Joker & the Thief

"Joker & the Thief"
"Joker & the Thief"
Single by Wolfmother
from the album Wolfmother
B-side	"Where Eagles Have Been" (live)
Released	28 October 2006
Studio	The Sound Factory (Hollywood, California)
Genre	Hard rock
Length	4:40 (album version); 3:48 (radio edit with intro); 3:28 (radio edit);
Label	Modular
Songwriter(s)	Wolfmother
Producer(s)	Dave Sardy
Wolfmother singles chronology
Music video
	"Joker & the Thief" on Vimeo

"Joker & the Thief" is a song by Australian rock band Wolfmother. The song serves as the sixth track and sixth single from the band's eponymous debut studio album. It was released in Australia on 28 October 2006 and in the United Kingdom on 20 November 2006.^[2] The music video for the song was nominated for the "Best Rock Video" and "Video of the Year" awards at the 2007 MTV Australia Awards.^[3] The titular "joker" and "thief" are a reference to the lyrics of Bob Dylan's 1967 song "All Along the Watchtower".^[4]

In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Joker & the Thief" was ranked number 59.^[5]

Content

Singer Andrew Stockdale told an interviewer,

I was in a shop one morning walking into where we jam. I saw this AC/DC 'Thunderstruck.' And I was like, I want to write a stadium rock song. I went into the studio and said, 'Doo-duh-lee, doo-duh-lee.' What's the best thing to do after that? Just do something cleaner. 'Doo, doo, doo..' Because, you know, you've got to have a big intro and then you have to have a balls-to-the-wall riff to knock it on the head in the next stage. But yeah, that's it.^[4]

In popular culture

"Joker & the Thief" has been featured in several films, video games and TV shows including The Blacklist, The Hangover, Shoot 'Em Up, NHL 14, Rock Revolution,^[6] Jackass Number Two, Impractical Jokers: The Movie, The Out-Laws, Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 2, Here Comes the Boom, MLB 07: The Show, Need for Speed: Carbon,^[7] Shrek the Third, Lego DC Super-Villains, Preacher, The Man from Toronto, Ted Lasso, and The Artful Dodger. It is also available as downloadable content for the music video game series Rock Band.

The song appeared in the Green Bay Packers' video package at Super Bowl XLV.

At the Chicago Bears' home games, before kickoff, "Joker & the Thief" would play loudly with a bear and blue lightning graphics coming out of its eyes. The Kansas State Wildcats also regularly play "Joker & the Thief" for introductions for both their football and men’s basketball team, and the song is now a known hit within their fanbase. The Boston Bruins play the song before the first puck drop of every game, including playoffs. The Tennessee Volunteers and the Oregon Ducks play the song before every kickoff. The Louisville Cardinals use the song as a hype song leading into the fourth quarter of football games and ninth inning of baseball. Michigan Technological University also frequently plays this song during hockey games before going onto a power play. This song is also played before the centre bounce at Brisbane Lions home games.

It also appeared in the intro of the fourth season programmes of spanish radio show La Vida Moderna [es; ca; eu].

Track listings

All songs are credited to Wolfmother.

Australian CD single

"Joker & the Thief"
"Joker & the Thief" (Loving Hand Remix)
"Vagabond" (Acoustic Version)
"Where Eagles Have Been" (Live at Lollapalooza)

UK CD single

"Joker & the Thief"
"Joker & the Thief" (Loving Hand Remix)
"Where Eagles Have Been" (Live at Lollapalooza)

UK DVD single

"Joker & the Thief" (Audio)
"Joker & the Thief" (Video)
"Dimension" (Live at The Scala)
"Jackass Number Two Trailer"

UK 7-inch vinyl

"Joker & the Thief"
"Where Eagles Have Been" (Live at Lollapalooza)

Personnel

Andrew Stockdale – guitar, vocals
Chris Ross – bass, keyboard
Myles Heskett – drums

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2006)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[8]	8
Canada Rock (Billboard)^[9]	10
Scotland (OCC)^[10]	31
UK Singles (OCC)^[11]	64
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)^[12]	31
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[13]	27

Year-end charts

Chart (2006)	Position
Australia (ARIA)^[14]	69

Chart (2007)	Position
Australia (ARIA)^[15]	77

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[16]	Gold	35,000^{^}
United Kingdom (BPI)^[17]	Silver	200,000^‡
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone. ^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Rolling Stone Staff (8 February 2024). "The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time: Staff List". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 December 2024. ["Joker & the Thief" is a] '70s hard-rock throwback epic, with at least two electrifying and instantly recognizable guitar riffs.
^ "Releases". Wolfmother. Archived from the original on 26 September 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2008. Note: User must manually select navigation menu option '6'.
^ "Justin Timberlake + Pink Dominate Noms For 2007 MTV Video Music Awards". Sony BMG. 1 March 2007. Archived from the original on 14 August 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
^ ^a ^b Rosen, Steven (7 July 2006). "Wolfmother: Andrew Stockdale Spills The Truth". Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
^ "Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Musicfeeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
^ Grace Chen, "PlayStation Store Update," PlayStation.Blog (26 March)
^ "Need For Speed Carbon Soundtrack Burns Rubber". IGN. 19 September 2006. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 28 September 2008. Need for Speed Payback
^ "Wolfmother – Joker & the Thief". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
^ "Wolfmother Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
^ "Wolfmother: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
^ "Wolfmother Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
^ "Wolfmother Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2006". ARIA. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2007". ARIA. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2007 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
^ "British single certifications – Wolfmother – Joker & the Thief". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 March 2021.

[RS_Staff_2024-1] Rolling Stone Staff (8 February 2024). "The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time: Staff List". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 December 2024. ["Joker & the Thief" is a] '70s hard-rock throwback epic, with at least two electrifying and instantly recognizable guitar riffs.

[2] "Releases". Wolfmother. Archived from the original on 26 September 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2008. Note: User must manually select navigation menu option '6'.

[3] "Justin Timberlake + Pink Dominate Noms For 2007 MTV Video Music Awards". Sony BMG. 1 March 2007. Archived from the original on 14 August 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2008.

[ultimate-4] Rosen, Steven (7 July 2006). "Wolfmother: Andrew Stockdale Spills The Truth". Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved 2 March 2021.

[5] "Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Musicfeeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.

[6] Grace Chen, "PlayStation Store Update," PlayStation.Blog (26 March)

[7] "Need For Speed Carbon Soundtrack Burns Rubber". IGN. 19 September 2006. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 28 September 2008. Need for Speed Payback

[Australia-singles-8] "Wolfmother – Joker & the Thief". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 29 June 2015.

[sc_Billboardcanadarock_Wolfmother-9] "Wolfmother Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved May 5, 2022.

[sc_Scotland_-10] "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 March 2021.

[sc_UKsinglesbyname_Wolfmother-11] "Wolfmother: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 March 2021.

[sc_Billboardalternativesongs_Wolfmother-12] "Wolfmother Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 June 2015.

[sc_Billboardmainstreamrock_Wolfmother-13] "Wolfmother Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 June 2015.

[14] "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2006". ARIA. Retrieved 8 March 2021.

[15] "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2007". ARIA. Retrieved 8 March 2021.

[AustraliasingleCertRef-16] "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2007 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 8 March 2021.

[United_KingdomWolfmotherJoker_&_the_ThiefsingleCertRef-17] "British single certifications – Wolfmother – Joker & the Thief". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 March 2021.

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