Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine" Turns 27 - Story Behind the Song
Shania Twain’s “Any Man of Mine” was inescapable in the summer of 1995. I dive into the chart positions, sales, awards, fashion, and state of country music of that year. This podcast celebrates the 27th anniversary of the timeless song.
Artists Featured in This Episode: Shania Twain, John Michael Montgomery, Travis Tritt, Johnny Cash, and Rhett Akins.
View the Show Notes below if you prefer to read the deep dive.
Show Notes
The three iconic guitar chords that change the world, a video that shook up CMT, a song that lit up request lines across America, Shania Twain's, “Any of Mine” turns twenty seven in 2022, and we look back at the song's journey.
In a 1995 interview with CMT, Shania revealed how she and her then-husband producer Mutt Lang created the song.
“He kept playing this riff around the house. And I said, do you realize how country that is? It is so country. That is a country song. And I said, we gotta write this song. We gotta write it country.”
Shania continues, “I said, well, I have this one song that I kinda like the attitude of it. And it was actually called ‘This Man of Mine.’ So we changed it to ‘This Man of Mine’ to ‘Any of Mine’. The melody stayed the same on that line and everything else changed.”
“The lyrics are pretty demanding in this song, but that's the fun of it. Us women are more realistic than that. We realize that this man doesn't exist,” Shania says.
So back to that, immediately you recognize the hook, guitarist Larry Byram is responsible for those licks. He also played guitar on “Breathe” from Faith Hill and Tim McGraw’s “Angry All The Time”, both known for those timeless openings.
TV Time
Released on April 26, 1995, it would become one of the radio's most-requested songs. Shania would soon be making her network TV debut playing everywhere from The Late Show with David Letterman, Live with Regis and Kathy Lee, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. During her July 12, appearance onThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Shania reprised the outfit from the song's iconic video.
In a 2020 interview with Vogue, Shania delves into all the details on her fashion choice.
“I'm a little surprised that I did wear this on national television, but it's all about comfort. So, these are my personal jeans and my personal vest. And my personal tank top that I cropped myself with scissors and, like, tucked it under. I had really tiny hips and big athletic legs. So, it was hard to fit into jeans. This was one pair that fit me comfortably and it was like my go to pair,” Shania admits.
After twenty weeks of radio play, “Any of Mine” reached its peak, landing at number one on July 22, 1995. The cassette single was cresting the country singles chart for the tenth consecutive week, and her landmark album The Woman In Me was the best-selling country album in the nation. This marks the first time an artist topped all three charts at the same time.
Awards
Accolades and nominations from the Canadian Country Music Awards that fall found Shania sweeping every single category she was eligible in. With four nominations from the Country Music Association, including Female Vocalist, Horizon Award, Single, and Music Video of the Year, she opened the prestigious telecast.
The memorable opening number showed Shania harmlessly flirting and strolling the star-studded aisles of the Grand Ole Opry House, playfully admiring Tim McGraw, Marty Stuart, John Michael Montgomery, Johnny Cash, and Rhett Akins. And there was a moment she sat in Travis Tritt’s lap, and it was their only encounter.
So this is 1995. The two never saw each other again until 2017 when they teamed up as judges on USA's Real Country singing competition show and they laughed and joked about it then. Shania went home empty handed, but the next night, she dropped by TNN's Music City Tonight and recounted her CMA experience with host Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase.
“Well, I always get nervous. You never get used to it. I think you get a case of the nerves and I think I was excited I don't know if it was exciting nerves. It was just butterflies,” Shania shares.
She continues, “I was, of course, really honored to be able to open the show. It was kind of my prize for the night. I realize that is the key and the coolest spot of the night. And I just have to thank producer Walter Miller for letting me do it.”
As nineteen 1995 ended, Shania played the hit song during the legendary Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. A slew of Grammy nominations followed. She would land a coveted spot on the broadcast by next year. Shania was nominated for the all-genre Best New Artist and the song “Any Man of Mine” scored Best Country Song and Best Female Vocal Performance nominations.
“Any Man of Mine” ultimately became the second most popular country song of that year.
Top Country Songs of 1995
“Sold (The Grundy County Auction) - John Michael Montgomery
“Any Man of Mine” - Shania Twain
“I Like It, I Love It” - Tim McGraw
“Summer’s Comin’” - Clint Black
“ I Can Love You Like That” - John Michael Montgomery
“Thinkin’ About You” - Trisha Yearwod
“This Woman and This Man” - Clay Walker
“You Better Think Twice” - Vince Gill
“They’re Playin’ Our Song” - Neal McCoy
“If The World Had a Front Porch” - Tracy Lawrence
Legacy
Sales of The Woman In Me have surpassed twelve million copies since its 1995 release and the song's legacy still continues.
It appeared on the “Waking Up In Reno” soundtrack, performed by contestants on American Idol and The Voice, was prominently featured on Lip Sync Battle, Shania teamed up with Kelsea Ballerini for a rendition at a recent StageCoach festival performance.
The iconic video? It's racked up over one hundred and seventy million views. Twenty-seven years later, it is safe to say this is what a woman wants. And undoubtedly the rest of the world, too.