I Want You (Savage Garden song) explained

I Want You
Cover:Savage-Garden-I-Want-You.jpg
Caption:1997 North American and UK cover
Type:single
Artist:Savage Garden
Album:Savage Garden
B-Side:
Genre:Synth-pop
Length:3:53
Label:Roadshow
Producer:Charles Fisher
Next Title:To the Moon and Back
Next Year:1996

"I Want You" is a song by Australian pop duo Savage Garden, originally released in Australia on 27 May 1996 as the lead single from their eponymous debut album, Savage Garden (1997). The single reached number one in Canada and peaked at number four in Australia and on the US Billboard Hot 100. Much of the song's chart success in the US was the result of Rosie O'Donnell playing the song on several episodes of The Rosie O'Donnell Show.[1] In the United Kingdom, the single was issued twice, achieving its highest peak of number 11 during its initial release in 1997.

At the APRA Music Awards of 1998 "I Want You" won Most Performed Australian Work Overseas.[2] In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, the album version of the song was ranked number 87.[3] In February 2023, Peking Duk released a version featuring re-recorded vocals by Darren Hayes.[4] [5]

Content

The song's lyrics refer to the attraction exerted by a person possessing strong sex appeal. They fascinate the singer and arouse his curiosity, even though he is not sure whether he needs them at all. Singer Darren Hayes described it as a song about "being in love with a male energy", when asked if the song had a coded gay message.[6]

In an interview with Apple Music about their debut album, Darren Hayes also said:

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard noted that the song "has a jittery synth-pop beat reminiscent of such '80s-era Brit-pop heroes as Duran Duran." He added, "Partners Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones are quite the harmonious pair, and they are photogenic enough to ensure instant teen-idol status. Top 40 programmers should waste no time in slammin' this one on the air."[7] British magazine Music Week rated it five out of five, describing it as "a great pop song akin to Roxette at their hook-happy best" and "a challenger for the UK number one spot".[8]

Music videos

Two music videos were released for the song. Both videos present Darren Hayes with long black hair. The first video is a low-budget version released in 1996 for Australian markets. It showed the band performing in a room full of disco lights and Darren Hayes singing on the back of a moving vehicle.

The second video was filmed on a high budget and premiered in 1997 for international markets in conjunction with the single's worldwide and American releases. Directed by Nigel Dick, it features the band in a stylised futuristic warehouse and recording studio. It was filmed on 11 February 1997 at the Harbor Generating Station in Long Beach, California.[9] The international version was featured on the band's compilation (2005), while the Australian version was not available until the release of the compilation The Singles (2015).

In a 2022 interview with News Corp, Darren Hayes "said he only recently discovered the reason he was filmed in a metal head brace [for the video]... was 'because the lead singer looks gay when he moves.'" Hayes added, "They were just going to tell me it was an ‘artistic decision’. I'm still fucking angry about that."[10]

Track listings

Australia

  1. "I Want You" – 3:53
  2. "Fire Inside the Man" – 4:11
  1. "I Want You" (original radio version) – 3:54
  2. "I Want You" (Flu club mix) – 6:22
  3. "I Want You" (Pee Wee club mix) – 6:30
  4. "I Want You" (Flu radio edit) – 3:44
  5. "I Want You" (Flu Midnight mix) – 6:24

United Kingdom

  1. "I Want You" (album version)
  2. "I Want You" (Xenomania Funky mix)
  3. "I Want You" (Xenomania 12-inch club mix)
  4. "I Want You" (Sharp Miami mix)

A1. "I Want You" (Xenomania Funky mix)

A2. "I Want You" (Xenomania 12-inch club mix)

B1. "I Want You" (Sharp Miami mix)

B2. "I Want You" (album version)

  1. "I Want You" (album version)
  2. "Promises"
  1. "I Want You '98" (Bascombe mix)
  2. "I Want You '98" (Sash! radio edit)
  3. "To the Moon and Back" (karaoke version)
  1. "I Want You '98" (Sash! extended mix)
  2. "I Want You" (Sharp Miami mix)
  3. "I Want You" (Xenomania Funky mix)
  1. "I Want You '98" (Bascombe mix)
  2. "I Want You '98" (Sash! radio edit)

Europe

  1. "I Want You" (radio version) – 3:37
  2. "I Want You" (hot radio mix) – 3:33
  1. "I Want You" (radio version) – 3:37
  2. "I Want You" (Pee Wee Club mix) – 6:28
  3. "Tears of Pearls" – 3:47
  4. "Mine (And You Could Be)" – 4:29

United States

  1. "I Want You" – 3:52
  2. "Tears of Pearls" – 3:47
  1. "I Want You" (album version) – 3:52
  2. "I Want You" (Jason Nevins' radio remix) – 3:37
  3. "I Want You" (Bastone club mix) – 8:30
  4. "I Want You" (I Need I Want mix) – 7:55
  5. "I Want You" (hot radio mix) – 3:33

A1. "I Want You" (Jason Nevins' radio remix) – 3:37

A2. "I Want You" (album version) – 3:52

B1. "I Want You" (Bastone club mix) – 8:30

B2. "I Want You" (I Need I Want mix) – 7:55

Japan

  1. "I Want You" (album version) – 3:53
  2. "I Want You" (Jason Nevins' radio remix) – 3:38
  3. "I Want You" (Bastone club mix) – 8:31
  4. "I Want You" (I Need I Want mix) – 7:56
  5. "I Want You" (hot radio mix) – 3:34

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the Savage Garden album booklet.[27]

Studios

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

"I Want You"

Chart (1996–1997)Peak
position
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[28] 1
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[29] 16
Hungary (Mahasz)[30] 5
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[31] 9
Poland (Music & Media)[32] 7

"I Want You '98"

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[34] 8
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[35] 61
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[36] 28
France (SNEP)[37] 88
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[38] 80
UK Singles (OCC)[39] 189
US Billboard Hot 100[40] 22
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[41] 9
US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[42] 10

Decade-end charts

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
Australia27 May 1996Roadshow[44]
United States11 February 1997Columbia[45] [46]
Contemporary hit radio[47]
Japan23 April 1997CDSony[48]
United Kingdom2 June 1997Columbia[49]
United Kingdom (re-release)30 November 1998[50]

In popular culture

The song was used in Australian TV series Heartbreak High, during a dance sequence in an episode in which Katerina Ioannou (Ada Nicodemou) falls for her married dance partner.

The song is also used as the ending theme of the anime adaptation of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, during Part 4: Diamond Is Unbreakable.[51]

This song would later be featured on The CW drama series, Supernatural, during the opening scene of their thirteenth episode of their final season, "Destiny's Child" when an alternate universe version of protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester unexpectedly arrive.

The song is played at the school dance in Dawson's Creek in the second episode of Season One.

The Ryan Enzed remix, The Chica Cherry Cola Song is popularly the theme for viral shuffledance video online.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Australian Duo Savage Garden Earning International Success. Shuster. Fred. The Spokesman-Review. 20 July 1997. 8 November 2021.
  2. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20090918020033/http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/MusicAwards/History/1998Winners.aspx . 1998 Winners - APRA Music Awards . Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) . 18 September 2009 . 4 August 2018 .
  3. News: Musicfeeds. Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'. 4 January 2020. 27 January 2018.
  4. Web site: Peking Duk and Darren Hayes reimagine Savage Garden's 'I Want You'. NME. 10 February 2023. 11 February 2023. Alex Gallagher.
  5. Web site: Peking Duk - I Want You (feat Darren Hayes). Spotify. 10 February 2023. 11 February 2023.
  6. Savage Garden's Darren Hayes on Behind-The-Scenes Reactions to His Coming Out, Admiring Michael Jackson & Adam Lambert. Billboard. 17 September 2018.
  7. Reviews & Previews: Singles – New & Noteworthy. Flick. Larry. Billboard. 109. 8. 81. 22 February 1997. 4 December 2020. Larry Flick.
  8. Reviews: Singles. Music Week. 24 May 1997. 18. 26 May 2022.
  9. Web site: Productions 1997 .
  10. Web site: Darren Hayes reveals sad detail about iconic Savage Garden video. Q News. Hirst. Jordan. 11 October 2022. 12 October 2022.
  11. I Want You. Savage Garden. 1996. Australian CD single liner notes. Roadshow Music. 17494-2.
  12. I Want You. Savage Garden. 1996. Australian cassette single sleeve. Roadshow Music. 100267-4.
  13. I Want You. Savage Garden. 1996. Australian remixes CD single liner notes. Roadshow Music. 17494-2.
  14. I Want You. Savage Garden. 1997. UK CD single liner notes. Columbia Records. 664545 2.
  15. I Want You. Savage Garden. 1997. UK 12-inch single sleeve. Columbia Records. 664545 6.
  16. I Want You. Savage Garden. 1997. UK cassette single sleeve. Columbia Records. 664545 4.
  17. I Want You '98. Savage Garden. 1998. UK CD1 liner notes. Columbia Records. 666733 2.
  18. I Want You '98. Savage Garden. 1998. UK CD2 liner notes. Columbia Records. 666733 5.
  19. I Want You '98. Savage Garden. 1998. UK cassette single sleeve. Columbia Records. 666733 4.
  20. I Want You. Savage Garden. 1997. European CD1 liner notes. Columbia Records. COL 664294 1.
  21. I Want You. Savage Garden. 1997. European CD2 liner notes. Columbia Records. COL 664294 2.
  22. I Want You. Savage Garden. 1997. US CD single liner notes. Columbia Records. 38K 78503.
  23. I Want You. Savage Garden. 1997. US cassette single sleeve. Columbia Records. 38T 78503.
  24. I Want You. Savage Garden. 1997. US maxi-CD single liner notes. Columbia Records. 44K 78505.
  25. I Want You. Savage Garden. 1997. US 12-inch single sleeve. Columbia Records. 44 78505.
  26. I Want You. Savage Garden. 1997. Japanese CD single liner notes. Sony Records. SRCS 8308.
  27. Savage Garden. Savage Garden (Savage Garden album). 1996. Australian CD album booklet. Roadshow Music. 100813-2.
  28. Savage Garden Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales). Billboard. 21 October 2023.
  29. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 14. 26. 18. 28 June 1997. 15 April 2020.
  30. Top National Sellers. Music & Media. 14. 29. 14. 19 July 1997. 6 May 2018.
  31. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 219 Vikuna 1.5. '97 – 7.5. '97). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 20. 2 May 1997. 12 July 2018.
  32. Major Market Airplay – Week 21/1997. Music & Media. 14. 21. 23. 24 May 1997. 1 February 2021.
  33. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1996. ARIA. 19 January 2021.
  34. RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 9 January 2020.
  35. RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 9 January 2020.
  36. RPM '97 Year End Top 50 Dance Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 9 January 2020.
  37. Web site: Tops de L'année Top Singles 1997. SNEP. fr. 19 January 2021.
  38. Web site: Årslista Singlar, 1997. Sverigetopplistan. sv. 19 January 2021.
  39. Web site: Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1997. pl. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150604144848/http://hosting1642755.az.pl/sp%20uk%20best%201997.html. 4 June 2015. 2 July 2019.
  40. Web site: Billboard Top 100 – 1997. 28 August 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090611194337/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1997. 11 June 2009.
  41. The Year in Music 1997: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks. Billboard. 109. 52. YE-83. 27 December 1997.
  42. Best of '97: Top 40/Mainstream Singles. Airplay Monitor. 5. 52. 38. 26 December 1997.
  43. Web site: Top 100 Singles of the 1990s. Lwin. Nanda. Jam!. https://web.archive.org/web/20000829070927/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100_1990.html. 29 August 2000. 26 March 2022.
  44. Web site: New Release Summary – Product Available from: 27/5/96 (from The ARIA Report Issue No. 327). ARIA. Imgur. 2 April 2017.
  45. Web site: I Want You / Tears of Pearls. Amazon. 13 July 2021.
  46. Web site: I Want You. Amazon. 13 July 2021.
  47. New Releases. Radio & Records. 1183. 39. 7 February 1997. 3 September 2021.
  48. Web site: アイ・ウォント・ユー サヴェージ・ガーデン. I Want You Savage Garden. Oricon. ja. 29 August 2023.
  49. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 33. 31 May 1997. 13 July 2021.
  50. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 28. 28 November 1998. 13 July 2021.
  51. Web site: 9 July 2016 . Darren Hayes on Twitter: "Thrilled that so many folks are happy we allowed 'I Want You' to be used in #jojo_anime - it's a cool show and I was happy to say yes." . 2 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160709014021/https://twitter.com/darrenhayes/status/718702028055121920 . 9 July 2016 .

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