compared the song's "breathy refrain" to 70's/80's group Blondie, while Paul Brannigan also compared the song to Blondie ["... gone Eurodisco"] in his album review for Kerrang!. In a review for Select, John Harris wrote that "When I Grow Up" was "one of the album's only real troughs", adding that the lyrical matter makes the song sound like "the kind of icky floss they play at the end of California Dreams. Tom Laskin, in his review for Goldmine, noted Manson's "fluffy Kim Wilde delivery" wasn't very interesting, but that it fitted the "buoyant pop setting". In single reviews for Billboard, Chuck Taylor wrote that the song was "edgier, more daring, and lots more fun than the average pop hit", and later described the "Pop Mix" as "an artful slice of bubblegum". Michael Paolettea wrote of the Danny Tenaglia remixes, "with a rubbery bassline, squiggly synth patterns and "Plastic Dreams" inspired drum programming... the song now travels down a road less rocky, but no less energetic". Track listings UK cassette Mushroom MUSH43MCS"When I Grow Up" – 3:24 "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" – 2:55UK CD1 Mushroom MUSH43CDS"When I Grow Up" – 3:24 "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" – 2:55 "When I Grow Up" (Danny Tenaglia's Club mix) – 11:08UK CD2 Mushroom MUSH43CDSX"When I Grow Up" – 3:24 "Tornado" – 3:45 "Special" (Rickidy Raw's R+B mix) – 3:25 UK 3" CD Mushroom MUSH43CDSXXX"When I Grow Up" – 3:24 "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" – 2:55 "Tornado" – 3:45 "When I Grow Up" (Danny Tenaglia's Club mix) – 11:08American 12" single Almo Sounds AMS12-88007"When I Grow Up" (Danny Tenaglia's Club mix) – 11:08 "Special" (Brothers in Rhythm mix) – 7:24 "When I Grow Up" (Danny Tenaglia's Club mix edit) – 4:00Australia CD maxi Festival MUSH01863.2Europe CD maxi BMG 74321 63492 2"When I Grow Up" – 3:24 "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" – 2:55 "Tornado" – 3:45 "When I Grow Up" (Danny Tenaglia's Club mix) – 9:59Europe CD single BMG 74321 63493 2' "When I Grow Up" – 3:24 "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" – 2:55 Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts Release history References External links Garbage official website "When I Grow Up" lyrics "When I Grow Up" music video / US version / Big Daddy version "When I Grow Up" release discography 1999 singles Garbage (band) songs Music videos directed by Sophie Muller Song recordings produced by Butch