I Want You
Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello
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Oh my baby baby I love you more than I can tell I don't think I can live without you And I know that I never will Oh my baby baby I want you so it scares me to death I can't say anymore than "I love you" Everything else is a waste of breath I want you You've had your fun you don't get well no more I want you Your fingernails go dragging down the wall Be careful darling you might fall I want you I woke up and one of us was crying I want you You said "Young man I do believe you're dying" I want you If you need a second opinion as you seem to do these days You can look in my eyes and you can count the ways I want you Did you mean to tell me but seem to forget I want you Since when were you so generous and inarticulate I want you It's the stupid details that my heart is breaking for It's the way your shoulders shake and what they're shaking for It's knowing that he knows you now after only guessing I want you It's the thought of him undressing you or you undressing I want you He tossed some tatty compliment your way I want you And you were fool enough to love it when he said "I want you" I want you The truth can't hurt you it's just like the dark It scares you witless But in time you see things clear and stark I want you Go on and hurt me then we'll let it drop I want you I'm afraid I won't know where to stop I want you I'm not ashamed to say I cried for you I want you I want to know the things you did that we do too I want you I want to hear he pleases you more than I do I want you I might as well be useless for all it means to you I want you Did you call his name out as he held you down I want you Oh no my darling not with that clown I want you You've had your fun you don't get well no more I want you No-one who wants you could want you more I want you Every night when I go off to bed and when I wake up I want you I want you I'm going to say it again 'til I instill it I know I'm going to feel this way until you kill it I want you I want you
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Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
8 facts about this song
Artist Facts"I Want You" was recorded by Elvis Costley during the 1980s, a highly prolific time for this British artist. The song defines Costello's skill in blending country, pop, and punk-rock styles.
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Album FactsThe song was first released on Costello's album "Blood & Chocolate" in 1986. This was Costello's eleventh album and was produced by Nick Lowe, a singer-songwriter who had a longstanding relationship with Costello.
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Songwriting FactsThe lyrics of "I Want You" are noteworthy for their intensity. Costello is reported as saying that the song was written about obsession and jealousy, which, he has said, are the roots of all his songs.
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Chart PerformanceThe song did not chart high in the UK or US, but it quickly became a fan favorite, often cited as one of Costello's most powerful and emotional songs.
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Live Performance FactsIn the live performances of "I Want You," the song often lasts for over eight minutes, with Costello sometimes changing the lyrics to suit the mood or the circumstance. It's a song he still regularly performs at his shows.
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Cover VersionOne of the more noteworthy covers of "I Want You" was by Fiona Apple on the Elvis Costello & The Attractions tribute album "Beyond Belief," released in 2003.
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Film & TV Appearances"I Want You" is often used in films and TV shows to underscore dramatic moments, including the films "Basquiat" (1996) and "I Want You" (1998). The song was used several times in the series "The Americans," which tracks the activities of two Russian spies living in the USA during the Cold War.
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Music VideoA music video was released featuring Costley and his band The Attractions performing the song. Notably, this video does not feature any of the illustrational imagery or narrative structures popular in the ’80s, but rather focuses exclusively on the emotional intensity of the performance.
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Citation
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"I Want You Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/6809600/Elvis+Costello/I+Want+You>.
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