maby
Graham Maby (born 1 September 1952), is an English bass guitar player. He has recorded and toured with Joe Jackson since his first album, appearing on most of Jackson's albums and tours. He has continued to record and tour with Jackson even w ...
, has seen praise from critics.
Steve Huey of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
praises the rhythm section's performance for "immediately setting a vibe of cool indignation".
The song's chorus, which has been described as "perfectly singable" and "strong and emotionally compelling", contains "clean guitars and tight bass and drum groove" accompanied by Jackson's "lush vocals".
The song's bridge is more piano-based, showing what Huey describes as "a glimpse of Jackson jazz training".
Lyrically, the song contains a "string of priceless quips" about "boy/girl laws of attraction"; the opening lyric, "Pretty women out walking with gorillas down my street", has been highlighted by Huey.
Huey also praises Jackson for "capturing mood and meaning through minor detail" in lyrics like "From my window I'm staring while my coffee goes cold / Look over there (where?) / There, there's a lady that I used to know / She's married now or engaged or something so I am told".
In a
call and response
Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of ...
, Jackson says "Look over there" and the band responds "Where?"; in live shows, the audience calls often provides the response, which Sarah Larson of ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' recalled made Jackson laugh during a performance.
Release
"Is She Really Going Out with Him?" was initially released as a single in October 1978 with "You Got the Fever" as the B-side.
The American single release instead included "(Do the) Instant Mash".
This release of the single was unsuccessful on the charts, failing to reach the top 100 in either the UK or the US. Two follow-up singles, "
Sunday Papers" and "
One More Time", were released, but neither charted. However, when the ''Look Sharp!'' album began to gain notoriety and British new wave music grew more popular in the United States, a reissue of the single was released in July 1979 with the new catalogue number AMS 7459.
The new release of the single saw much greater success than the initial pressing, reaching number 13 in Britain and number 21 in America.
"Is She Really Going Out with Him?" was also a chart success in other nations, reaching the top 10 in Ireland and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and the top 20 in
Australia and New Zealand.
A live ''
a cappella'' version reached number three on the
Dutch Top 40 and number 17 in Belgium.
Since its release, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" has appeared on compilation albums such as ''
Stepping Out: The Very Best of Joe Jackson'', ''
Joe Jackson - Greatest Hits'', and ''
This Is It! (The A&M Years 1979–1989)''.
The song was also used in the 1998 romantic
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
''
There's Something About Mary
''There's Something About Mary'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly. It stars Cameron Diaz as the title character with Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, Lee Evans, and Chris Elliott all playing men w ...
''.
Critical reception and legacy
"Is She Really Going Out with Him?" saw positive reception during the time of its initial release; Geoffrey Himes of ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' called the song "prime New Wave material" and "one of the best reasons for flipping on the car radio this summer".
''
Cash Box'' said that it has "a pop-reggae beat, accentuated by the steady bass line, bursting into a catchy pop chorus" and uses minimal instrumentation.
Since then, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" has been recognized as a classic of
new wave.
Sarah Larson of ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' called the song one of Jackson's "brilliantly agitated New Wave masterworks", while an author for ''
Billboard'' dubbed the song one of Jackson's "classics" and "old favorites".
''
Paste Magazine
''Paste'' is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with studios in Atlanta and Manhattan, and owned by Paste Media Group. The magazine began as a website in 1998. It ran as a print publication fro ...
'' also praised the song, saying, "Only Joe Jackson could turn a song so self-deprecating and sarcastic into something so peppy and upbeat".
AllMusic's Huey praised the song's "caustic yet charming witticisms", while the same website's Tom Maginnis called it "the lead salvo from one of the stand out albums of the late 70's New Wave/Pop era".
Dave Lifton of ''
Ultimate Classic Rock
Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wi ...
'' ranked the song Jackson's second best, highlighting the song's bass line, chorus, and call-and-response.
The song has been described by critics as one of Jackson's most remembered tracks; ''Paste'' described the song as "the song Jackson is most remembered for", Maginnis called it "the track that put Joe Jackson on the musical map", and Lifton said it has "proven to be his best-known song".
Jackson later wrote, "People still occasionally tell me that this song is the best thing I've ever done. I'm certainly not ashamed of it, and I thank them, but I have to admit I sincerely hope they're not right". In another interview, Jackson said of "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" and his 1982 hit "
Steppin' Out", "I wrote them, so I'm biased, and I think they're pretty good. Those songs have been around for so long, and I've played them so many times, it's almost like doing a cover version by some guy I used to know".
When asked if audiences at his concerts interrupt to ask for "Is She Really Going Out with Him?", Jackson said, "I mean, that never really happens. I always play it anyway. It's fine with me. You always get a reaction for the best-known songs — that's obvious".
Live performances
"Is She Really Going Out with Him?" has been a mainstay of Jackson's live setlist since its release. Like many of Jackson's songs, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" has been rearranged in live concerts to align with Jackson's shifting musical interests.
These reworkings include an acoustic rendition and an ''a cappella''
doo-wop version, performances of which have both been released on ''
Live 1980/86
''Live 1980/86'' is a Joe Jackson double live album, released in May 1988. It was recorded during the 1980 ''Beat Crazy'' tour, the 1982-83 '' Night and Day'' tour, the 1984 '' Body & Soul'' tour, and the 1986 '' Big World'' tour. Notably, ...
''.
An a cappella version of "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" was released as a single in 1988 in some European countries.
Jackson attributes this tendency to rework his songs to jazz musician
Duke Ellington, a musical idol of Jackson's for whom Jackson released a tribute album titled ''
The Duke'' in 2012; he explained in an interview, "I was ... inspired by Ellington's own philosophy, which he thought the same way about his music – he constantly rearranged and reinvented his own compositions. Sometimes in quite radical ways".
A live version of "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" recorded at the
Hammersmith Palais
The Hammersmith Palais de Danse, in its last years simply named Hammersmith Palais, was a dance hall and entertainment venue in Hammersmith, London, England that operated from 1919 until 2007. It was the first ''palais de danse'' to b ...
appeared as the B-side on Jackson's 1981 "
Beat Crazy
''Beat Crazy'' is the third album by Joe Jackson, released in October 1980 and credited to the Joe Jackson Band. It was a relative disappointment commercially, peaking outside the Top 40 in both the UK and the United States, with its singles ...
" single. Other live renditions have appeared on ''
Two Rainy Nights'', ''
Live in Germany 1980'', and ''
Live at Rockpalast''.
Another live version of the song was released on a bonus CD for Jackson's 2003 album ''
Volume 4'', performed by a reunited Joe Jackson Band; this reunited lineup also performed the song live on ''
Later... with Jools Holland'' in 2003.
Personnel
*
Joe Jackson – vocals, piano
* Gary Sanford – guitar
*
Graham Maby
Graham Maby (born 1 September 1952), is an English bass guitar player. He has recorded and toured with Joe Jackson since his first album, appearing on most of Jackson's albums and tours. He has continued to record and tour with Jackson even w ...
– bass
* David Houghton – drums
Personnel per ''Look Sharp!'' liner notes.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Cover versions
American ska punk band
Goldfinger included a recording of "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" on their 1998 cover album ''Darrin's Coconut Ass: Live from Omaha''.
Despite the name of the album, this version of the song is an in-studio recording, like all the others on the album.
American alternative rock band
Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray is an American rock band formed in Newport Beach, California, in 1986. Originally playing heavier funk metal and nu metal style music, the band achieved mainstream popularity in 1997 with their more pop-influenced single "Fly". The ...
recorded a cover of "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" on their album ''
In the Pursuit of Leisure
''In the Pursuit of Leisure'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band Sugar Ray, released in 2003. Singer-songwriter Esthero and reggae singer Shaggy both make guest appearances.
It features the single " Mr. Bartender (It's So Easy)", a ...
''.
This version reached number 19 on the US ''Billboard''
Adult Top 40 Tracks and was used as the theme for the short-lived sitcom ''
I'm with Her''.
Chuck Taylor of ''
Billboard'' reviewed the song favourably, saying that McGrath "infuses it with his consistently likeable brand of hand-waving posturing", though Will Levith of ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' named the song one of the worst covers ever released and said "the song just misses the heart and soul of the original completely".
Australian
pop punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other p ...
band
Kid Courageous
Kid Courageous was a pop punk band from Australia. The band consists of Mick Anderson (lead vocals, piano), Huw Griffiths (guitar, vocals), Patrick Ricapito (lead guitar), Richie Newman (drums) and Dave Simon (bass guitar). All five members of ...
released a version of the song as the first single from their album ''
Dear Diary'', reaching number 25 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart.
Comedic ''a cappella'' singing group
Da Vinci's Notebook also recorded a cover of the song, which appeared on their album ''The Life and Times of Mike Manning''.
The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs (, also known as The Saboteurs in Australia) is an American rock band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 2005. The band consists of Jack White (vocals, guitar), Brendan Benson (vocals, guitar), Jack Lawrence (bass guitar), and ...
' 2006 song "
Steady, As She Goes" has been compared by some critics to "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" for its similar-sounding bass line.
Leah Greenblatt of ''Entertainment Weekly'' compared the two songs and declared "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" to be the better song, saying, Steady' proves
White">ackWhite's non-
Stripes
Stripe, striped, or stripes may refer to:
Decorations
*Stripe (pattern), a line or band that differs in colour or tone from an adjacent surface
*Racing stripe, a vehicle decoration
*Service stripe, a decoration of the U.S. military
Entertainment
...
chops (he's not allergic to bass after all!), but Jackson's track is a stone classic".
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Joe Jackson (musician) songs
1978 debut singles
1978 songs
2003 singles
2005 singles
A&M Records singles
British pop rock songs
Kid Courageous songs
Song recordings produced by David Kershenbaum
Songs written by Joe Jackson (musician)
Sugar Ray songs