Just Like Anyone (song) explained

Just Like Anyone
Cover:	Soul Asylum - Just Like Anyone.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Soul Asylum
Album:	Let Your Dim Light Shine
B-Side:	"Fearless Leader" "You'll Live For Now"
Length:	2:47
Label:	Columbia
Producer:	Butch Vig Soul Asylum
Prev Title:	Misery
Prev Year:	1995
Next Title:	Promises Broken
Next Year:	1996

"Just Like Anyone" is a 1995 song by American alternative rock band Soul Asylum from its seventh album, Let Your Dim Light Shine. Written by the lead singer, Dave Pirner, and produced by the band with Butch Vig, the song was the second single released as the album. It entered the singles charts in Canada and the United Kingdom and reached number 19 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on the band's 2000 greatest hits album, ,^[1] and a live version appears on the band's 2004 album.^[2]

Reception

"Just Like Anyone" peaked at number 52 in the United Kingdom and number 55 in Canada, where it also reached number 12 on the Alternative chart. In the United States, the song was not released as a commercial single, but it received enough radio airplay to peak at number 11 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number 19 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

The New York Times music critic, Jon Pareles, said the song's lyrics "could have been written for the insecure high school students in the television drama My So-Called Life," in which Danes also starred.^[3]

Music video

A music video for the song was filmed in Los Angeles during summer 1995. Directed by P.J. Hogan and produced by Michelle Alexander, the video features the actress Claire Danes, who plays a high school student who is rejected and taunted by other students because she has two noticeable bumps on her back. Hidden beneath the bumps are angel wings, which are revealed later as she takes flight during a school dance.^[4] The video was shown on MTV and MuchMusic, reaching the most-played charts on both networks.^[5]

Track listings

CD1

1. "Just Like Anyone"
2. "Get On Out" (live at Paradise Rock Club, June 4, 1995)
3. "Do Anything You Wanna Do"

CD2

1. "Just Like Anyone"
2. "Fearless Leader"
3. "You'll Leave For Now"

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)
United States	1995	Radio	Columbia
United Kingdom	November 20, 1995			^[7]

External links

• Watch the "Just Like Anyone" video on YouTube
• "Just Like Anyone" lyrics

Notes and References

1. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r499531|pure_url=yes}} ''Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum'' - Overview]. AllMusic. December 5, 2009.
2. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r708028|pure_url=yes}} ''After the Flood: Live from the Grand Forks Prom, June 28, 1997'' - Overview ]. Allmusic . Rovi Corporation. December 5, 2009.
3. News: Growing Up Means Keeping It Down a Bit. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. December 5, 2009. Jon. Pareles. June 4, 1995. subscription.
4. September 9, 1995. The Eye: Asylum For So Called Star. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 107. 36. 119 . 0006-2510 . December 5, 2009. Google Books.
5. September 9, 1995. Billboard Video Monitor. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 107. 36. 120. 0006-2510 . December 5, 2009. Google Books.
   - October 14, 1995. Billboard Video Monitor. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 107. 41. 83 . 0006-2510 . December 5, 2009. Google Books.
6. Web site: Soul Asylum ARIA Chart history (singles). ARIA. Imgur.com. July 26, 2024. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
7. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 39. November 18, 1995.