Check It Out (John Mellencamp song)
| "Check It Out" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by John Cougar Mellencamp | ||||
| from the album The Lonesome Jubilee | ||||
| B-side | "We Are the People" | |||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Studio | Belmont Mall (Indiana, US) | |||
| Genre | Heartland rock[1] | |||
| Length | 4:19 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Songwriter | John Mellencamp | |||
| Producers | John Mellencamp, Don Gehman | |||
| John Cougar Mellencamp singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Check It Out" is a 1987 song by John Mellencamp released as the third single from his album The Lonesome Jubilee in 1988. The single was a top 20 hit, reaching number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2][3]
Lyrics and music
According to Mellencamp biographer David Masciotra, the song "describes the rewards and punishments of a typical American middle-class family" and professes that "our attempts to solve the mysteries of the heart and grasp the truth of humanity are fraught with disaster and disappointment."[4] Mellencamp biographer Paul Rees called its sound "uplifting".[5]
Reception
Cash Box said that Mellencamp's rough county-ish feel takes you into the heartland [of America]" and that the song "features a nice instrumental hook line that sounds like an otherworldly bagpipe and leads into the verses."[6]
Masciotra calls it "a uniquely powerful testament to the mystery of inner life".[4]
Music video
The video was shot as a live performance at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis on December 11, 1987, during Mellencamp's massive Lonesome Jubilee tour.
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1987–1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italy Airplay (Music & Media)[7] | 16 |
| US Cashbox[8] | 14 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[9] | 14 |
References
- ↑ Osmon, Erin (April 28, 2026). "Appendix: 150 Essential Heartland Rock Songs". Won't Back Down: Heartland Rock and the Fight for America. New York City: W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 293–300. ISBN 978-1-324-05137-4. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2009). Top Pop Singles (12th ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc. p. 649. ISBN 978-0898201802.
- ↑ Bessman, Jim (2007). John Mellencamp: The Concert at Walter Reed. Bloomington, Indiana: Author House. p. 5. ISBN 9781434346469.
- 1 2 Masciotra, David (2022). Mellencamp: American Troubadour. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 4, 100–103, 106, 122, 135. ISBN 9780813195582.
- ↑ Rees, Paul (2021). Mellencamp. Atria Books. p. 94. ISBN 9781982112165.
- ↑ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. February 6, 1988. p. 10. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ↑ "Playlist Report: RAI - Italy" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5, no. 15. April 9, 1988. p. 6.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2014). Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996. Sheridan Books, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-209-0.
- ↑ "John Mellencamp Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2021.