All I Want Is You by Carly Simon

Album: Coming Around Again (1987)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

In this song, Simon has found the man of her dreams and no one else interests her. We have it to thank for the phrase "sexy hurricane," which she uses to describe their passion.

The song paints a pretty clear picture of what Simon wants in a man. He can't be the kind of guy who tiptoes up the stairs or says "good morning, dear." No, she's looking for a freight train to whistle over her track.

At this point, Simon had been divorced from James Taylor - a sensitive but rugged Martha's Vineyard man - for several years. After the Coming Around Again album was released in 1987, she met an insurance broker named James Hart, whom she married later that year. They divorced in 2006.
"All I Want Is You" was the fourth single from Simon's 13th album, Coming Around Again, following the title track, "Give Me All Night," and "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of." It marked a resurgence for Simon, her first Platinum album since Boys In The Trees in 1978. Simon was on the leading edge of the singer-songwriter movement in the early '70s, but the '80s were a tough decade for this genre - you didn't see the likes of Simon, James Taylor and Carole King on MTV. Simon was also at a disadvantage because her debilitating stage fright kept her from touring. She promoted the album by recording an HBO special called Carly Simon – Coming Around Again.
Simon wrote the lyrics with Jacob Brackman, who is among the ranks of journalists who worked on popular songs (Patti Smith is another - she contributed to some Blue Öyster Cult songs when she was a music writer). Brackman also co-wrote Simon's "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" and "Haven't Got Time For the Pain."

The music was written by Andy Goldmark, who also played keyboards and programmed the drums on the track. He's the only guy we know of who's written chart hits for both Michael Bolton ("Soul Provider") and Alice Cooper ("Only My Heart Talkin'").
That's Roberta Flack on backing vocals. Like Simon, Flack was a star in the early '70s, landing a huge hit with "Killing Me Softly With His Song."

Comments: 3

Torque from StockholmI like Carly's sassy and charismatic lyrics. The last line of the song eludes my understanding tho. The one with "your Mack truck jumping...". Can anyone explain this line for me? Thanks in advance.
Robbie from Elizabethtown, KyI've always imagined this to be about an older couple who have been together for quite a while that bicker and argue but have developed a very strong bond and are still very passionate and romantic.
Martyn from Preston, Englandone of my favourite carly simon songs

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Rockin' In The Free WorldNeil Young

"Rockin' In The Free World" is a very pro-America title, but in the song, Neil Young takes on politicians who are indifferent to the poor and disenfranchised.

I Want You To Want MeCheap Trick

Cheap Trick's original version of "I Want You To Want Me" was countrified and kind of hokey. When they sped it up for their Live At Budokan album, it became a huge hit.

BoysCharli XCX

Over 60 famous guys, including Joe Jonas, Ezra Koenig and Wiz Khalifa, show up in the 2017 video for "Boys" by Charli XCX. She directed it herself, instructing the boys to "do all the sexy things that girls usually do in videos."

Born To Be WildSteppenwolf

The first popular song to use the phrase "Heavy Metal" was "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf, which was featured in the movie Easy Rider.

RenegadeStyx

"Renegade" by Styx wasn't a big hit when it was released in 1978, but it became one of their most popular songs thanks in part to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who started playing it at home games in 2001 to fire up the team and fans.

I Won't Back DownTom Petty

"I Won't Back Down" is a very personal song for Tom Petty, written after an arsonist burned his house down. "I thought it wasn't that good because it was so naked," he said of the song.