Hitchin' a Ride (Green Day song)

Not to be confused with Hitchin' a Ride (Vanity Fare song).

"Hitchin' a Ride"
Single by Green Day
from the album Nimrod
B-side	"Sick" "Espionage"
Released	September 22, 1997
Format	CD
Recorded	1997
Genre	Punk rock, alternative rock
Length	2:51
Label	Reprise
Writer(s)	Billie Joe Armstrong / Green Day
Producer(s)	Rob Cavallo, Green Day
Green Day singles chronology
"Walking Contradiction" (1996) "Hitchin' a Ride" (1997) "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" (1997)
Music video "Hitchin' A Ride" on YouTube

"Hitchin' a Ride" is a song by American punk rock band Green Day. It was released as the first single from their fifth album, Nimrod.

Track listing

1. "Hitchin' a Ride"
2. "Sick" (Non - LP Track)
3. "Espionage (Instrumental)" (Non - LP Track) feat. horn arrangements by David Campbell

• "Sick" is also known as "Sick of Me" on Shenanigans.

LP Box Set :

A :

1. "Hitchin' a Ride"
2. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

B :

1. "Scattered"
2. "Uptight"

Reception

PopMatters listed "Hitchin' a Ride" as the sixth best Green Day song, citing "Suiting its falling-off-the-wagon subject matter, "Hitchin’ a Ride" is a hellish yet exhilarating track that makes picking up a bottle look like probably not wisest idea one could have."

Music video

The music video for "Hitchin' a Ride" was directed by Mark Kohr, the director that Green Day had favored throughout the Dookie and Insomniac singles. The music video shows the band performing in a Jazz Age-reminiscent scenery amongst strange characters in costumes. Billie Joe plays his Fernandes Stratocaster 'Blue', Mike Dirnt uses a Fender Precision Bass and Tré Cool has a snare drum with a cymbal attached slung over his shoulders and a bass drum hung over his back. At the beginning of the song, the group is shown walking off a moving sidewalk on a stylized metropolitan street while still playing, switching to a stage setup in a jazz club after the chorus. During the bridge, a giant mosquito escapes from a box causing people to panic, while Billie Joe is shown destroying the stage using the mic stand and fighting with a waiter. In the outro, the band must run away from the club and returns onto the crowded street.

"Hitchin' a Ride" can also be found on International Superhits! and Bullet in a Bible. The music video is included on International Supervideos!.

Chart positions

Chart (1997)	Peak position
AUS Singles Chart	26
Canadian RPM Singles Chart	23
Canadian RPM Alternative 30	1
UK Singles Chart	25
US Hot 100 Airplay	59
US Mainstream Rock Tracks	9
US Modern Rock Tracks	5

See also

• List of RPM Rock/Alternative number-one singles (Canada)

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics