POP SONG REVIEW: "Am I the Only One" by Aaron Lewis

when you said that bit about it having the vibe of a comedy song, i totally felt that. this song has the makings of a weird al song. like, same setup of like "am i the only one not BRAIN WASHED" etc. but the punchline is like, stating really obvious shit like "am i the only one.... who likes kitty cats? and hates soggy cereal?" it's barely a stretch from what this song already is... of course weird al would compose a better song and sing it better too.

surasshu

I was hoping this would be a cover of Melissa Etheridge’s “am I the only one” whew boy was I wrong. I also didn’t expect this pansy to somehow put out even whinier and dumber emo music but he somehow did.

The Stories Are True! Someone call half the cast of TNG!

Stephen Gillie

Formalism (analyzing the work in isolation, based on its own merits alone) is just one analtical technique. Contextualism lets you combine multiple analyses to get a more comprehensive understanding of not just the art itself, but its societal context. This helps us understand how everyone views the art, and make intersections intentionally instead of accidentally.

Stephen Gillie

Like Regular Cars says, selling nostalgia for a time you weren't even (or were barely) alive for.

Stephen Gillie

My local rock station used to apologize for making Limp Bizkit famous.

Stephen Gillie

I saw his rant as being less about The Boss's politics and more a "gotcha" - look at those hypocrites for listening to the Boss because of one questionable line! Right wingers do this shit all the time - they wait for a lefty to say something less than perfect and then they blow it up - "OMG Biden said shut-up he is not fit to be president!"

This song actually reminds me of Eamon's 'Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)'. Both tracks try way too hard to sound indignant and to get you to be offended at them, but they just come across as whiny and pathetic.

Tedd-Z

i loved this vide so hard i had to join up. i fucking love your channel. thanks so much for the video. perhaps now that i have your attention i will say again what i always wanted to say to you: you make video essays like you live to do this shit. i feel it. youre a bad mutherfucker for real. im mixed too. i love hank 3. oh yeah, and that guy totally is racist. and worst of all he is ungrateful to this country and he really is trying to be something he isnt. absolutely right that being country is so much more than what he wants it to be, and he doesnt seem to get that. its kinda tone def, like the mcdojo guys. i married a hellbilly, i understand why people wanna be like them though.

I’ll be honest. As much as I agree with your politics and think this is generally a pretty good review, I’m kind of sick of every other video on your channel being about the cultural surrounding songs as opposed to just analyzing the songs themselves. That may make me sound like a little bit of a grill Dad, but I stand by it regardless

Man In The Wall

Great review, as always. I really enjoyed the scathing breakdown. Nice work!

NYC Pigeon

That Toby Keith song haunts me... my coworkers play it at work sometimes. We're Canadian. And were small children during 9/11. HELP

Brittney With An E

This song is pathetic but this video is excellent. I love that Todd mentioned that nu-metal isn’t popular anymore, but the timing of this video made it so it came out right after Limp Bizkit’s Lollapalooza performance was the talk of social media. At least Fred Durst still has a spring in his step.

Wyatt

so, i didn't realise until the "there's the fucking door" line and Todd says 'you know what this reminds me of?' Cuase it reminds me of 'This Ain't Your Country Anymore'. Mitch Benn (comedian from the UK) did a song as a joke about ten years ago, and it was literally this XD

Còiseam

The last pre-covid concert I attended upon request of my friend... was danny worsnops solo county tour. I was awarded a guitar pick due to my being able to recite such hit songs as "I got bones (when you're ready to jump them)". British metalcore singers probably shouldn't try to be cowboys. I will miss being able to win the concert like that now that we'll probably continue to need masks to attend going forward though.

Katastrophe

It's probably just because I'm old, but "Am I the only one" immediately makes me think of "Backstreet's Back", which had a killer bass line and was actually pretty fun.

Nigel G

I think i am liberal but progress tends to exist in straddling the divide, just like all new styles of music come from mixing two previous styles together.

Taylor Abrahamse

I can imagine Aaron watching this and his blood boiling, and him just deflecting it all saying that you're hiding in the shadows so you dont have to back what you're saying in the same way his priviledge and age lets him get away with what hes saying. I think therea a smug oversimplifying on the left, where good ideas and principles are weaponized rather than used to extend an olive branch. Both sides could learn from each other as theyre both trapped in echo chambers. But its easier to stroke ones own ego. And its really tempting to be smug for liberals as, for one thing, they undeniably have the best musical artists. Heck, basically 90% of all hit artists are liberal.

Taylor Abrahamse

If you want a good country song named "Am I the Only One", try Maria McKee.

Jiashu Xing

i'm happy for all the nuance given.. i think one reason a lot of people hate the left is because nuance has died in the online age and heavy outrage (though tone police is BS), and fast reactions... i sometimes get angry at others for being so bluntly outrageously political not because I dislike the politics (I'm a hard leftie myself), but because it can seem so aggressive and offputting. this is more like the accidental racist review that was genuinely smart and spoke about all the idiotic reasons in real debate about why this was a horrible song lyrically.. it also just sucks musically

duke86fan

Don’t forget Brad Paisley and LL Cool J. And their song was directly about racism, only it sounded completely wrong, the two verses contradict each other and have lines that make you say “Wait, WHAT did you say?!?!”, and it just sounds awful in general.

Tom Carter

also pretty disappointing this shares a name with a pretty decent BNL deep cut

Nowhere Girl

"How can I like a song I disagree with" is an interesting enough question. My go to example is Science by System of a Down. Perfectly argued, musically immaculate from a legendary band at their peak, and a pretty clear philosophical argument that I just disagree with. anyways good vid! p.s. does he not understand that screaming at your tv is the absolute lamest shit you can describe yourself doing?

Nowhere Girl

Ending this video with 'Glory Days' is just 'chefs kiss'

Marc Halem

I dunno how anyone who heard "41 Shots" is confused about The Boss' politics, but YMMV, I guess

Nick DeCicco

Todd made a good point about how people buying the song don't actually like it, the same holds true for all those books written by right-wing wackjobs that end up on best-seller lists. Those books don't end up on those lists because normal sane people actually buy them, they end up on there because other right-wing nutjobs buy them up en-masse and give them away to other like-minded conservative asshats. Same deal with how those shitty conservatives movies like the God's Not Dead series and 2016 Obama's America somehow make bank at the box-office, they don't make money because the normal movie-going public goes to see them, they make money because churches and right-wing groups engage in block-booking theaters for showings of those films, so even if a theater for a showing of those films is only half-full, the films appear to be succesful on paper because the seats were already paid for, it's the illusion of real success.

RedBedroomRecords

It reminds me of mine too, I overheard an ugly argument between him and my mom last night where he was spouting all kinds of nonsense, and my dad isn't one of those Qanon types as he did wear a mask last year and did get vaccinated this year, but he still has a lot of blind spots, and he was actually getting pissy at my mom for calling an ambulance to pick him up after he'd fallen in the creek because he was so drunk and he couldn't get up(because of the costs) and she took him to task for that. I've long lost any respect I had for my dad.

RedBedroomRecords

you think that's bad? You should see that shit Buddy Brown is putting out, one of his songs is called "Be Less White" just to give you an idea of what kind of asshole he is.

RedBedroomRecords

I have no problem with profanity when it's used well, but this. That was one of my problems with the latest Twilight Zone: the swearing was so unnatural and forced that it immediately took me out of the episode. "Hey, guys, we aren't on network TV anymore! Hell ass kings!!!!"

Kristopher Bluth

I'm not much of a Springsteen fan (if anything, he's ridiculously overpraised), but I almost got misty-eyed when the end song kicked in. What a perfect middle finger to Aaron Lewis and everything he represents.

Kristopher Bluth

Definitely shades of Lewis Capaldi in there.

Russet Burbank

hey now, the only known case of gargoyle-on-human kid violence was in the 11th century, and even then Demona didn't eat Gillecomgain, it was just some claw scarring to the face that's still giving her karma. d:

Phoenician

I can't help but read "and the blue, burnin' on the ground" as something about cops. And mixed with the colors of the flag leading into that and the statues coming down in the very next line, I have to say ... wow, way to metaphor soup there, dude. Also is it just me or is he singing in an uncomfortable register and an extremely overdone accent?

Pietro Gagliardi

I remember an English professor of mine recommended I take profanity out of one of my assignments. Not because they were against swearing or trying to censor me, but because they felt the coarse language didn't fit the context and would undercut whatever else I was trying to do. It seemed pointlessly edgy. Aaron Lewis has never been a great lyricist, but every time he curses it feels so out of place. "It's Been Awhile" has two profanities in the lyrics, and the radio edits are so jarring every time it takes you right out of the song. If I were his producer, I'd have just demanded he remove them. So I hear him throw around "fuck" in this song and it totally undercuts the sincere, plaintive tone that the music has.

SPBurke

Was gonna skip this one, but now I know that it's the Staind guy, maybe there will be some schadenfreude value. God, the whole "Am I the only one to [have incredibly ridiculously common and basic take]" pose irritates me. Yes, you are destined to die alone and shunned for *checks notes* being mad about confederate statues coming down.

Russet Burbank

Like Katara meeting her mother's killer

Props to you Todd making this so entertaining because, Lord, this reminds me so much of my own dad, it's honestly scary.

Benedict Burgess

If this isn’t the worst song of ‘21 then I’m gonna start stockpiling canned goods.

Henry Kiley

I’d say this song. Follow You at least doesn’t give a vibe of being bigoted and prejudiced.

Tom Carter

There's a LOT about this song that begs comment but the part sticking with me the most is how it was briefly on the same level as Twerkulator by City Girls.

Meluieth Box

There's a LOT about this song that begs comment but the part sticking with me the most is how it was briefly on the same level as Twerkulator by City Girls.

Meluieth Box

Lewis' father was in fact one of those hippie grandfathers who went to Vermont for exactly those reasons... it's entirely possible that this recent career move is him STILL rebelling at his father.

MJS

and it does not look like anybody in the audience actually likes the song with their stone faces.

RedBedroomRecords

I can at least see the sentiment behind that song because we all felt pretty raw after 9/11. But Lewis just sounds depressing and out of touch.

RedBedroomRecords

and wear an "Impeach Biden" hat, part of me hopes he catches COVID.

RedBedroomRecords

When you brought up "Northern Redneck", I was expecting him to be from like rural Michigan (which I've seen described as being very "redneck" in culture), not freakin' Vermont. Vermont is quite an outlier among rural America, being populated by a lot of liberal granola hippies. Granted, the entire state isn't like that (Trump did win a county there) but it's still not what I would've expected. I've never heard any part of New England described as "redneck" before.

James

Oof, Big Machine Records. Went from having Taylor Swift as their cash cow, to putting out crap like this. Tragic.

JLo

I was almost ready to be angry, but the guy is too pathetic to be angry at. Now I'm really just bemused.

Liz Jackson

This is sad because I do like Staind, it's depressing to hear how much Lewis's singing and songwriting have degraded. Also Nu Metal actually is getting cool again if the positive reaction to Limp Bizkit's performance at Lollapalooza is any indication. I always wondered what those Saliva songs were referencing specifically, makes sense that it's about Staind, they did it again on "Superstar II" with the lines "no more crying-ass bitching about my evil parents, they did their best to raise their only son". Also wanted to hurl when I saw that "impeach Biden" hat, won't be shedding any tears if he catches COVID that's for damn sure.

RedBedroomRecords

worst hit country song ever bar none, but the fact that it's a hit is proof that this other racist asshole country singer Buddy Brown was NOT in fact rejected from record labels because his music was "anti-woke" or whatever, it's because he just plain sucks. Seriously this Brown guy is like a real life version of Jimmy Rebel from that one episode of the Boondocks as his songs have such charming titles as "Be Less White", "Driving Through the Ghetto", "Welfare Worker", "Don't Run From the Cops" etc.

RedBedroomRecords

I just think that video you show of him performing this in front of an actual audience is unintentionally hilarious. With the guitar and stool he already looks like I did performing at high school open mic nights, and hearing his sandpaprery voice belt out those gratuitous f-bombs to the completely morose audience takes it to another level.

The Hand Of The People

Oh, that credits song. Cold. Effective.

haha wowww yikes

Sarah, the Creator

Had to look up Twerkulator after seeing it next to this song in the list. Twerkulator's video is hillarious - women twerking around some big fake city like their butts are Kaiju.

Stephen Gillie

I liked them because my teen ears could kinda understand the lyrics, in those pre-Genius days.

Stephen Gillie

It really does sound like he's complaining about his kids coming along and undoing whatever he does. Like he's a boomer, or trying to sell to them.

Stephen Gillie

"I guess that's a sign of modern conservatism's shrinking self image". Reminds me of an episode of Chris Hayes' podcast from a few years ago where he interviewed a writer who argued that despite Trump's election the conservative movement is in a very weak state right now, but that very weakness also has the potential to make it much more dangerous (January 6th ended up demonstrating this clearly).

James

You know what this song reminds me of the most? That "Have You Forgotten?" song that came out after 9/11. We're way too evolved for this jingoistic shit now, so this poser has-been needs to return to the early 2000s where he belongs.

Ryan Storey

I can't remember the last time I hadn't heard of a modern song Todd is reviewing. I'm in for a wild ride, aren't I?

Sarah, the Creator

Aaron Lewis like "A nother (klan) statue coming down ;(" but somehow trying to hang mike pence at the capitol isn't unhinged and scary

Creamer

This (and Todd comparing the song to Toby Keith) is an excellent point. "Am I The Only One" is the sound of a sad manbaby slinking away in defeat.

Kristopher Bluth

This song is never gonna get radio play. Some country songs might get away with a swear for emphasis but even if some conservatives secretly don't care about it anymore, a lot of them can't be seen not caring about it... and the song is ultimately too mopey and self-pitying for those people to listen to in private. I mean seriously, imagine a maga guy laying on a bed listening to this song. You'd think he was upset about losing the culture war. But that'd require an ounce of self-reflection, which the song doesn't really provide anyway

Rick Griffin

fuck racism

Sierra Reppert

This is why we can't have nice things (And the fucking nerve he has to put out something like this after January 6th. Unbelievable.)

Kristopher Bluth

As someone who does have some ever so slight residual probably misguided nostalgia for Staind this is pretty depressing.

MJS

Todd your writing is next level on this one. Love!

Alice Allan

The fact that the title of the song is "Am I the only one....", like the start of most questionable Reddit posts is kind of perfect.

Juan Nunez

Seeing this song right next to City Girls' "Twerkulator" in the chart list just fucking sent me.

lizlovesyou

I'm honestly kind of surprised you didn't immediately reference this at that first line https://youtube.com/shorts/FoNdWUHhSSM?feature=share

Elle D Raptor

Stiff competition between this and Follow You for worst song of 2021.

Bryce Harper

"Undoing all the things HE did" I think he means Trump

Fantastic video Todd. One note, you repeat the same line twice at 19:04

Sam Frederich

Right about 19:00 you have “this is not a song about loving America” twice back to back.

Graham Smith

This song feels gross

YoCallMeRob

Is there supposed to be a link here for the Song vs. Song poll?

Garrett Hicks