South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut hit theaters in 1999. It was loud. It was crude. It somehow managed to get an Oscar nomination for a song about "Blame Canada." But buried in the middle of all that chaos is a sequence that has lived on in meme culture, TikTok edits, and deep-dive Reddit threads for over twenty-five years. We’re talking about the I Can Change South Park musical number.
If you haven’t seen the film recently, you might just remember it as "that one song where Saddam Hussein is in bed with Satan." On the surface, yeah, that’s exactly what it is. It’s peak Trey Parker and Matt Stone absurdity. But honestly? There is something incredibly dark and deeply recognizable about the psychology of that scene. It isn't just a joke about a dictator. It is one of the most accurate depictions of a toxic, manipulative relationship ever put to animation.
Saddam Hussein is dead. He’s in Hell. He’s dating the Prince of Darkness. And he’s doing exactly what every toxic partner in history has done: he’s gaslighting. He’s promising the world while delivering nothing. When we look at the I Can Change South Park moment today, it’s less about the shock value of 1990s political satire and more about how it captures a universal human experience. That feeling of "I can fix him."
🔗 Read more: Rubble and Crew Episodes: Why the Spin-off Is Actually Winning Over Parents
The Weirdly Real Psychology of Saddam and Satan
Trey Parker has always been a fan of Broadway. You can see it in The Book of Mormon. You see it in Cannibal! The Musical. The I Can Change South Park sequence is essentially a twisted Disney "I Want" song. Satan—who, in a brilliant subversion, is the sensitive, emotional one in the relationship—is tired of being treated like garbage. Saddam is the narcissistic boyfriend who just wants to use Satan's power to get back to the surface and take over the world.
The lyrics are simple. "I can change, I can change!" Saddam belts it out with this faux-sincerity that is frankly chilling if you've ever dealt with a real-world manipulator. He isn't actually promising to be a better person. He's promising to change just enough to keep Satan from leaving. It’s the cycle of abuse played out with construction-paper cutouts.
Why the Song Sticks in Your Head
Musically, it’s a bop. Marc Shaiman, who co-composed the film's score, helped elevate the music from "funny cartoon songs" to genuine theatrical pieces. The melody is catchy. The orchestration is lush. This creates a cognitive dissonance. You're listening to a song that sounds like it belongs in Beauty and the Beast, but the lyrics are about a dictator telling the Devil that he’ll stop being such a jerk if he just gets one more chance.
It works because it’s relatable. Everyone has that friend. Or maybe you were that person. The one who thought, "If I just love them hard enough, they’ll stop being a nightmare." Satan represents every person who has ever ignored a red flag because the person waving it was occasionally charming.
How the I Can Change South Park Scene Broke the Internet (Eventually)
Back in 1999, the "I Can Change" scene was a shock to the system. Remember, this was a time when South Park was still considered a "dangerous" show for children. Parents were terrified of it. Seeing Saddam Hussein—a very real, very active geopolitical figure at the time—depicted as a whiny, manipulative gay lover of Satan was the height of controversy.
But then the internet happened.
As the years passed, the I Can Change South Park scene transitioned from a theatrical gag to a digital shorthand. On platforms like YouTube and later TikTok, the song found a second life. It became a template for memes about people who refuse to leave bad situations. It became a way to talk about "red flag" behavior without being overly serious.
The Real-World Impact
Did you know that after the real Saddam Hussein was captured in 2003, there were reports that US Marines actually showed him the South Park movie? While some of those reports are likely exaggerated or anecdotal, the legend persists. Imagine being a deposed dictator and seeing yourself portrayed as a cartoon character singing a show tune about how you can change your ways. It’s the ultimate form of satire. It doesn't just mock the person; it strips them of their power by making them pathetic.
Why This Specific Scene Still Matters in 2026
We live in an era of "red flag" discourse. We talk about gaslighting, love bombing, and narcissism constantly. The I Can Change South Park sequence was doing this decades before these terms were part of the daily lexicon.
The scene holds up because it doesn't just mock Saddam. It mocks the idea of change without accountability. When Saddam sings about how he's "not that person anymore," we know he’s lying. We know it because he immediately follows up his promises with more demands. It’s a masterclass in writing a character who is incapable of genuine growth.
Technical Brilliance in Simplicity
Let's talk about the animation. South Park's style is intentionally "bad." It's jittery. It's flat. But in the I Can Change South Park sequence, the "bad" animation actually enhances the comedy. The way Saddam’s head flaps open when he hits the high notes? It’s hilarious. It removes the humanity from the character, making the heavy themes of emotional abuse easier to digest. It’s a sugar-coated pill of truth.
The Legacy of the Song
When people search for "I can change South Park," they aren't just looking for a clip. They are looking for a moment of shared cultural history. It marks a point where South Park evolved from a show about kids swearing to a show that could handle complex themes through the lens of the absurd.
- The Oscar Snub: While "Blame Canada" got the nomination, many fans argue "I Can Change" was the better written song. It had more narrative weight.
- The Voice Work: Matt Stone’s performance as Saddam is iconic. The high-pitched, nasally whine is instantly recognizable. It turned a monster into a caricature, which is the most effective way to handle villains.
- The Emotional Core: Oddly enough, we feel for Satan. The show manages to make the king of Hell a sympathetic figure. That is a level of writing depth that most sitcoms never achieve.
Understanding the Satire
A lot of people miss the point. They think the joke is just "Haha, Saddam is gay." That’s the surface level. The real joke is that the most evil man on earth (at the time) is using the same pathetic excuses your toxic ex used. It levels the playing field. It suggests that evil isn't always a grand, sweeping force; sometimes, it’s just a guy in a dirty tank top making excuses for why he didn't do the dishes.
Actionable Takeaways from the "I Can Change" Philosophy
While we're talking about a cartoon, the I Can Change South Park scene actually offers some "real world" insight if you look closely enough. Satire is meant to hold up a mirror, after all.
- Watch for the "I Can Change" Loop: If someone is telling you they've changed but their actions remain the same, they haven't changed. They've just changed their tactics. Saddam never actually stops being Saddam; he just gets better at convincing Satan to stay.
- Value the Power of Satire: Sometimes the best way to deal with something heavy or scary is to laugh at it. Taking the "power" away from a dictator by making him a singing cartoon character is a legitimate form of cultural catharsis.
- Appreciate the Craft: Take a second to listen to the actual composition of the song. It’s a reminder that South Park succeeded because underneath the poop jokes, there was a massive amount of talent and a deep understanding of musical theater.
If you’re going back to rewatch the movie, pay attention to the transition into this song. It’s seamless. It’s one of the few times in the film where the plot actually slows down to let a character breathe—even if that character is a murderous tyrant and the devil.
The next time you hear someone say "I can change," and you feel that little twinge of doubt in your gut, just remember Saddam's face in Hell. It’s a pretty good reminder that some people don't change—they just get better at the song and dance.
Next Steps for the South Park Fan:
- Watch the 25th Anniversary Concert at Red Rocks to hear the live orchestral versions of these songs.
- Look up the "making of" documentaries for Bigger, Longer & Uncut to see how Marc Shaiman and Trey Parker collaborated on the score.
- Re-examine the "Satan and Chris" arc in the later seasons to see how the show followed up on Satan's quest for a healthy relationship.