"The Walker" is a song by the American
neo soul band
Fitz and the Tantrums. It is the second single from the band's second album ''
More Than Just a Dream''. The song was used in two scenes of the film ''
Identity Thief'', the trailers for the films ''
The Boxtrolls'' and ''
Storks'', in the trailer for video game ''
The Sims 4'', in television commercials for the
86th Academy Awards
The 86th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2013 and took place on March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. ...
that were hosted by
Ellen DeGeneres, in the
2014 Major League Baseball postseason and in commercials for
Sprite,
Supercuts
Supercuts is a hair salon franchise with more than 2,400 locations across the United States. The company was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1975, by Geoffrey M. Rappaport and Frank E. Emmett. The company's first location was in Albany, ...
,
Reebok ZQuick and
Walmart.
From 2014 until the end of the 2017 season, the song was used as the opening theme to the
MLB Network show ''High Heat'', hosted by
Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo. The song is also featured in the pilot episode of the FOX television sitcom ''
Grandfathered'' as well as the Netflix original series ''
The Umbrella Academy''. It has also been used in the soundtrack of the video game ''
NBA 2K18''.
Music video
The video, directed by Warren Kommers, centers around an
everyman protagonist (played by Arne Gjelten) who is waiting in line outside the
DMV in the sweltering summer heat (band members
Michael Fitzpatrick and
Noelle Scaggs are also seen in line). Looking increasingly agitated, he suddenly jumps out of line and begins dancing and gesturing his frustration, before storming off. The man is shown walking through the streets of
Los Angeles to the beat of the song, occasionally with passerby joining in dance routines with him, and all showing similar frustrated body language and facial expressions.
The protagonist engages in other expressions of anger like punching a chunk out of a cement building, getting in an argument with a police officer who tries to ticket him for
jaywalking, walking over an occupied car and dancing on the roof, kicking a
boot
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is cle ...
off a car, bending a ''No Parking'' sign in half, and shouting to the sky in a dead-end alleyway. He finally returns to the DMV where he and all the other customers perform another dance routine. The video closes with the man suddenly back in line, implying the entire sequence occurred in his imagination.
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
Fitz and The Tantrums songs
2013 songs
2013 singles
Elektra Records singles
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