Long misunderstood as a cheater’s anthem, It Wasn’t Me rose to popularity in the 2000s with its relatable, albeit comical, storyline. The single became a monumental success for Jamaican artiste Shaggy and British-Jamaican songwriter Rik Rok and will mark its 23rd anniversary this year.
Written by Shaggy and Rok, It Wasn’t Me was inspired by a skit from Eddie Murphy’s stand-up comedy film Raw, in which a character brazenly denies cheating on his partner. Though the song was initially rejected by Shaggy’s label and manager, the singer would go on to release the track with a modest budget in 2000.
It Wasn’t Me was featured on Shaggy’s album Hot Shot and would go on to peak at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, spending 17 weeks on the chart in total. The platinum-selling single continues to entertain but, according to Shaggy, has been misinterpreted for years.
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The Boombastic singer told People that the single was an anti-cheating song with an ignored moral ending. Shaggy explained that at the end of the conversation within the song, Rok’s character decides to tell the truth and recites the lyrics:
“I’m going to tell her that I’m sorry for the pain that I’ve caused. I’ve been listening to your reasoning; it makes no sense at all. Going to tell her that I’m sorry for the pain that I’ve caused. You might think that you’re a player, but you’re completely lost.”
Watch the video below.
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