Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 2003
Why Can't I?
Buy Why Can't I? now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Why Can't I?
| cover = Liz phair-why cant i s.jpg
| alt =
| border = yes
| type = single
| artist = Liz Phair
| album = Liz Phair
| B-side =
* "Jeremy Engle"
* "Fine Again"
| released =
| recorded =
| studio = Decoy (Studio City)
| genre = Pop rock
| length =
| label = Capitol
| writer =
* Lauren Christy
* Scott Spock
* Graham Edwards
* Liz Phair
| producer = The Matrix
| prev_title = Johnny Feelgood
| prev_year = 1998
| next_title = Extraordinary
| next_year = 2004
| misc =
}}
"'Why Can't I?'" is a song by American pop rock musician Liz Phair. It was released on May 5, 2003, as the lead single from her self-titled album, 'Liz Phair'. It reached number 32 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100, Phair's highest-charting single and only top-40 single. The song was certified gold in the US, having sold 500,000 copies there. The song was featured in the 2004 film '13 Going on 30'.
Writing and inspiration
"Why Can't I?" was written by Phair and The Matrix. Phair released "Why Can't I?" in hopes that she would expand her audience and attract more listeners to its parent record, 'Liz Phair' (2003). In an interview with 'Vice', Phair explained: "My hope was that someone would hear the song in the gym and buy the record and then start buying my albums and sort of have an awakening."
Composition
"Why Can't I?" is written in the key of B major and has a tempo of 81 beats per minute. It follows a chord progression of BB/AGm7E(add 2).
Critical reception
Chuck Taylor of 'Billboard' called the song a "melodic adult pop/rocker" and a "knock-out, stand-out, break-out record that adult top 40 should take right home."'Billboard' - June 7, 2003, page 42 Matt LeMay of 'Pitchfork' said that with the "cookie-cutter rock/pop background" it could easily pass for Michelle Branch." Mary Huhn of the 'New York Post' called the song "a breathless romantic confection, and very un-Phair-like". Mim Udovitch of 'Slate' called the song an "almost parodically basic power ballad" but stated that the chorus is "hooky".
Keith Phipps of 'The A.V. Club' criticized the song, referring to it as "an embarrassingly awkward marriage of dumbed-down Phair songwriting and every tired production trick of the last year". Adrien Begrand of 'PopMatters' compared the song to Avril Lavigne, referring to it as "a note-for-note retread of Lavigne's "Complicated".
Music video
The video was directed by Phil Harder and was released in June 2003. It features a jukebox where an unknown man puts a coin in the jukebox where Liz Phair appears on every record cover on the jukebox indicating the song's lyrics.
Track listing
* 'CD single'
# "Why Can't I?" 3:28
# "Jeremy Engle" 3:10
# "Fine Again" 2:47
Credits and personnel
Credits and personnel are adapted from the 'Liz Phair' album liner notes.
* Liz Phair writer, lead vocals
* The Matrix writer, production, arrangement, recording, additional vocals
* Krish Sharma drum recording
* Serban Ghenea mixing
* Corky James guitars
* Victor Indrizzo drums
* Wizardz of Oz additional vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
References
Category:Liz Phair songs
Category:2003 singles
Category:2003 songs
Category:Capitol Records singles
Category:Music videos directed by Phil Harder
Category:Song recordings produced by the Matrix (production team)
Category:Songs written by Graham Edwards (musician)
Category:Songs written by Lauren Christy
Category:Songs written by Liz Phair
Category:Songs written by Scott Spock
Buy Why Can't I? now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 2003