Leaving Home (Jebediah song)

"Leaving Home"
Single by Jebediah
from the album Slightly Odway
Released	27 June 1997
Recorded	April 1997
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	2:59
Label	Murmur
Songwriter(s)	Chris Daymond, Kevin Mitchell, Vanessa Thornton, Brett Mitchell
Producer(s)	Neill King
Jebediah singles chronology
"Jerks of Attention" (1996) "Leaving Home" (1997) "Military Strongmen" (1997)

"Leaving Home" is a song by Australian alternative rock band Jebediah, released in April 1997 as the lead single from their debut studio album, Slightly Odway. It was written by band members Chris Daymond, Kevin Mitchell, Vanessa Thornton and Brett Mitchell. It peaked at number 48 on the ARIA Singles Chart and reached number 10 in the Triple J Hottest 100 music poll for 1997.

Background

In an interview with broadcaster Jane Gazzo, Kevin Mitchell explained that 'Leaving Home' was written during a rehearsal session in Melbourne when the band was about to record their "Jerks of Attention" single with producer Lyndsay Gravina. "Because we got bored, we started jamming other stuff. I had a chord progression and a little bit of a melody which was fresh in my mind and I just started playing it. I know we came up with an unashamedly Weezerish middle eight for the song. I wrote the lyrics in my bedroom in Perth."[1]

Reception

Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane described "Jerks of Attention" and "Leaving Home" as "two cracking singles".[2] Double J named it in the top fifty Australian songs of the 1990s, saying, "When the drums come thumping in at the start and that gloriously thick guitar sound in the chorus… not to mention Kevin Mitchell's lazy Australian drawl. Leaving home never sounded so good"[3]

Jonathan Lewis of AllMusic reviewed Slightly Odway, and he wrote: "Opening with the song that really launched their career, 'Leaving Home', the band sets the scene for what is to come. Loud guitars, cartoonishly simple lyrics, and a chorus that would send even the tamest of mosh-pits into a frenzy. And all of it topped by Kevin Mitchell's bizarre singing style – a mess of twisted vowels and the same sort of pronunciation that had James Reyne's fans reaching for their lyric sheets in confusion."[4]

Music video

The music video featured the band playing on the front lawn of a suburban home.[5]

Limited-edition vinyl release

It was later released as a limited-edition vinyl, with only 250 made for a Perth, Australia, release.[6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Chris Daymond, Kevin Mitchell, Vanessa Thornton and Brett Mitchell[7]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Leaving Home"	2:59
2.	"Monument"	4:08
3.	"Thought About It (Live Demo)"	3:15

Charts

Chart (1997)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[8]	48

References

1. Gazzo, Jane (2022). Sound as Ever - The Greatest Decade in Australian Music 1990-1999. Melbourne Books. p. 52.
2. McFarlane, Ian (1999). Encyclopedia entry for 'Jebediah'. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 25 January 2015. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
3. Gab Burke. "The 50 best Australian songs of the 90s". Double J.
4. Lewis, Jonathan. "Slightly Odway – Jebediah | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
5. MAX452AU (21 January 2007). "Leaving Home Jebediah". Google, Inc. Archived from the original on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2012 – via YouTube.
6. Catherine Haridy Management (2012). "Store : Music". Jebediah. UNIVERSAL MUSIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD. Retrieved 28 August 2012.^[permanent dead link‍]
7. "'Leaving Home' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015. Note: User may have to click 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:' e.g Leaving Home; or at 'Performer:' Jebediah
8. "Jebediah – Leaving Home". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 26 December 2021.