Synopsis

Pennywise perform "Alien" in a dark, atmospheric setting, with the band surrounded by a glowing ring that gives the video a slightly otherworldly feel. The visuals remain focused on the musicians, their instruments, and the song's rising intensity rather than presenting a conventional narrative. Rapid edits and close-ups reinforce the track's uneasy mood as Jim Lindberg sings about feeling disconnected from the world and questioning who the real outsiders are.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Alien" was released as the lead single from Pennywise's 1999 album *Straight Ahead*. It reached No. 36 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.

• The song was a relatively unusual choice for Pennywise because its verses are more measured and restrained than the band's faster hardcore material. Jim Lindberg described it at the time as running at roughly half the speed of a typical Pennywise song.

• Lindberg wrote the song during a difficult period following the 1996 death of former Pennywise bassist Jason Thirsk. In a later live introduction, he also connected the song with the 1999 Columbine school shooting, reflecting its broader theme of alienation and social disconnection.

• The video was part of the late-1990s alternative and punk television cycle, appearing in music-video programming alongside acts such as Refused, Incubus, and Sick of It All.

• "Alien" was also included on the soundtrack to *That Darn Punk*, a 1998 Kung Fu Records film assembled around Southern California punk culture.