Format CD single Genre Pop
acoustic pop Label Virgin | Recorded 1999 Length 4:34 | |
Released 27 November 2000 (2000-11-27) | ||
"If That Were Me" is a song by English recording artist Melanie C. It was co-written and produced by Rick Nowels for her solo debut studio album Northern Star (1999). The song's lyrics address the issue of homelessness.
Contents
Selected as the album's fifth and final single, it was released in November 2000. The song peaked in the UK Singles Chart at number eighteen, becoming the first of her solo singles to not reach the top five. The proceeds from its sale went to the Kandu Arts charity.
Critical reception
The lyrics of the song came in for particular criticism from professional music reviewers. Kurt B. Reighley wrote in CMJ New Music Monthly: "When she's singing lyrics like 'I couldn't live without my phone/ And you don't even have a home', it's tough to recall Chisholm's charms." The NME's Andrew Wagstaff recommended people donate to Shelter and ridiculed the song's lyrics: "If, after doing so, you still want to hear our Mel trilling - and this is not a joke - 'I couldn't live without my phone/But you don't even have a home', well, hell, just remember that charity begins at home. So bear the neighbours in mind and wear headphones." Alex Needham described the song in The Guardian as an "ode to a tramp" and suggested the aforementioned rhyming couplet was a strong contender for the worst song lyric ever. Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian has compared the song unfavourably with Phil Collins' 1989 anti-homelessness single "Another Day in Paradise", arguing that they both addressed the issue with a similar lack of insight. It was also chosen by The Guardian as among "the worst political lyrics in pop" in 2014.
Music video
The music video, which was shot in October 2000, shows Melanie C on the top of a factory and around urban buildings while curling her arms around herself from the cold. There are also scenes of rain in alleyways. The video on the UK CD single features scenes from the music video for Brandy and Ray J's cover of "Another Day in Paradise", but these scenes were removed from television broadcasts for copyright issues.