Released November 12, 1996 Recorded 1994 | Format CD single Genre Folk-pop | |
B-side "Cold Song"
"Rocker Girl"
"Emily" Length 4:13 (Album Version)
3:45 (Album/Radio Edit) | ||
"You Were Meant for Me" is a folk pop song written by Jewel and Steve Poltz and performed by Jewel on her first album, Pieces of You. It relates the singer's incomprehension of a failed relationship, and her inadequate attempts at moving on with her life. It was the second single from that album and went on to receive a great deal of recognition. It became a hit and reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 2 weeks, (held off by "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" by Puff Daddy & Mase & "Hypnotize" by The Notorious B.I.G.) & and went to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for a single week.
Contents
Foolish Games/You Were Meant For Me ranked at number 15 on Billboard's All Time Top 100 in 2008. When the All Time chart was retabulated for the chart's 55th anniversary in 2013, it remained in the top 20 at number 17. The song was also re-recorded for Jewel's Greatest Hits album with backing vocals from the country trio Pistol Annies.
About the record
"You Were Meant For Me" was Jewel's second single to be taken from her debut album.
Atlantic Records had Jewel re-record the song for a more radio-friendly version. Initially, the first version that was released was the "Juan Patino Radio Mix" (with a music video produced by Sean Penn). This version did not gather much attention, and it was later cancelled, with the video pulled from MTV and VH1. Jewel again went back into the studio to record the song for a third time. The version produced is known as the "radio version".
The original radio version, "Juan Patino Radio Mix", was never released commercially, but on a promotional LP titled "Phyllis Barnabee Finally Gets A Bra" in 1996. The actual "radio version" was released on a commercial CD single, and later on a re-release of Jewel's debut album "Pieces of You".
Steve Poltz later referenced the record in his song 'Happier Hour' through the lyrics "Did I ever tell you I wrote a hit with Jewel? I was truly meant for you and you were truly meant for me."
Music video
A music video was directed by Lawrence Carroll for the Radio Edit. Steve Poltz appeared in the video. In the video Jewel and Poltz appeared together in numerous scenes, most of them depicting how both of them wants to be together but always separated. In one scene, Poltz tries to reach for Jewel's hand, but a curtain appears between them and separating their hands. In another scene, Jewel lies in front of Poltz and starts to undress and reveals her underwear, but instead of reaching for him, she moves away from him, leaving Poltz with his arms raised towards her. Other scenes including Jewel lies beside a little pond with some little ships (which is also the single's cover), Jewel sits inside a boat in the middle of a room alone, and Jewel sits on a side of a bedroom while Poltz, shirtless, was in the other side and tries to reach towards her.
The video won the award for Best Female Video at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.
Track listing
US Promo (Original Promo) (PRCD6416-2)
- You Were Meant For Me (Juan Patino Mix)
- Cold Song
- Rocker Girl
- Emily
Released originally in 1995
US Promo (re-issue) (PRCD6888)
- You Were Meant For Me (album edit)
US Promo Maxi (PRCD6605)
- You Were Meant For Me (album edit)
- You Were Meant For Me (album version)
- You Were Meant For Me (acoustic version)
US CD Single (075678702129) *
- You Were Meant For Me (album edit)
- Foolish Games (album version)
This CD single was re-issued after "Foolish Games" had been released as a single from the Batman & Robin soundtrack. Keeping to the original track listing the single contained a bonus track, the radio edit of "Foolish Games". The song was not listed on the inlay of the single
European CD Single
- You Were Meant For Me (album edit)
- Cold Song
- Rocker Girl
Bellefire version
A single by the Irish girl group Bellefire was scheduled for release in June 2004, as the follow-up to "Say Something Anyway". The release was cancelled, although the track received some airplay in some far east countries. It is included on the album Spin the Wheel.
A promotional video exists and is included on a special edition of the Spin the Wheel album. The video was directed by Andy Hylton.