I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)
"I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker " is the debut single by Scottish singer-songwriter Sandi Thom. The song was written by Thom and Tom Gilbert.
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?"
Music video
The music video was shot in Bethnal Green in London.
Chart performance
The song was released in October 2005 by Viking Legacy Records, reaching number 55 in the UK Singles Chart. It was re-released in May 2006 on Sony'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 1 week at the top spot and went on to be the UK's fifth best selling single of the year. The single also spent 5 weeks at number 1 in her native Scotland. Also successful in Australia, it was on the ARIA Charts for ten weeks at number-one, and finished the year as the country's highest-selling single. It also received a 2× Platinum certification from the ARIA.
Release format
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" vinyl record backed with Stranglers cover "No More Heroes". The song was nominated for "Record of the Year", but lost to "Patience" by Take That.
Criticism
Thom has been the subject of criticism by many artists within the recording world, most notably from 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, for having flowers in her hair. I haven't found anyone who's told me they like that song and bought it." Charlie Brooker also heavily criticised the intense public relations efforts to make the single popular.
