Shrek turns 25 today, and it’s become synonymous with Smash Mouth, particularly “All Star,” but the movie was originally going to open with the song “Stay Home” by Self. Self, fronted by lead singer Matt Mahaffey, was formed in 1993 and released its first album, Breakfast with Girls, in 1999 on DreamWorks Records. That connection put them in contention to compose a song for the then-upcoming DreamWorks Animation film Shrek. Mahaffey learned that the studio was also considering using “All Star”, which had been released in 1999 and was a massive hit for Smash Mouth. Mahaffey watched a rough cut of Shrek and wrote “Stay Home” to match what he felt was Shrek’s grumpy and curmudgeonly attitude. Marylata Elton, Shrek’s musical supervisor, thought the track worked perfectly for the opening, but audiences preferred “All Star” in test screenings. The song was then moved to the end credits, but Dreamworks founder Jeffrey Katzenberg suggested the movie go out with a bigger comedic bang, so another Smash Mouth song, the band’s cover of “I’m a Believer,” was used for the end credits. “Stay Home” still appeared on the movie’s soundtrack album, and Mahaffey continued to work on the franchise, contributing songs for Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party, Far Far Away Idol, Shrek 2, and Shrek Forever After. There was no music video for “Stay Home,” but you can listen to it below.
