Pretty Handsome Awkward

"Pretty Handsome Awkward" is the second single from the Used's third studio album, Lies for the Liars. The song was released to US alternative radio on August 21, 2007^[1] and released to UK radio on September 3.^[2] The song is perhaps best known for being played during a chase scene in Michael Bay's film Transformers and is also featured on the soundtrack^[3] as well as a downloadable track on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.^[4] The single peaked at No. 37 on the US Alternative Airplay. It was rumored that the track was written about My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, but Bert McCracken said that this is not true.^[5] In 2019, while performing at the Rockstar Disrupt Festival, Bert confirmed the song was about Way.^{[citation needed]}

"Pretty Handsome Awkward"
Single by The Used
from the album Lies for the Liars and Transformers: The Album
Released	September 10, 2007
Recorded	2007
Genre	Screamo post-hardcore alternative metal
Length	3:32
Label	Reprise
Songwriter(s)	Quinn Allman Jeph Howard Bert McCracken
Producer(s)	John Feldmann
The Used singles chronology
"The Bird and the Worm" (2007) "Pretty Handsome Awkward" (2007) "Blood on My Hands" (2009)

Track listings

CD single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Pretty Handsome Awkward"	3:35
2.	"Slit Your Own Throat"	3:04

DVD single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Pretty Handsome Awkward" (audio)	3:34
2.	"Devil Beside You" (audio)	3:45
3.	"Pretty Handsome Awkward" (video)	3:42
4.	"Webclips 1–4" (video)	10:31
5.	"Sizzle Reel" (video)	1:19

7-inch picture disc

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Pretty Handsome Awkward"	3:36
2.	"Devil Beside You"	3:45

Music video

The video starts with footage from the 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards of the band and Chadam walking down the street, with screaming fans on the sidewalks, and an interviewer asks "You guys gonna get all wasted tonight? Up to your normal antics?" Bert responds, "Nah, we're a little partied out, we'll probably try to take, take it easy and chill out afterward," after which a huge party is shown with the aforementioned antics being performed throughout. Jeph Howard also appears as a cross-dressed prostitute in the video. In one of the videos, he flashes the camera. At the end, the piece of dialogue at the beginning is repeated with this added afterward by the reporter: "What are you guys wusses or somethin'?".^[6]

Charts

Chart (2007)	Peak position
Scotland (OCC)^[7]	75
UK Physical Singles (OCC)^[8]	66
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)^[9]	37

References

1. "AllAccess.com Alternative eWeekly". AllAccess. August 14, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
2. Pretty Handsome Awkward (Sleeve). The Used. Reprise Records. 2007. PR016410.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
3. Transformers: The Album
4. List of songs in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
5. Kerrang! The Used: "I couldn't give less of a shit about MCR" 2008-05-02 at the Wayback Machine
6. Official Video
7. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. September 9, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
8. "Official Physical Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. September 9, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
9. "The Used Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2022.