"I can change, I can change, I can change, if it helps you fall in love."
James Murphy sounds like he’s pleading. Or maybe he’s lying to himself. Honestly, anyone who has ever spent a 3:00 AM wondering why their relationships keep hitting the same brick wall knows that specific, desperate vibration in his voice. It’s the centerpiece of "I Can Change," the standout track from LCD Soundsystem’s 2010 album This Is Happening. But there is a reason why people search for the double-refrain—the i can change i can change repetition—long after the indie-sleaze era supposedly died out. It’s because the song isn’t actually about self-improvement. It’s about the pathetic, beautiful, and ultimately doomed promise to morph into someone else just to keep a person from leaving.
Music is weird like that.
The Sound of Desperation (and Synthesizers)
Most people remember the synth line first. It’s a shimmering, eighties-indebted pulse that feels like it was ripped straight out of a Yazoo or Depeche Mode B-side. It’s bouncy. It’s almost happy. But then Murphy starts singing about being "scared of the dark" and "never having gone to sleep." The contrast is the point. You’ve got this incredibly danceable beat backing a lyric that is basically a panic attack set to a metronome.
The song was recorded at the legendary Mansion in Los Angeles, a place with its own haunted history. Murphy has talked about how the track came together relatively quickly compared to the more architectural builds of songs like "All My Friends." It’s raw. While the lyrics "i can change i can change" act as the hook, they function more like a mantra for the desperate. It’s the sound of someone negotiating with the inevitable. If you look at the track's structure, it doesn’t follow a traditional pop arc. It builds, it swirls, and it relies on that repetition to drive home the obsession.
Why We Keep Looping "I Can Change"
There’s a psychological hook here.
When we talk about the phrase i can change i can change, we aren't just talking about a song title. We are talking about the universal lie of the romantic "chameleon." Dr. Harriet Lerner, a clinical psychologist and author of The Dance of Anger, often discusses how individuals in high-anxiety relationships will offer "over-functioning" or "self-erasure" to maintain a connection. Murphy captures this perfectly. He isn't saying he wants to change for his own sake. He’s offering it as a transaction. "If it helps you fall in love."
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It is a terrible deal.
The repetition in the lyrics—that specific i can change i can change cadence—mimics the way we talk to ourselves when we’re spiraling. We repeat the lie until it sounds like a plan. But as anyone who has actually tried to pivot their entire personality for a partner knows, the "change" is usually just a temporary mask.
The Gear That Made the Ghost
For the gear nerds out there, the texture of this track is what gives the "i can change i can change" refrain its weight. Murphy is famously obsessed with analog equipment. We're talking about the EMS VCS3, various Roland Jupiter series synths, and that crisp, dry percussion that defines the DFA Records sound.
- The use of a simple, driving kick drum provides the "heartbeat" of the anxiety.
- The oscillating synth swells represent the emotional highs and lows.
- The vocal delivery is notably less "shouty" than earlier LCD tracks, opting for a vulnerable croon that feels almost like a secret.
It’s the lack of irony that makes it work. In the early 2000s, everything was layered in five coats of snark. By the time This Is Happening arrived, Murphy was willing to be uncool. Being uncool is the most "human" thing about the song.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lyrics
There’s a common misconception that this is a "wedding song" or a romantic ballad. I’ve seen people play this at receptions. Please stop doing that. If you actually listen to the verses, he’s talking about how "love is a murderer" and "love is a curse."
It’s a breakup song disguised as a disco track.
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The phrase i can change i can change isn't a promise of a bright future; it’s a death rattle of a relationship that has already ended. He’s "turning into a door" for someone. That’s not romance. That’s a lack of boundaries. The brilliance of LCD Soundsystem lies in that specific intersection of "I want to dance" and "I want to cry in the bathroom of the club."
The Legacy of the 2010 Indie Wave
Wait, let's look at the context. 2010 was a pivot point. We were moving away from the garage rock revival of The Strokes and into a more electronic, introspective space. Bands like Arcade Fire were winning Grammys for The Suburbs, and LCD Soundsystem was supposedly "retiring" (a retirement that lasted about as long as a New Year's resolution).
"I Can Change" was the moment Murphy proved he wasn't just a curator of cool sounds. He was a songwriter of the highest order. The song peaked on various alternative charts, but its real life has been in the digital long-tail. It’s a staple on "Late Night Drive" playlists and "Melancholy Indie" mixes. The i can change i can change hook has been sampled, covered, and quoted because it hits a nerve that doesn’t age.
- Fact: The song was nominated for a "Best Dance Recording" Grammy, but it’s arguably more of a synth-pop ballad.
- Fact: The music video features a minimalist, glitchy aesthetic that mirrors the "fracturing" of the narrator's identity.
- Real Talk: The live version from the Madison Square Garden "final" show (documented in Shut Up and Play the Hits) is significantly more aggressive. You can hear the exhaustion in the "i can change i can change" delivery there. It feels more like a threat than a plea.
How to Apply the "I Can Change" Philosophy (Without the Heartbreak)
If you find yourself relating too hard to the i can change i can change sentiment, it might be time for a reality check. In the world of behavioral science, change is a slow-burn process involving the prefrontal cortex and a lot of repeated action. It isn't a switch you flip because you're scared of being alone on a Friday night.
Murphy’s narrator is failing because his "change" is external.
Real change? That’s internal. It’s boring. It involves therapy and habit tracking and probably drinking more water. It doesn’t happen in a four-minute synth-pop masterpiece. But that doesn’t mean the song isn't useful. It serves as a mirror. When you hear that i can change i can change line, ask yourself: Who am I changing for? If the answer is "to help someone else fall in love," you’re probably just writing your own sad indie song.
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Actionable Takeaways for the LCD Fan
If you want to dive deeper into the world of LCD Soundsystem or the themes of "I Can Change," here is how to actually engage with it beyond just hitting repeat on Spotify:
Listen to the influences. Check out "Don't Go" by Yazoo and "Never Let Me Down Again" by Depeche Mode. You’ll hear the DNA of the i can change i can change synth architecture. Seeing where the sound comes from makes the modern interpretation much richer.
Watch the documentary. Shut Up and Play the Hits isn't just a concert movie. It’s a study of a man (James Murphy) trying to change his life by quitting the very thing he’s best at. It adds a whole new layer to the lyrics when you realize the artist was struggling with his own identity shifts while performing them.
Analyze your "Chameleon" moments. Use the song as a litmus test. If the lyrics i can change i can change feel like your personal anthem, take a step back. Journaling about where you feel the need to "morph" for others can be a genuine catalyst for the kind of change that actually sticks.
Explore the DFA Catalog. If you like the production, don't stop at LCD. Look into The Juan MacLean or Museum of Love. The "i can change i can change" vibe—that clean, driving, emotional electronica—is a hallmark of the entire label's output from that era.
The song remains a masterpiece because it refuses to give a happy answer. It just lets the question hang there, pulsing in the dark. James Murphy never tells us if he actually changed. He just keeps repeating the phrase until the music stops.
Sometimes, that’s all we can do, too._