Instrumental Fatboy Slim

May 23, 2004 8:57 PM

Settle an argument, please. Spike Jonze directed a music video of Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice, featuring Christoper Walken as the droll businessman dancing through and around a huge hotel lobby. In the version available online at Astralwerks Records' site (scroll halfway down page; available in Real and Windows Media), the soundtrack includes vocals, as on the album. Now the question: has anybody (other than me...) seen this video with an instrumental soundtrack instead? I swear this version exists, I even recall wondering where the title Weapon of Choice had come from in lieu of any vocal clues. Sound familiar? Sound like I'm just nuts? TIA for any enlightenment on this obviously earth-shattering issue...
posted by JollyWanker to media & arts (18 answers total)

I didn't even know it had vocals. The only version I've seen has no vocals at all.
posted by josh at 9:03 PM on May 23, 2004

I'm with Josh, the limited times I was in a place with cable during the time they were showing that video a lot on MTV and VH1, I don't remember it ever having vocals. Just Walken flying around.
posted by skynxnex at 9:05 PM on May 23, 2004

Hey, check out the Erlend Øye video at the Astralwerks site -- it's pretty awesome.
posted by josh at 9:08 PM on May 23, 2004

the lyrics:

Don't be shocked by tone of my voice
Check out my new weapon, weapon of choice
Don't be shocked by tone of my voice
Check out my new weapon, weapon of choice yeah

Listen to the sound of my voice
You can check it on out, it's the weapon of choice yeah
Don't be shocked by tone of my voice (aah...)
It's the new weapon, the weapon of choice yeah

You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
Or you can blow wit' us

You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
You can blow wit'...


Walk without rhythm, it won't attract the worm
Walk without rhythm, and it won't attract the worm
Walk without rhythm, and it won't attract the worm
if you walk without rhythm, you'll never learn

Don't be shocked by the tone of my voice
Check out my new weapon, weapon of choice
Don't be shocked by the tone of my voice
Check out my new weapon, weapon of choice

Be carefull, we don't know them
Be carefull, we don't know them
Be carefull, we don't know them

You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
Or you can blow wit' us

You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
Or you can blow wit'

Organically grown
Through the hemisphere I roam
To make love to the angels of life, yeah
and my girl
I guess you just don't understand
It's gone beyond being a man
As I drift off into the night
I'm in flight
She's a boy's scoundral gal
But I'm gonna hold my cool
Cause the music rules, yeah
so move on baby
Check it out

Halfway between the gutter and the stars, yeah
Halfway between the gutter and the stars
Yeah

You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
Or you can blow wit' us

You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
You can blow wit' this
Or you can blow wit' that
You can blow wit'...
posted by amandaudoff at 9:14 PM on May 23, 2004

I own the video on DVD and was about to post that it indeed it is instrumental. Then I put the video on. It has lyrics though I never "noticed" them before. Weird.
posted by dobbs at 9:24 PM on May 23, 2004

josh and skynxnex, you're giving me big hopes...

I forgot to mention: the video is on the "Director's Series / Work of Director Spike Jonze" disk. I swear the version on there used instrumentals, despite what my friend says - anybody own the DVD or work in a video store that can confirm or refute this?
posted by JollyWanker at 9:24 PM on May 23, 2004

Oops - dobbs beat me to it... I would have sworn that DVD had an instrumental version...
posted by JollyWanker at 9:25 PM on May 23, 2004

I've only seen it once, and it didn't have lyrics.
posted by interrobang at 9:46 PM on May 23, 2004

...maybe I was just mesmerized by the visuals, though.
posted by interrobang at 9:47 PM on May 23, 2004

...now i have the song (with lyrics) stuck in my head. damn you, ask metafilter. damn you.

*shaking fist*
posted by amandaudoff at 10:19 PM on May 23, 2004

Walk without rhythm, it won't attract the worm
Walk without rhythm, and it won't attract the worm
Walk without rhythm, and it won't attract the worm


Reference to Dune?
posted by filmgeek at 9:07 AM on May 24, 2004

Yes, reference to Dune.
posted by Hildago at 9:28 AM on May 24, 2004

The version on the Director's Series DVD definitely has the lyrics. I'm not aware of a version without lyrics, but I wouldn't swear it doesn't exist; I've only seen the video online (once) and on the DVD (several times).
posted by Acetylene at 10:13 AM on May 24, 2004

I have seen a very nicely made flash video (dancing wire man) with instrumental version ; unfortunately it was a long while ago I forgot the location.
posted by elpapacito at 10:38 AM on May 24, 2004

I've always remembered it with lyrics. I must have seen it dozens of times - VH1 loved it back when they played videos.
posted by ALongDecember at 12:08 PM on May 24, 2004

Dancing wire man video.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 8:07 AM on May 25, 2004

It's not an instrumental version, though. It's got the words. Although it sounds like a lot of people are listening to the piece again and thinking "Holy crap, it's got words!"
posted by DrJohnEvans at 8:11 AM on May 25, 2004

ok, am posting on behalf of my boyfriend, who made the record, so is a pretty good authority on the matter (he's not a member of metafilter and is just off to work now - he and norman are finishing the new album - and so asked me to fill you in on his behalf)

"officially from me, there SHOULDN'T be an instrumental version anywhere, I've never seen nor heard of one"

also, FYI, the vocals are by bootsy collins (who's also guesting on the new album, hurrah)
posted by kitschbitch at 10:46 AM on May 25, 2004