"It Wasn't Me" is the first single from Jamaican-American reggae musician Shaggy's fifth studio album, Hot Shot (2000). The song features vocals from British-Jamaican singer RikRok (credited as Ricardo "RikRok" Ducent). The lyrics of the song depict one man (portrayed by RikRok) asking his friend (Shaggy) what to do after his girlfriend caught him cheating on her with "the girl next door". His friend's advice is to deny everything with the phrase "it wasn't me", despite clear evidence to the contrary.
"It Wasn't Me" was serviced to US contemporary hit radio on 7 November 2000 and has been regarded as Shaggy's breakthrough in the pop market. It is his highest-charting song to date, topping the charts in Australia, Flanders, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It was the best-selling single of 2001 in the UK, selling over 1.15 million copies that year[2] and over 1.42 million as of 2017[update].
Background
The lyrics of "It Wasn't Me" depict one man, guilty of infidelity, asking his friend Shaggy for advice after his girlfriend catches him "red-handed, creeping with the girl next door". Shaggy's advice is to deny everything, despite clear evidence to the contrary, with the phrase "it wasn't me". Ultimately, the man says that the advice "makes no sense at all" and decides to confess and apologize. It is written in the key of C major.[3]
The song was inspired by a bit called "No Loyal Men", performed by Eddie Murphy in his comedy special Raw (1987).[4] In an interview in February 2016, Shaggy acknowledged an interpolation of the War song "Smile Happy".[5]
The late British singer Liam Payne's debut single "Strip That Down" (2017) interpolates "It Wasn't Me".[6] One of the best-known covers of the song is the 2019 reggaetón hit "China" by Puerto Rican artists Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee and Ozuna, along with Anuel AA's then-girlfriend, Colombian singer Karol G, and fellow Colombian singer J Balvin.[7] Karol G had previously worked with Shaggy on her song "Mi Pum Pum". On "China", the very beginning of the track features a snippet of Shaggy's chorus from "It Wasn’t Me" ("…caught me red-handed, creeping with the girl next door") before switching entirely to Spanish with the same chorus melody, but with the lyrics changed: «Mi mujer me estaba llamando pero yo no contesté, porque estaba en la disco perreando y de ella me olvidé. Dios mío, perdóname; no sé porque yo le fallé.»
Despite being sung in Spanish, the theme throughout "China" is essentially the same as Shaggy's version, saying: "My woman was calling me but I didn’t answer her, because I was in the club dancing and I forgot about her. My God, forgive me; I don’t know how I failed her." However, a notable difference between "China" and "It Wasn’t Me" is the inclusion of Karol G's verses from a female perspective, saying (in Spanish): "I got entangled with you, and with a couple of drinks, baby, I let go. I stayed with you and didn’t answer him, I don’t know why I failed, but I know I did have a great time", and "Midnight came; we had just started to touch. It’s just that my boyfriend was waiting for me, since before twelve. So we spent the night. I know I failed, forgive me. If I see him tomorrow, I’ll say he doesn’t know me."
Both "Strip That Down" and "China" have given songwriting credits to Shaggy (real name: Orville Burrell) and his collaborators for "It Wasn't Me", as well as the members of War (despite their song not appearing on either track).[6][8][7]
The clean version of the song replaces the lyric "Picture this: we were both butt-naked banging on the bathroom floor" with "Picture this: we were both caught making love on the bathroom floor" and "Saw me bangin’ on the sofa" with "Saw me kissin’ on the sofa".
"It Wasn't Me" was originally never intended to be released as a single. Before the original version of Hot Shot was released in August 2000, Hawaiian DJ Pablo Sato downloaded the album from "a Napster-like MP3 site he won't name" and discovered that "It Wasn't Me" was "the album's standout cut." He played the song on American radio the next day, and in an interview, claimed, "The phone lines lit up right away. Within a couple of days, it was our number-one requested song."[9] The song was released to radio on 7 November 2000,[10] then was given a retail release on 6 February 2001 following its airplay success.[11]
Chart performance
"It Wasn't Me" was Shaggy's first number-one hit in the United States. The song reached number two on 23 December 2000.[12] On 30 December, it was bumped down one position to number three.[13] It moved back up to the number-two spot on 13 January 2001, then, on 3 February, it ascended to number one, replacing Destiny's Child's "Independent Women Part I".[14][15] The song remained at number one for two weeks and spent 25 weeks on the chart altogether.[16]
As of August 2014, it is the 49th-best-selling single of the 21st century in France, with 399,500 units sold.[19]
Music video
The music video was directed by Stephen Scott.[citation needed] It begins with RikRok running to Shaggy's mansion to explain to him what has just happened. RikRok tells him that he cheated on his girlfriend and got caught. Shaggy tells him to tell her that "It wasn't me." The video then cuts into a flashback to earlier that day. RikRok has been caught sleeping with another woman, and his girlfriend is outside the apartment in her convertible when two women pull up next to her on their sport bikes.
Then, the three women go into the building. He then sneaks out the window, takes the motorcycle of one of his girlfriend's accomplices and leaves. The women come out and the girlfriend and one of her accomplices get in the convertible and the other gets on her motorcycle and they chase after him. From his mansion, Shaggy, using his futuristic technology, tracks down where RikRok is going and prepares an escape for him. RikRok then gets on a bridge over the highway when the accomplice rode on the bridge in front of him.
He then hits the brakes to stop while she stops her motorcycle. RikRok then hears a noise behind him and it is the other accomplices and the girlfriend driving the convertible on the other side of the bridge with the highway down below. An eighteen-wheeler drives by, and Shaggy leaves RikRok a text message telling him to look behind and he notices the truck and jumps off the side of overhead and lands on the truck. He is then dropped off at Shaggy's mansion, showing the same scene from the start of the video.
Legacy
The lyrical content of "It Wasn't Me" inspired Slate writer Josh Levin to coin the term the "Shaggy defense" to describe R. Kelly's defense at his 2008 child pornography trial stemming from the production of a sex tape: "I predict that in the decades to come, law schools will teach this as the 'Shaggy defense'. You allege that I was caught on camera, butt naked, banging on the log cabin floor? It wasn't me."[20] R. Kelly was ultimately found not guilty on those charges.[21] Levin repeated the term on NPR,[22] and "Shaggy Defense" entered common use to describe a defendant flatly denying guilt despite overwhelming evidence against them.
The song was spoofed by Bob Rivers, as "Caught Me One Handed", and makes a reference to the Scooby-Doo character, Shaggy Rogers. The video focused on him being caught masturbating (about the girl next door) by his mother.[23] The song was also spoofed on Svengoolie. On The Chris Moyles Show, the song was used as a prank call with "Shaggy" (actually impressionist Jon Culshaw) trying to book a taxi, with the final line being "Can you drop me off at The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1?, 97 to 99 FM".[24]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^Billboard Staff (19 October 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved 11 February 2024. One of the most enduring songs about cheating — specifically the denial of it — and another early '00s reggae crossover smash...
^It Wasn't Me (Jamaican 7-inch single vinyl disc). Shaggy. MCA Records. 2000. O88155800-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^It Wasn't Me (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Shaggy. MCA Records. 2001. 088 155 800-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^It Wasn't Me (US CD single liner notes). Shaggy. MCA Records. 2001. 088 155 782-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^It Wasn't Me (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Shaggy. MCA Records. 2001. 088 155 782-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^It Wasn't Me (European CD single liner notes). Shaggy. MCA Records. 2001. 155 803-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^It Wasn't Me (UK CD single liner notes). Shaggy. MCA Records. 2001. 155 802-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^It Wasn't Me (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Shaggy. MCA Records. 2001. MCST 40247, 155807-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^It Wasn't Me (UK cassette single sleeve). Shaggy. MCA Records. 2001. MCSC 40247, 155807-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^It Wasn't Me (Australian CD single liner notes). Shaggy. MCA Records. 2001. 155 800-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Hot Shot (US CD album booklet). Shaggy. MCA Records. 2000. 088 112 096-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)