I Want You

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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
I want you
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
I want you
It's knowing that he knows you now after only guessing
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

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
I want you

I want you
Every night when I go off to bed and when I wake up
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
I want you

I Want You
Written byDeclan MacManus
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions
Produced byNick Lowe with Colin Fairley
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocals, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
Nick Lowe - acoustic guitar
RecordedMarch-May 1986, Olympic Studios, London
ReleasedSeptember 15, 1986
AlbumsBlood & Chocolate, 1986
SinglesI Want You, 1986
CollectionsGirls Girls Girls, 1986 ("single version")
The Very Best Of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, 1994
The Very Best Of Elvis Costello, 1999
Singles, Volume 3, 2003
The Best Of Elvis Costello The First 10 Years, 2007
In Motion Pictures, 2012
Unfaithful Music & Soundtrack Album, 2015
Various Artists collectionsPop Classics - The Long Versions 4, 1992
Greatest Hits Of The '80's, 1992
Kose Rock: The Most Beautiful Lovesongs, 1995
The Best Of Brit Pop, 1996
Tijdloze Honderd Vol 3, 1997
Not With That Clown: Great Songs Of Sexual Jealousy, 1997
Arcade Hot 100: The Complete Hits Collection, 1999
Rough Trade Shops: Singer Songwriter 1, 2006
Life Is Music, 2008
PromosUK Elvis Costello, 2002
Selections From This Year's Model - Blood & Chocolate - Brutal Youth, 2002
VideosThe Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook, 2011
MSR Studios Session, 2013
Length6:39 (most releases)
5:50 (Girls Girls Girls edit)
NoteThe edited version on Girls Girls Girls is identified as the "single version", but the actual single uses the full-length album version.

First known performance:
October 2, 1986, Los Angeles, CA
Last known performance:
2024
     (560 known performances, 44 as a snippet)


Eye.jpg
“The sound of this track was always going to be the aural equivalent of a blurred polaroid, so no apologies for the lack of fidelity. None are needed, it's just a pornographic snapshot; lots of broken glass, a squashed box of chocolates and a little blood on the wall.” Girls Girls Girls liner notes, 1989.

Alternate versions

I Want You (Live for Decades Rock Live!)
Performed byFiona Apple featuring Elvis Costello (& The Imposters)
MusiciansFiona Apple - vocal
Elvis Costello - guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Davey Faragher - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedMay 19, 2006, Atlantic City, NJ
ReleasedSeptember 26, 2006
DownloadsFiona Apple: I Want You (single), 2006
Length7:33
I Want You (MSR Studios Session)
Performed byElvis Costello & The Roots
MusiciansElvis Costello - guitar & vocals
The Roots
RecordedSeptember 2013, MSR Studios, New York, NY
ReleasedNovember 15, 2013
Length9:58
Blood & ChocolateBAC album cover large.jpg

I Want You singleI Want You UK 7" single front sleeve.jpg

Girls Girls GirlsGGG album cover 300.jpg

The Very Best Of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, 1994The Very Best Of Elvis Costello And The Attractions album cover.jpg

The Very Best Of Elvis Costello, 1999The Very Best Of Elvis Costello (2CD) album cover.jpg

Singles, Volume 3Singles Volume 3 album cover.jpg

Fiona Apple - I Want You iTunes single.jpg

The Best Of Elvis Costello The First 10 YearsThe Best Of Elvis Costello The First 10 Years album cover.jpg

The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning SongbookThe Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook album cover.jpg

In Motion PicturesIn Motion Pictures album cover.jpg

Unfaithful Music & Soundtrack AlbumUnfaithful Music & Soundtrack Album album cover.jpg

Covers

Art of Time Ensemble with Steven Page A Singer Must Die 2010 websitewebsiteiTunes
Art of Time Ensemble with Steven Page performed live, 2010-03-07, North Bay, Ontario 2010 Youtube
Fiona Apple I Want You (Live for Decades Rock Live!)Download-only single 2006 websiteYoutube
Tom Barman performed live, 2001-02-16, Mechelen, Belgium 2001 info
Betsy Blue performed live 2001 info needed
Betty Blue 10 Live Years 1997 website
Blue Afternoon It Ain't Easy Being Cheesy   (cassette)   Various artists 2000 info
Bonnie Brett The Elvis Costello Songbook 2003 The Elvis Costello Songbook
Congratulators performed live, 1999 1999 info needed
Lou Dalgleish performed live infoinfo
Stuart Davis Davis Does Elvis(internet-only release) 2004 websiteinfo
John Easdale And Friends performed live, 2003-03-27, EC tribute, Knitting Factory, Los Angeles 2003 archive.org
Elastic No-No Band Every Elvis Has His Impersonators 2008 AmazonAllMusic
The Flying Zucchinis performed live, 2009, Amsterdam 2009 YouTubeYouTube
Joe Hurley The Loser's Lounge Tribute to Elvis CostelloVarious artists 2002 LosersLounge
Joe Hurley Live At Loser's Lounge 2006 website
Storm Large And The Balls performed live, 2003 & 2009, Portland, OR 2003 websiteYouTubeYouTube
Kim Linekin performed live, 1996-04-12, Yellow Door Coffeehouse, Montreal, Québec, Canada 1996
Lydia Lunch & Cypress Grove Under The Covers 2017 AllMusicBandcampDiscogsYouTube
Lotte Kestner Extra Covers Collection 2012 Bandcamp.comYouTube
Patricia O'Callaghan performed in CBC film Youkali Hotel, 2003 2003 info
Patricia O'Callaghan & Gryphon Trio Broken Hearts & Madmen 2011 AllMusic
The Pee Chees demo 1997 info
Raymond van het Groenewoud Neem Je Tijd - 16 CoversVarious artists 1990 info
Scarfo Cosmonaut No. 77" single 1997 WikipediaDiscogsYouTube
Scarfo Picture This7" single 1997 Discogs
Erich Sellheim home studio production, sung in German 2019 YouTube
Tamco Don't Think Twice 2010 AllMusicAmazon
Lucretia Van Der Vloot Altijd Over Liefde 2007 websiteAmazon
The Wantones I Want You 2008 AllMusicinfo

Chords

A      E    A    A                     A7     E
Oh my baby baby   I love you more than I can tell
   A                 A7      D(/A)
I don't think I can live without you
        A          E     A
And I know that I never will
A      E    A      A               A7          E
Oh my baby baby I want you so it scares me to death
   A            A7           D(/A)
I can't say anymore than "I love you"
           A          E7       F#m
Everything else is a waste of breath

D#m

Em       G
 I want you
        C                B7
You've had your fun you don't get well no more
Em       G
 I want you
      C              B                 D#m
Your fingernails go dragging down the wall
    B7      C           B7
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

Internal links

External links