Can’t Change Me is the first single released from Chris Cornell‘s debut solo album, Euphoria Morning (1999). The song peaked at No. 5 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks, and at No. 7 on the Alternative Songs chart. A music video was produced for the song. Can’t Change Me was nominated for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 2000 Grammy Awards. The song 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.
Chris Cornell told MTV News that students of Soundgarden‘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‘s Making the Video:
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.
Tracklist:
- Can’t Change Me (Cornell)
- Flutter Girl From the Poncier CD (Cornell)
- Nowhere But You From the Poncier CD (Cornell)
- When I’M Down (Demo)
A music video directed by Johan Renck was produced for the song and premiered on MTV 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, the Townhouse Motel, and in the tiny mountain town of Cornell, located in the Santa Monica Mountains. The fire shots were filmed in Stockholm, Sweden on August 19, 1999. Its filming was showcased in an episode of MTV‘s Making the Video followed by the world premiere of the music video.
Credits
Chris Cornell: lead vocals (all tracks), guitar, harmonica
Alain Johannes: guitar, backing vocals
Natasha Shneider: keyboards, tambourine
Ric Markmann: bass guitar
Josh Freese: drums
Chris Cornell (July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017).
