I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)


"I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker " is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Sandi Thom, released as her debut single in October 2005. The song was written by Thom and Tom Gilbert. Following a re-release in 2006, the song topped the singles charts of Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. However, critical reaction to the song was largely negative, especially regarding the lyrics.
WWW sandithom.com

Inspiration

Thom has said on her website that she wrote the song after being robbed of her mobile phone and other belongings one evening, leaving her completely lost and without any way of contacting her family, friends, or the bank. She says, "I wondered if that had happened to me back in the days of the hippies what would I have done and would I have freaked out so much?"

Release

Although only physically released in the United Kingdom on 22 May 2006, download sales the week before are counted for the purpose of charts, and it achieved number fifteen on this basis in the general charts. The physical release had three formats: two CD versions, and also as a 7-inch vinyl record backed with Stranglers cover "No More Heroes".

Critical reception

Most reviews of the song were negative. For AllMusic, Thom Jurek called the song "a hopelessly naïve, cleverly worded musical ditty that is reminiscent of something used to sell European automobiles." Brooker also added: "It's not 'art', it's 'content'." Virgin Media was even more harsh, describing the song as "dreary rose-tinted drivel sung by a girl with a voice like wind billowing up an old drainpipe." In 2017, NME named the song among the worst of the 2000s: "...had this song not existed within a viral fad, literally nobody would care." NME also responded to the song title: "...Johnny Rotten wouldn’t be seen dead with flowers in his hair."
For Yahoo! Music, Dan Gennoe had a more positive review of the song, calling it "a cunningly perfect piece of pop." Similarly, RTÉ music critic Linda McGee defended Thom against popular backlash: "...truth be known, there aren't many of us who haven't wished that we could be transported to another time or place at some point in our lives." Andy Gill of The Independent said the song was "original enough to merit its success, but hardly enough to carry an entire album". In the 2006 Record of the Year online poll, "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker" finished eighth out of 10 nominees.
Thom was criticized by several recording artists, including Lily Allen, the Fratellis, and the Automatic. James Frost and Robin Hawkins from the Automatic stated that "If she was a punk rocker with flowers in her hair she'd get the shit kicked out of her by other punk rockers."

Chart performance

The song was released on 3 October 2005 by Viking Legacy Records, reaching number 55 in the UK Singles Chart. It was re-released in May 2006 on Sony BMG's RCA Records label, selling 39,797 copies in the week ending 3 June 2006, enough to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart, replacing Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" following a nine-week run. It spent one week at the top spot and went on to be the UK's fifth-best-selling single of the year. The single also spent 10 weeks at number one in Australia, where it finished the year as the country's highest-selling single. It received a double platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association.

Music video

The music video was shot in Bethnal Green in London and is all one shot.

Track listings

UK CD1
  1. "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker " – 2:30
  2. "Little Remedy" – 3:01
UK CD2
  1. "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker " – 2:30
  2. "Something in the Air" – 4:15
  3. "No More Heroes" – 2:46
  4. "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker "
UK 7-inch single
UK CD1
  1. "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker " – 2:31
  2. "A Light as Bright as Ours" – 3:55
UK CD2 and Australian CD single
  1. "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker " – 2:33
  2. "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker " – 2:31
  3. "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker " – 3:02
  4. "May You Never" – 3:45
  5. "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker " – 2:39
European CD single
  1. "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker " – 2:31
  2. "A Light as Bright as Ours" – 3:55
  3. "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker " – 3:04

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
France 64