"Can't Change Me" is the first single released from

Chris Cornell Christopher John Cornell (né Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American singer and musician best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary lyricist and songwriter for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. ...

's debut solo album, ''

Euphoria Morning ''Euphoria Mourning'' (originally titled ''Euphoria Morning'') is the first solo studio album by American musician Chris Cornell. It was released through Interscope Records on September 21, 1999, and Cornell embarked on a tour in support of the ...

'' (1999). The song peaked at No. 5 on

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched i ...

, and at No. 7 on the

Alternative Songs Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...

chart. A

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...

was produced for the song. "Can't Change Me" was nominated for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 2000

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

Origin

told

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that students of

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Ya ...

's music can find the genesis of "Can't Change Me" in some of the band's hits, such as " Blow Up the Outside World" and " Fell on Black Days". About the meaning of the lyrics, Cornell told

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

's ''

Making the Video ''Making the Video'' is an MTV show, consisting of half-hour episodes, which chronicles the process of filming various music videos. Usually the director outlines the concept of the video (or treatment) and the show often includes light-hearted ...

'':

It was written in the middle of a long songwriting period that I had for the record. Although it's the first song released as a single, it was probably one of the later songs that I wrote. The idea of the song... you kinda get the idea that it's a statement from the singer. It's kind of more of a sad discovery that this singer is involved with this person that has amazing powers to help people and change things positively, and he's realizing that none of it is really rubbing off on him.

Release and Reception

"Can't Change Me" was released in early 1999 and turned out to be the biggest hit from the album commercially and the song had strong chart positions. "Can't Change Me" was the first Cornell single to chart but in late 1998 "Sunshower" charted in the US on the Modern and Mainstream chart. "Can't Change Me's" peak on the Mainstream rock Tracks was No. 5 and on the Modern Rock Tracks its peak was No. 7. The song also charted in the UK where its peak was No. 62 and became a minor hit outside the US. Greg Tate of

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

said this about the song "Can't Change Me," is as rhapsodically gorgeous as pop gets, putting a spin on true love that any reprobate slacker can relate to: "She's going to change the world/But she can't change me/Suddenly I can see everything that's wrong with me/But what can I do?/I'm the only thing I really have at all." Cornell unveils a desire to be reckoned with as an openly wounded and unabashedly portentous rock balladeer."

Music video

A music video directed by

Johan Renck Bo Johan Renck (born 5 December 1966) is a Swedish people, Swedish director of music videos, TV and film. He was originally a singer-songwriter from 1991 to 2001, using the stage name, moniker Stakka Bo, and had an international hit with his singl ...

was produced for the song and premiered on

on September 6, 1999. The video's concept was Cornell's idea. It also stars Portuguese model and actress Ana Cristina de Oliveira. The video was shot in Hollywood in four days, between July 31 and August 2, 1999, in locations such as at the

Raji's Raji's was a rock and roll nightclub in central Hollywood, open in the 1980s and early 1990s. It was located in the Hastings Hotel building, 6160 Hollywood Blvd. The space had previously been occupied by a Greek restaurant called The King's Pala ...

, the Townhouse Motel, and in the tiny mountain town of

Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teac ...

, located in the

Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains is a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. Because of its proximity to densely populated regions, it is one of the most visited natural areas in ...

. The fire shots were filmed in

Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm () is the capital and most populous city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately 1 million people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 millio ...

on August 19, 1999. Its filming was showcased in an episode of

's ''

'' followed by the world premiere of the music video.

French version

Cornell recorded a version of the song in French. This version is a bonus track on ''Euphoria Mornings deluxe version, and on the JapaneseChris Cornell – Euphoria Morning (Japan)
/ref> and European editions of the album released in November 1999.Chris Cornell – Euphoria Morning (Europe)
/ref> The song was translated to French by Alexis Lemoine.

Track listing

CD1 # "Can't Change Me" (Cornell) # "Flutter Girl" From the Poncier CD (Cornell) # "Nowhere But You" From the Poncier CD (Cornell) CD2 # "Can't Change Me" (Cornell) # "When I'm Down" Demo (Cornell) # "Can't Change Me" (Enhanced CD-Rom video)

Chart positions

References

External links

Official music video
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...

{{authority control 1999 singles Chris Cornell songs Songs written by Chris Cornell Song recordings produced by Chris Cornell 1998 songs Interscope Records singles Music videos directed by Johan Renck