United States Of Whatever

Album: Fake Songs (2002)
Charted: 10
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • At 1:25, this is the shortest ever single to reach the top ten of the UK singles chart.
  • In the mid-'90s, Lynch and his childhood friend Matt Crocco sent a few tapes to MTV Europe of the sock-puppet skits they had created. MTV started showing them as "idents" - short buffer clips played in between videos. A year later, these "idents" turned into half-hour shows. MTV in America started airing Sifl And Olly in July 1998, and the show lasted two seasons. One of Sifl And Olly's most popular songs, "United States of Whatever," started reappearing on the request charts on Los Angeles radio station KROQ after a fan leaked the tune from a UK import.
  • Lynch was one of 40 musicians chosen from around the world to study at the prestigious Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. This school, founded and financially supported by Paul McCartney, gave Lynch the opportunity of a lifetime. He was part of the school's first graduating class, but also one in five students handpicked by McCartney himself to study guitar on a one-on-one basis. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for all above

Comments: 3

  • Edward Pearce from Ashford, Kent, EnglandThanks for correcting my songfact, Chris, though I believe 'United States Of Whatever' still holds the record for the shortest ever UK Top 10 single. Incidently since you posted your comment Nukleuz DJ's record has been broken by the 64 second 'Spider Pig' track by Hans Zimmer, which reached #24 in 2007 purely on download sales.
  • Pinkmonty from London, Englandits great to have in your head while your boss/lecturer/teacher is screeching at you, even better than looking at thier forhead or thinking what they would look like naked, or on the toilet.
  • Chris from Belfast, IrelandThis is not the shortest ever single to chart in the UK. That honour goes to Nukleuz DJ's with DJ Nation: Only 75 seconds long and reached no.40 in 2002.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Alice Cooper

Alice CooperFact or Fiction

How well do you know this shock-rock harbinger who's been publicly executed hundreds of times?

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum

Dave Pirner of Soul AsylumSongwriter Interviews

Dave explains how the video appropriated the meaning of "Runaway Train," and what he thought of getting parodied by Weird Al.

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul Station

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

Bible Lyrics

Bible LyricsMusic Quiz

Rockers, rappers and pop stars have been known to quote the Bible in their songs. See if you match the artist to the biblical lyric.

David Gray

David GraySongwriter Interviews

David Gray explains the significance of the word "Babylon," and talks about how songs are a form of active imagination, with lyrics that reveal what's inside us.