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

"I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" is the debut single of Scottish singer-songwriter Sandi Thom, released 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.

"I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)"
Single by Sandi Thom
from the album Smile... It Confuses People
B-side	"Little Remedy" "Something in the Air" "No More Heroes" "A Light as Bright as Ours" "May You Never"
Released	3 October 2005 (2005-10-03)
Length	2:30
Label	Viking Legacy,^[1] Sony BMG, RCA
Songwriter(s)	Tom Gilbert, Sandi Thom
Producer(s)	Ian Brown, Stephen Darrell Smith
Sandi Thom singles chronology
"I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (2005) "What If I'm Right" (2006)
Re-issued cover art
Cover art for 2006 release

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?" [sic]^[2]

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 (and number seven in the download-only chart). The physical release had three formats: two CD versions (one featuring the radio mix and "A Light as Bright as Ours", another featuring the radio mix, the album mix, a further remix, "May You Never" and the music video), and also as a 7-inch vinyl record backed with Stranglers cover "No More Heroes".

Critical reception

The song was nominated for Record of the Year but lost to "Patience" by Take That.^[vague]

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.^[3] 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."^[4] Charlie Brooker also heavily criticised the intense public relations efforts to make the single popular.^[5]

Chart performance

The song was released on 3 October 2005 by Viking Legacy Records, reaching number 55 in the UK Singles Chart.^[1][6] 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.^[7] It spent one week at the top spot and went on to be the UK's fifth-best-selling single of the year.^[8] The single also spent 10 weeks at number one in Australia, where it finished the year as the country's highest-selling single.^[9][10] It received a double platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association.^[11]

Music video

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

Track listings

UK CD1 (2005)^[12] "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" – 2:30 "Little Remedy" – 3:01 UK CD2 (2005)^[13] "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" – 2:30 "Something in the Air" – 4:15 "No More Heroes" – 2:46 "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (video) UK 7-inch single (2006)^[14] A. "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (radio mix) – 2:31 B. "No More Heroes" – 2:46 UK CD1 (2006)^[15] "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (radio mix) – 2:31 "A Light as Bright as Ours" – 3:55

UK CD2 and Australian CD single (2006)^[16] "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (radio mix) – 2:33 "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (album version) – 2:31 "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (Mutiny's Rockers & Lovers mix) – 3:02 "May You Never" – 3:45 "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (video) – 2:39 European CD single (2006)^[17] "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (album version) – 2:31 "A Light as Bright as Ours" – 3:55 "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (Mutiny's Rockers & Lovers mix) – 3:04

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2006–2007) Peak position Australia (ARIA)^[9] 1 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[18] 27 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)^[19] 13 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[20] 4 France (SNEP)^[21] 8 Germany (Official German Charts)^[22] 16 Ireland (IRMA)^[23] 1 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[24] 56 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[25] 3 Scotland (OCC)^[26] 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[27] 3 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[28] 62 UK Singles (OCC)^[1] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2006) Position Australia (ARIA)^[10] 1 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[29] 57 Germany (Official German Charts)^[30] 100 Ireland (IRMA)^[31] 6 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[32] 19 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[33] 26 UK Singles (OCC)^[8] 5 Chart (2007) Position France (SNEP)^[34] 64 Decade-end charts Chart (2000–2009) Position Australia (ARIA)^[35] 34

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[11]	2× Platinum	140,000^^
Sweden (GLF)^[36]	Gold	10,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)^[37]	Gold	400,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Sandi Thom: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
2. . sandithom.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
3. Cummings, Tony (2 January 2009). "Sandi Thom: No longer a punk rocker with flowers in her hair". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
4. "Monster Stink". BBC. 27 June 2006. Archived from the original on 9 January 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
5. Brooker, Charlie (9 June 2006). "Supposing ... Sandi Thom is the musical antichrist". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
6. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 1 October 2005. p. 33.
7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. 4 June 2006. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
8. "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2006". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
9. "Sandi Thom – I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
10. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2006". ARIA. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
11. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2007 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
12. I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) (UK CD1 liner notes). Sandi Thom. Viking Legacy. 2005. VIKINGS03.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
13. I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) (UK CD2 liner notes). Sandi Thom. Viking Legacy. 2005. VIKINGS04.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
14. I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Sandi Thom. RCA Records, Sony BMG, Viking Legacy. 2006. 82876843427.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
15. I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) (UK CD1 liner notes). Sandi Thom. RCA Records, Sony BMG, Viking Legacy. 2006. 82876849532.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
16. I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) (UK CD2 & Australian CD single liner notes). Sandi Thom. RCA Records, Sony BMG, Viking Legacy. 2006. 82876843422.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
17. I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) (European CD single liner notes). Sandi Thom. RCA Records, Sony BMG, Viking Legacy. 2006. 88697061592.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
18. "Sandi Thom – I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
19. "Sandi Thom – I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (in French). Ultratip.
20. "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 118, no. 24. 17 June 2006. p. 81. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
21. "Sandi Thom – I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (in French). Les classement single.
22. "Sandi Thom – I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
23. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
24. "Sandi Thom – I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
25. "Sandi Thom – I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)". Top 40 Singles.
26. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
27. "Sandi Thom – I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)". Singles Top 100.
28. "Sandi Thom – I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)". Swiss Singles Chart.
29. . Billboard. Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
30. "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 2006" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
31. "Best of Singles 2006". IRMA. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
32. "End of Year Charts 2006". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
33. "Årslista Singlar, 2006" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
34. "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 2007" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
35. "2009 ARIA End of Decade Singles Chart". ARIA. January 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
36. (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011.
37. "British single certifications – Sandi Thom – I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 June 2021.

External links

• Official website