Released July 17, 1995 Recorded 1994 Length 3:46 | Format CD single Genre Pop rock, jam band Label Atlantic | |
"Only Wanna Be with You" is a song by American rock group Hootie & the Blowfish. It was released in July 1995 as the third single from their breakthrough album, Cracked Rear View. It peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, number one on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart, number 3 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and number 2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. It is arguably the band's signature song.
Contents
Content
One verse of the song describes "[putting] on a little Dylan." The verse then references three songs on the first side of Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks album. The lyric "sittin' on a fence" quotes Dylan's "You're a Big Girl Now." The song then references and quotes extensively from the next song on the album, Dylan's "Idiot Wind". The song then mentions Dylan's "Tangled up in Blue." Apparently, however, Dylan felt that the references to his works infringed on his original work, causing him to sue Hootie for unauthorized use of his lyrics. VH1 reported that Dylan received a large, out-of-court settlement in 1995.
Also mentioned in the bridge of the song is a reference "I'm such a baby cause the Dolphins make me cry," alluding to Darius Rucker's favorite football team and their championship drought.
Music video
The music video, similar to the song, had a sports theme, incorporating many elements from ESPN SportsCenter. The video featured appearances by (then-current) SportsCenter anchors Keith Olbermann, Dan Patrick, Mike Tirico, Charley Steiner and Chris Berman, reporting on the band playing in games with several professional athletes, including Dan Marino, Fred Couples, Alonzo Mourning, Muggsy Bogues, Alex English, Walt Williams, and Charles Smith. Rucker said the video was his idea, adding, "It was just a way to meet all our idols."
Cover versions
Parodies
Bob Rivers recorded a parody of the song, "Three Inch Tool", as part of his 1997 compilation album Best Of Twisted Tunes Vol. 1.
Year-end charts
In December 2007, VH1 placed it at No. 45 on their countdown for the "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s".