Cookie Jar (Gym Class Heroes song)

"Cookie Jar" is a song by American rap rock band Gym Class Heroes featuring The-Dream. It was released on July 8, 2008, on the Patches from the Quilt - EP, and as a single from the album The Quilt in September 2008.

"Cookie Jar"
Single by Gym Class Heroes featuring The-Dream
from the album The Quilt
Released	July 8, 2008
Length	3:35
Label	Decaydance, Fueled by Ramen
Songwriter(s)	Gym Class Heroes, The-Dream, T-Pain
Producer(s)	Christopher "Tricky" Stewart
Gym Class Heroes singles chronology
"Peace Sign/Index Down" (2008) "Cookie Jar" (2008) "Guilty as Charged" (2008)
The-Dream singles chronology
"Baby" (2008) "Cookie Jar" (2008) "Fall Back" (2008)

"Cookie Jar" peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside of the United States. It peaked within the top ten of the charts in the United Kingdom, and within the top 20 of the charts in the Netherlands.

Premise

The song was written by lead singer Travis McCoy to describe the temptations a man in a relationship is offered, using the idea of various types of cookies in a reachable jar as an analogy. Guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo described the song as being "based on the kind of dilemma that many guys have, like, they find a girl and then they're like, 'Oh, but I can have this one; it would be so much better.' Then they go to the other girl and they're like, 'No… but I think this would be better.' The lyrics are based on the dilemma of trying to find the girl that makes you feel happy and having trouble with that."^[1]

Chart performance

In the United States, "Cookie Jar" peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[2] It sold 21,000 copies in four weeks following its digital release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[3]

In the United Kingdom, "Cookie Jar" debuted at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending date September 13, 2008 – solely on downloads.^[4] The song went on to peak at number six on the chart for the week ending date September 27, 2008.^[4] The single became Gym Class Hero's third top ten song in Britain following "Cupid's Chokehold" and "Clothes Off!!" in 2007.^[5]

In Australia, "Cookie Jar" debuted at number 50 on the ARIA Singles Chart on September 22, 2008, and remained there the next week. During its fourth week on the chart, it ascended to number 44, and in its fifth week, ascended to its peak position of number 41.

Music video

Directed by Dale "Rage" Resteghini,^[6] the music video was filmed on June 23, 2008.^[7] In the video, Gym Class Heroes and the Dream trying to resist the temptations of women at the club. McCoy is shown telling a therapist why he can't keep his hands out of the cookie jar, and at the end of the video, he is restrained in a padded cell.^[7]

Critical reception

Mal Siret wrote for The Times: "Cookie Jar, with its metaphorical message of an uncontrollable attraction to the opposite sex, epitomises the band’s playful fixation with fearless fun (think Will Smith in his heyday)."^[8]

Grant of BBC Radio 1's Chart Blog wrote: "The mix of Hip-Hop and rock that Gym Class Heroes produce always makes a nice sound, but I just can't get over the bizarre rap. The lyrics sound like something a group of 13 year old boys would make up at break, in between Food Technology and Biology."^[9]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2008) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[10] 41 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[11] 91 Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[12] 34 Ireland (IRMA)[13] 24 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[14] 11 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 85 Scotland (OCC)[16] 16 Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[17] 65 UK Singles (OCC)[18] 6 UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[19] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[20] 59

Year-end charts Chart (2008) Position UK Singles (OCC)[21] 70

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[22]	Silver	200,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.