Berlin Chair


"Berlin Chair" is the second single from the album Sound As Ever by Australian rock band You Am I. It was released in 1994 and peaked at #73 on the Australian ARIA singles chart. "Berlin Chair" also reached #23 in that year's Hottest 100, while in the 1998 Hottest 100 of All Time it came in at #61 and #52 in the 2009 Hottest 100 of All Time. In a phone-in poll in 1999, the song was voted best Australian song of the 1990s. The track was featured on the soundtrack to the PC game Quarantine, released in the same year.

Composition

Tim Rogers wrote the song while living in Chippendale, Sydney, and titled the song after a sculpture he'd seen in Canberra, where he had previously lived. Biographer Craig Mathieson described the imagery of the chair as symbolising "the hard, even impenetrable male edge, that had with his girlfriend".

Reception

You Am I biographer Craig Mathieson praised the song's lyrics for revealing a character that "admit they're flawed, but still swear their strength, support love". He praises the band's musical performance for "increas the momentum with every verse, adding vigour and desperation to Tim's emotion.... Berlin Chair leaves me drained and elated."
Double J rated the song as the best Australian song of the 90s, saying, "In a way, it defies description. It bears little resemblance to any other song. It isn’t traditionally catchy, yet it won’t leave your head from the moment you hear those first lines."
Junkee said, "It's a song of codependency, trust and endearing love through one another's flaws. It’s the kind of song any self-respecting band, genre regardless, would have fucking killed to have written."

Track listing

  1. "Berlin Chair" - 2:34
  2. "Can't Explain" - 2:10
  3. "Jaimme " - 2:40
  4. "All I Want To Do Is Rock" - 5:42
All songs by Tim Rogers, except 2 and 4
"Can't Explain" is a cover of "I Can't Explain" by The Who. "Jaimme " is an acoustic version of "Jaimme's Got A Gal". "All I Want To Do Is Rock" is a cover of the Mighty Kong song.

Cover versions

Australian band Kisschasy did a cover version of the song for their 2007 single release of "Opinions Won't Keep You Warm At Night". Australien Band SMUDGE did a cover version of the song for their 1994 Single "The Outdoor Type". The song has been performed by Holly Throsby on one of radio network Triple J's Like A Version segments; while Kevin Mitchell, performing as Bob Evans, covered the song with You Am I on one of the band's Live at the Wireless sets. Paul Dempsey included a version of the song on his "Shotgun Karaoke" EP, released in 2013.