About The Song
A dizzying plotline from out of this world.
Joe Diffie hadn’t had a No. 1 hit since “Ships That Don’t Come In,” but he enjoyed three major hits from his third album, Honky Tonk Attitude: the title track, “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die),” and “John Deere Green” all went top five. He returned to the top with the lead single and title track from his fourth studio album.
By this time, Diffie’s transition from heartsick balladeer to novelty singer had begun in earnest, with radio ignoring the devastating ballad “In My Own Backyard” but embracing the three rave ups noted above.
“Third Rock From the Sun” is a good deal smarter and more creative than the ditties on the way, with a fantastically convoluted storyline that begins and ends at Smokey’s Bar.
The events of this small town are a hell of a lot more interesting than anything the bro country crew has ever come up with. Look what the grownups get up to while the teens think they’re doing something worth singing about out in the cornfields!
His biggest hit is up next, and it will spend a month at No 1.
Video
Lyrics
Welcome to Earth, third rock from the Sun
She walks into Smokey’s, one hip at a time
Like a broken field runner slippin’ through the lines
He likes the way she looks, so he calls the little wife
Says “Don’t wait up for me, I’ll be working late tonight”
Wife hangs up the phone bursts into tears
Calls her sister up and cries, “Get over here”
Sister tells her boyfriend, “Be back in a while”
Boyfriend wants a beer, the store is just a mile
He leaves the motor runnin’, he’ll only be a minute
His car drives away with teenagers in it
The driver tells his buddies, “Got one life to live”
They scream into the night, let’s get it over with
‘Cause and effect, chain of events
All of the chaos makes perfect sense
When you’re spinnin’ round
Things come undone
Welcome to Earth, third rock from the Sun
The kid guns the gas, car starts to swerve
Heads for a semi-truck, jumps the curb
Truck hits a big boy in the Shoney’s parking lot
Flies through the air, takes out the bank clock
Clock strikes a light pole, transformer sparks
Lines go down, town goes dark
Waitress calls the cops, says she saw it all
Swears a giant alien has landed at the mall
Cops ring up the mayor says, “There’s panic in the street
We hate to wake you up, but we can’t find the chief”
Mayor says, “Use your head, if he ain’t in his car
He’s hiding from his wife, down at Smokey’s bar”
‘Cause and effect, chain of events
All of the chaos makes perfect sense
When you’re spinnin’ round
Things come undone
Welcome to Earth, third rock from the Sun
‘Cause and effect, chain of events
All of the chaos makes perfect sense
When you’re spinnin’ round
Things come undone
Welcome to Earth, third rock from the Sun
Welcome to Earth, third rock from the Sun
Welcome to Earth, third rock from the Sun
Welcome to Earth, third rock from the Sun