Only Wanna Be with You

Not to be confused with I Only Want to Be with You.

"Only Wanna Be with You" is a song by American alternative rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. After being included on the group's EP Kootchypop (1993), it was released in July 1995 as the third single from their breakthrough album, Cracked Rear View (1994). It peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Billboard Top 40/Mainstream chart, number three on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and number two on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.

"Only Wanna Be with You"
Single by Hootie & the Blowfish
from the album Cracked Rear View and the EP Kootchypop
Released	July 1995 (1995-07)[1]
Genre	Alternative rock[2][3] soft rock[4] roots rock[5]
Length	3:50
Label	Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Mark Bryan Dean Felber Darius Rucker Jim Sonefeld
Producer(s)	Don Gehman
Hootie & the Blowfish singles chronology
"Let Her Cry" (1994) "Only Wanna Be with You" (1995) "Time" (1995)
Music video
"Only Wanna Be With You" on YouTube

Internationally, "Only Wanna Be with You" topped the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart for three weeks, becoming Canada's second-most-successful song of 1995. It also found success in Iceland, rising to number four on the Icelandic Singles Chart, and reached the top 40 in Australia and New Zealand. In 2021, American rapper Post Malone released a cover of the song for the 25th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise.

Content

One verse of the song describes "[putting] on a little Dylan". The verse then references songs on Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks, quoting extensively from "Idiot Wind". The song then mentions "Tangled Up in Blue".^[6] According to Rucker, Dylan's management were aware of the lyrics and had no problem with them; however, when the song became a hit, they objected.^[7] He told Rolling Stone that "it never got to the point where we were sued... When we first did that song we sent it to the publishing company and everything was fine. We played it for years and had a really big hit with it. Then they wanted some money, and they got it."^[8] VH1 reported that Dylan received an out-of-court settlement in 1995 for $350,000.^[6]

Also mentioned in the bridge of the song is a reference, "I'm such a baby cause the Dolphins make me cry", alluding to Darius Rucker's favorite sports team, the Miami Dolphins.

Critical reception

Steve Baltin from Cash Box picked "Only Wanna Be with You" as Pick of the Week, writing that "this catchy upbeat gem shows why Hootie & The Blowfish can do no wrong when it comes to the charts." He added, "Hootie’s sound is never more mainstream than it is here, as the rocking and danceable beat is accompanied by a perky chorus of “I only wanna be with you.” Like their previous hit singles, this track will rocket up the charts, gaining huge support from AAA and CHR."^[9]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Only Wanna Be with You", similar to the song, had a sports theme, incorporating many elements from ESPN's SportsCenter. The video featured appearances by (then-current) SportsCenter anchors Keith Olbermann, Dan Patrick, Mike Tirico, Charley Steiner and Chris Berman, reporting on the band playing in games with several professional athletes, including Dan Marino, Fred Couples, Gary McCord, Alonzo Mourning, Muggsy Bogues, Alex English, Walt Williams, and Charles Smith.^[6][10] Rucker said the video was his idea, adding, "It was just a way to meet all our idols."^[11]

A portion of the music video was filmed on the Poolesville Golf Course and Potomac Valley Lodge in Poolesville, Maryland,^[12] as well as on the floor of Reckord Armory at the University of Maryland.^[13] Additionally, the scenes in which Rucker and Dan Marino are playing catch, were filmed on the football field of Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale, Illinois.

Track listings

US cassette single^[14]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Only Wanna Be with You" (radio edit)
2.	"Where Were You"

European and Australian CD single^[15]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Only Wanna Be with You"	3:46
2.	"Use Me" (live)	5:11
3.	"Only Wanna Be with You" (live)	4:00

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "Only Wanna Be with You" Chart (1995–1996) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[16] 40 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[17] 1 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[18] 1 El Salvador (El Siglo de Torreón)[19] 6 European Hit Radio Top 40 (Music & Media)[20] 26 Germany (GfK)[21] 65 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[22] 4 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[23] 9 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[24] 44 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[25] 17 Scotland (OCC)[26] 83 UK Singles (OCC)[27] 85 US Billboard Hot 100[28] 6 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[29] 3 US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[30] 2 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[31] 22 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[32] 2 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[33] 1

Year-end charts 1995 year-end chart performance for "Only Wanna Be with You" Chart (1995) Position Brazil (Crowley)[34] 63 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[35] 2 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[36] 23 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[37] 15 US Billboard Hot 100[38] 33 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[39] 20 US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[40] 15 US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[41] 15 1996 year-end chart performance for "Only Wanna Be with You" Chart (1996) Position US Billboard Hot 100[42] 99 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[43] 10 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[44] 29 US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[45] 80

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Only Wanna Be with You"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	May 1995	Adult contemporary album rock modern rock radio	Atlantic	[46]
	July 1995	Cassette		[1]
United Kingdom	August 21, 1995	CD cassette		[47]

Post Malone version

"Only Wanna Be with You (Pokémon 25 Version)"
Single by Post Malone
from the album Pokémon 25: The Album
Released	February 25, 2021 (2021-02-25)
Length	4:01
Label	Republic Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Mark Bryan Dean Felber Darius Rucker Jim Sonefeld
Producer(s)	Post Malone Louis Bell Andrew Watt
Post Malone singles chronology
"Spicy" (2020) "Only Wanna Be with You (Pokémon 25 Version)" (2021) "Life's a Mess II" (2021)
Pokémon 25 singles chronology
"Only Wanna Be with You (Pokémon 25 Version)" (2021) "Electric" (2021)
Music video
"Only Wanna Be with You (Pokémon 25 Version)" on YouTube

On February 25, 2021, American rapper and singer Post Malone released a cover version for the 25th anniversary of the Japanese media franchise Pokémon.^[48][49] Malone's version contains samples of music from the video games and the Dolphins reference changed to reflect him being a Dallas Cowboys fan.^[50][51][52] The cover garnered attention for the unusual circumstances of its release.^{[51][52][53][54]} Hootie and the Blowfish vocalist Darius Rucker gave his approval of the cover on Twitter.^[52][55] "Only Wanna Be with You" is included on the track listing of Pokémon 25: The Album, released in October 2021 through Capitol Records.^[56]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Only Wanna Be with You (Pokémon 25 Version)"

Chart (2021)	Peak position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[57]	58
Croatia (HRT)[58]	73
Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[59]	17
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[60]	28
Ireland (IRMA)[61]	55
Latvia (EHR)[62]	40
Netherlands (Single Tip)[63]	1
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[64]	7
Norway (VG-lista)[65]	34
San Marino (SMRRTV Top 50)[66]	43
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[67]	17
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[68]	33
UK Singles (OCC)[69]	76
US Billboard Hot 100[70]	74
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[71]	37

References

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