Hello and welcome to Hearing Double, where I compare and contrast two unrelated songs of the same name and decide which one does the song’s title the most justice!
To my loyal column readers, please forgive me for what I’m about to do. Though I have a long list of matching titles to compare, I’ve decided to compare two songs this week that are almost exactly the same, but not quite identical. This may be considered cheating, but I feel like you’ll be more understanding when I reveal the titles.
This week is about getting what you want, or more accurately, who you want. I’ll be comparing “I Only Wanna Be with You” by Bay City Rollers and “Only Wanna Be With You” by Hootie & The Blowfish.
Immediately upon researching “I Only Wanna Be with You” by Bay City Rollers, released in 1975, I discovered that the original was released by Dusty Springfield over a decade earlier under the title “I Only Want to Be With You.” For those of us who grew up in the 21st century, it can be nearly impossible to find out who sang the song first. I mean, my sister thought “Fast Car” was Luke Combs’ original song.
I won’t claim to know the Bay City Rollers like the back of my hand, but what I can say is that all their top hits are full of fun and whimsicality. Between “I Only Wanna Be with You,” “Bye Bye Baby” and “Saturday Night,” their top three most popular songs on Spotify, they certainly have a danceable catalog.
The lyrics of “I Only Wanna Be with You” doesn’t tell the love story of the narrator and his partner. Instead, they just focus on the result:
“I don’t know what it is that makes me love you so / I only know I never wanna let you go / ‘Cause you’ve started something, can’t you see / That ever since we met you’ve had a hold on me?”
The story seems to be about love at first sight. Once the narrator met this woman, he was irreparably and unconditionally in love with her. As the title suggests, she became the only person he needed.
Lyrically, the song falls a bit flat. The message is clear and concise, but I tend to gravitate towards songs with more interpretative lyrics and deeper meanings. Meaningful lyrics make you think. They make you want to explore what the words mean to the artist and what they mean to you. As much as I love this song, it just doesn’t achieve this goal.
The sound is a different story. “I Only Wanna Be with You” by Bay City Rollers is among the original group of songs I added to my now 40+ hour playlist entitled “Upbeat Oldies” (@justinepearlman on Spotify) that I started five years ago. It’s energetic and perfect for any happy occasion.
I wouldn’t exactly look to Bay City Rollers for meaningful, profound lyrics, but if fun is what you’re looking for, then they’re your guys.
“Only Wanna Be With You” by Hootie & The Blowfish offers a much different lyrical experience than the Bay City Rollers version. Intertwined with references to Bob Dylan, the song tells the story of a love where both partners are equally flawed but somehow perfect together.
Is it weird to say that there’s something beautiful about a mutually toxic but loving relationship? I mean, who doesn’t love a “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” style romance?
The narrator illustrates their mutual flaws, “You look at me, you’ve got nothing left to say / I moan and pout at you until I get my way / I won’t dance, you won’t sing / I just wanna love you but you wanna wear my ring,” yet he still confesses “You can call me your fool / I only wanna be with you.”
Fool is the perfect word to describe the love that Hootie & The Blowfish talks about. Loving this person may be crazy and unadvisable, but it just might be worth it. Olivia Newton-John sings it best in “Grease”: “I’m hopelessly devoted to you.”
The lyrics contain references to Bob Dylan, direct quotations from his songs, and direct mention of his name. I was disappointed to read that this ended up in an out-of-court settlement when Dylan’s management team objected to the use of these lyrics, despite lead singer Darius Rucker’s claims that Dylan was aware of the lyrics before the song was released.
“Only Wanna Be With You” feels upbeat even with its moody grunge music style. It’s more mellow than the previous song, but it’s not sad or angsty.
Both songs do exactly what their titles intend. Released 20 years apart, the love songs differ immensely, lyrically and sonically, but they both romanticize one true love. In the face of love, it seems, both narrators are hopeless fools.
Based on my emphasis on the need for meaningful lyricism, I’m sure it comes to no surprise that Hootie & The Blowfish’s rendition is the winner here. The song may be problematic based on the relationship described in the lyrics and the legal consequences of the Dylan references, but every good thing comes at a price, right?
Title Winner: Hootie & The Blowfish