Our House (Madness song)

"Our House" is a song by the English ska and pop band Madness and was written by second lead vocalist Chas Smash and guitarist Chris Foreman. It was released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, The Rise & Fall, on 12 November 1982. The song charted within the top ten in several countries, and it was the band's biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It won the category Best Pop Song at the May 1983 Ivor Novello Awards.

About
Released in November 1982, it peaked at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. "Our House" was their biggest hit in the US, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983. On the US rock chart, the song peaked at No. 9, and it reached No. 21 on the US dance chart. It received heavy airplay by radio stations.

The B-side, "Walking with Mr. Wheeze", is an instrumental. The title is a play on "Groovin' with Mr. Bloe", a 1970 instrumental hit by the session group Mr. Bloe.

Music video
The band portrays a working-class family in the video, including one with a stubbly face, dressed in an apron and bonnet, playing the mother. The band members perform with their instruments in the living room, as they prepare for work and school. The family play squash and relax in a hot tub. The video includes exterior shots of other houses, such as the Playboy Mansion, Stocks House in Hertfordshire, and Buckingham Palace. The domestic property featured in the video is a terrace house on Stephenson Street in north-west London, near Willesden Junction station.

In popular culture
In 1984, Madness made a guest appearance in the series 2 episode "Sick" of The Young Ones, performing "Our House". They had previously appeared in series 1, performing "House of Fun".

A musical called Our House, featuring Madness songs, ran in London's West End between October 2002 and August 2003. A recording of the show was broadcast on BBC Three and was released as a DVD.

In Chile, the song was used in the theme song of Chilean Canal 13 TV series, Papá Mono.

In Australia, the song was parodied by pharmacy branch Chemist Warehouse in their advertising throughout 2014.

"Our House" was featured in a Dead Ringers parody of Jeremy Vine's Radio 2 programme on 9 July 2021.

Track listing

 * 7" single (Stiff Records – BUY 163)
 * 1) "Our House" – 3:23
 * 2) "Walking with Mr. Wheeze" – 3:31


 * 7" single (Stiff Records – BUY JB 163)
 * 1) "Our House (Special stretch mix)" – 3:45
 * 2) "Walking with Mr. Wheeze" – 3:31


 * US 7" single (Geffen Records – 7–29668)
 * 1) "Our House" - 3:20
 * 2) "Cardiac Arrest" - 2:58

("Special stretch mix" is a mostly instrumental edit of the extended mix)


 * 12" single (Stiff Records – BUYIT 163)
 * 1) "Our House" (Extended Mix) – 6:00
 * 2) "Our House" (7" Version) – 3:23
 * 3) "Walking with Mr. Wheeze" – 3:31


 * US 12" single (Geffen Records – 0–29667)
 * 1) "Our House (Dance mix)" – 5:02
 * 2) "Mad House (Our House dub mix)" – 4:35