He Wasn't

"He Wasn't" is faster and more upbeat take on the boyfriend "not being good enough" trope, as opposed to Lavigne's slower paced songs from Under My Skin on the same matter. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian compared the song to thr pop-punk of her debut album, Let Go (2002), specifically "Sk8er Boi".{{Cite news |last=Petridis |first=Alexis |date=June 20, 2024 |title=It's complicated: Avril Lavigne’s 20 best songs – ranked! |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/jun/20/its-complicated-avril-lavignes-20-best-songs-ranked |access-date=June 10, 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} Chantal Kreviazuk described the song as "a super-fun, punk, screw-you-to-boys song,"{{cite magazine|last1=Bliss|first1=Karen|title=Avril Lavigne's Dark Side|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/avril-lavignes-dark-side-20040401|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=April 2004|publisher=Wenner Media|access-date=October 15, 2014}} while AllMusic highlighted the song as one of the most significant in the post-grunge genre.{{r|www.webcitation.org}}

The song's lyrics are about an unsuccessful relationship between Lavigne and a man who appears to be treating her badly, such as not even opening the door to her. On a documentary of the making of the "My Happy Ending" music video, "He Wasn't" plays in the background and Lavigne jokes, "'He wasn't what I wanted'...is that a theme on my record?".{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}

"He Wasn't" was criticized for the shallowness of the lyrics. Sal Cinquemani of Slant magazine described the song as a "crappy faux-punk tune", mostly because of the lyrical content.{{r|slant}} David Browne of Entertainment Weekly described the song as a "bratty kiss-off" and labelled it "boardroom-approved mall punk" noting that it sounded similar to songs on Lavigne's first album, Let Go.{{r|entertainmentweekly}}

However, "He Wasn't" has also been praised for its loud, catchy nature; Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic describes the song as "the fastest, loudest, catchiest, and best song here, and the one closest to the spirit and sound of Let Go".{{r|Allmusic}} He also highlighted the song as a 'track pick' in a review of the album, Under My Skin.{{r|Allmusic}} Rolling Stone was positive "The album's best song, a raucous three-minute sprint called "He Wasn't," has a pretty vacant opening line ("There's not much going on today/I'm really bored") and a simple yet ambiguous chorus: "He wouldn't even open up the door/He never made me feel like I was special." but "The words are full of contempt and self-pity, but she sings them like she doesn't really care."{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/under-my-skin-20040610|title = Under My Skin|magazine = Rolling Stone|date = June 10, 2004}} Yahoo Music! wrote: ""He Wasn't" maintains this theme (broken relationship) with a dashing, Clash-style chorus that chastises this young man for not opening doors. Jeez, young women these days - one minute they're wearing stack-heeled DMs and fairy queen ra-ra skirts and the next they give you hell for not acting like your dad."{{cite web |title=Avril Lavigne Under My Skin Album Review |url=http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/040602/33/1wp8w.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718135335/http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/040602/33/1wp8w.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 18, 2011}}

"He Wasn't" released as a single in the United States, instead "Fall to Pieces" was, but in the United Kingdom, the song debuted at No. 23 and spent four weeks on the chart. In Australia, it debuted at No. 25 and spent six weeks on the chart. The song was most successful on the Ultratip Bubbling Under charts in Belgium, peaking at No. 2 in both the regions of Flanders and Wallonia.

The music video was directed by American duo the Malloys in New York on December 13, 2004.{{cite web|url=https://popdirt.com/avril-lavigne-he-wasnt-video/36165/ |title=Avril Lavigne 'He Wasn't' Video |publisher=popdirt.com |date=January 28, 2005 |accessdate=December 22, 2022}}{{cite web|url=http://avril-l.org/videography.html |title=ONLY AVRIL | avril-l.org // #1 fansite for Avril Lavigne |publisher=Avril-l.org |date= |accessdate=December 22, 2022}} The production duo previously worked on the music video for Lavigne's "Complicated" (2002). Members of Lavigne's backing band, including Evan Taubenfeld, are featured in the music video.

During the shooting of the music video when the pink slime came out, Lavigne tells that days later her hair was still pink and she needed to redye it because during the next days she was scheduled to have a photoshoot with Cosmopolitan and her hair was looking really messy and all pink.{{r|youtube}}

File:He Wasn't video.jpgThe video features Lavigne singing and her band playing instruments in the background. There are scenes where she dances around wearing white gloves, a pink skirt, and holding a magic wand (she is portraying a fairy), and other scenes where she is wearing devil horns on her head (she is portraying the devil). It turns out that Lavigne and her band are at a video shoot, and later get into a food fight, much to the dismay of the directors - who are played by Lavigne and the band, all dressed up in wigs and suits. Avril then rebels and smashes her guitar into the camera lens, and then into the paper wall, where pink paint splashes out. The video ends with the band dancing and Lavigne doing the splits.

The song was performed during the Bonez Tour (2004-2005) as the opening song of the concert tour. "He Wasn't" has subsequently been included on Lavigne's the Best Damn World Tour (2008), Black Star Tour (2011-2012), the Avril Lavigne Tour (2013-2014), and Head Above Water Tour (2019).

• UK CD{{cite AV media notes|title=He Wasn't|year=2005|type=UK CD Single liner notes|publisher=RCA Records|id=82876 68305 2}}

1. "He Wasn't" – 2:59
2. "He Wasn't" (live version) – 3:16
3. "He Wasn't" (video) 
4. "Video Diary"

• Australian CD{{cite AV media notes|title=He Wasn't|year=2005|type=AUS CD Single liner notes|publisher=RCA Records|id=82876 69074 2}}

1. "He Wasn't" – 2:59
2. "He Wasn't" (live full band performance) – 3:13
3. "He Wasn't" (live acoustic version) – 3:16
4. "He Wasn't" (video)

• French CD{{cite AV media notes|title=He Wasn't|year=2005|type=FRA CD Single liner notes|publisher=RCA Records|id=82876 687732}}

1. "He Wasn't" – 2:59
2. "He Wasn't" (live acoustic version) – 3:16

Adapted from the "He Wasn't" CD single liner notes.

Studios

• Recorded at Whitecoat Sound (Malibu) and The Boat (Los Angeles)

Personnel

{{div col}}

• Avril Lavigne – writing, lead vocals
• Chantal Kreviazuk – writing
• Phil X – guitar
• Mike Elizondo – bass
• Bill Lefler – drums
• Brian Garcia – percussion, recording, digital editing
• Raine Maida – producer
• Danny Kalb – recording assistance
• Bob Boyd – recording assistance
• Jason Lader – digital editing
• Tom Lord-Alge – mixing
• Femio Hernandez – mixing assistance

{{div col end}}

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite magazine|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/avril-lavigne-under-my-skin/438|title=Avril Lavigne: Under My Skin|last=Cinquemani|first=Sal|magazine=Slant Magazine|date=May 20, 2004|access-date=June 20, 2010}}

{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r688178|pure_url=yes}}|title=Under My Skin: Avril Lavigne|last=Thomas Erlewine|first=Stephen|website=Allmusic|access-date=March 18, 2009}}

{{cite web|title=Avril talking about the "He Wasn't" video incident|date=April 8, 2009 |via=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdl64fVCs_8|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/wdl64fVCs_8|archive-date=December 21, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=April 8, 2009}}{{cbignore}}

{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2004/05/28/under-my-skin|title=Under My Skin (2004)|last=Browne|first=David|date=May 24, 2004|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=August 13, 2010}}

}}

{{Avril Lavigne}}

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Category:2004 songs

Category:2005 singles

Category:Arista Records singles

Category:Avril Lavigne songs

Category:Music videos directed by The Malloys

Category:RCA Records singles

Category:Songs written by Avril Lavigne

Category:Songs written by Chantal Kreviazuk

Category:Sony BMG singles

Category:Breakup songs