What I Am

"What I Am" is a song written by Edie Brickell and Kenny Withrow and recorded by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians for their debut album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars (1988). The song is highlighted by a guitar solo that notably features an envelope filter. It peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, topped the Canadian RPM 100 Singles chart, and became a top-20 hit in Australia and New Zealand. "What I Am" was ranked number 23 on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s".

English music duo Tin Tin Out collaborated with Spice Girl Emma Bunton to release a cover of "What I Am" in November 1999. This version became the more successful one in the UK, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart and receiving a Silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry.

Background
Edie Brickell said:

"The lyrics came from my one elective in my first year in college, world religions. From the time I could first think, I wondered, What does the rest of the world think? I know what these Texas folks think, but what’s going on in the rest of the world? So I took this world religions class, and I was immediately annoyed at the chatter going on in the classroom. To adopt behaviors, to adopt some sort of dogma, I felt defeated the purpose of evolution. That song just blossomed from irritation."

On the "choke me in the shallow water" lyric, she said, "That’s the part that was irritating about the class. Everybody was getting so deep in terms of making things up—'Does this mean this and does that mean that?' I was just irritated, like, just kill me now before I get out there and lose myself and my sense of who I am."

Composition
"What I Am" is written in the key of B minor in time with a tempo of 89 beats per minute. The song follows a chord progression of Bmsus2–Dsus2–Asus2, and the vocals span from G3 to B4.

Critical reception
Betty Page from Record Mirror wrote, "Like so many other singles this week, this is pleasantly quirky but not terribly inspiring. Edie's yet another female singer/songstress who sings and strums a guitar in a rustic fashion which makes you forget what the song sounds like before it's finished." Cash Box called it "one of the catchiest, anti-philosophical, tongue-in-cheek ditties since Peggy Lee's 'Is That All There Is?.'"

Track listings
US, European, and Australian 7-inch single; US cassette single
 * A. "What I Am" (LP version) – 4:54
 * B. "I Do" (LP version) – 2:00

Canadian and UK 7-inch single
 * A. "What I Am" (edit) – 3:43
 * B. "I Do" (LP version) – 2:00

12-inch and UK mini-CD single
 * 1) "What I Am" (LP version)
 * 2) "I Do" (LP version)
 * 3) "Walk on the Wild Side" – 5:52

Personnel
New Bohemians
 * Edie Brickell – vocals
 * Kenny Withrow – guitar
 * Brad Houser – bass guitar
 * Brandon Aly – drums
 * John Bush – percussion

Additional personnel
 * Robbie Blunt – guitar
 * Chris Whitten – drums
 * Paul "Wix" Wickens – keyboards
 * John Henry – background vocals

Tin Tin Out and Emma Bunton version
The song was covered by English electronic music duo Tin Tin Out and English singer Emma Bunton. It was released on November 1, 1999, as the second single from Tin Tin Out's second studio album, Eleven to Fly (1999). It also appeared on Bunton's debut solo album, A Girl Like Me (2001). Bunton recorded her vocals at London's Sarm West Studios in June 1999. The collaboration was the first release for Bunton to appear as a solo artist.

Tin Tin Out and Bunton's version debuted and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, 29 places higher than the original version 11 years previously. It sold 106,300 copies during its first week of release and has sold over 234,000 copies in the UK. "What I Am" was the UK's 88th-best-selling single of 1999.

Track listings
Standard CD and UK cassette single
 * 1) "What I Am" (radio version)
 * 2) "What I Am" (Gangstarr remix)
 * 3) "Weird (Save Yourself)" (featuring Wendy Page)

UK 12-inch single
 * A1. "T.W.M." (DJ Jam X & De Leon remix)
 * B1. "What I Am" (Gangstarr remix)
 * B2. "What I Am" (Groove Chronicles remix)

European CD single
 * 1) "What I Am" (radio version)
 * 2) "What I Am" (Gangstarr remix)

Personnel
Personnel are taken from the UK CD single liner notes.
 * Edie Brickell – writing
 * Kenny Withrow – writing
 * Emma Bunton – vocals
 * John Jorgenson – guitars
 * Lindsay Edwards – guitars, keyboards
 * Marcus Cliffe – bass
 * Preston Heyman – percussion
 * Tin Tin Out – production
 * Stylorouge – design
 * Rankin – photography

Certifications and sales

 * }