Only Wanna Be With You by Hootie & the Blowfish

Album: Cracked Rear View (1994)

Charted: 6

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Songfacts®:

This song is a tribute to Bob Dylan. It contains lyrics from various Dylan songs, including a mention of Dylan's "Tangled Up In Blue." Some of the words come directly from Dylan's track "Idiot Wind":

They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy
She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me
I can't help it if I'm lucky

Apparently, Dylan felt the "tribute" infringed too closely on original work, and he sued the group for unauthorized use of his lyrics. According to VH1, he received a large, out-of-court settlement in 1995.
The video has a sports theme and features former quarterback Dan Marino (the band are huge Miami Dolphins fans), golfer Fred Couples, and various ESPN anchors.
The line, "Put on a little Dylan sitting on the fence" is a reference to a band Hootie used to play with called Dillon Fence.
Cracked Rear View became the biggest-selling album in the history of Atlantic Records, as Hootie & the Blowfish were welcomed with open arms on pop and adult contemporary radio stations looking for a safe alternative to the '90s grunge sound. Tim Sommer, who signed the band in 1993, said: "I never underestimate the value of karma in the success of Hootie & the Blowfish. They never expected to be a famous band or even to be signed. They would still be playing regardless of whether they'd signed to Atlantic or were doing it for $200 and a case of beer."
Regarding the lyrics, "I'm such a baby 'cause The Dolphins make me cry," fans of the Miami Dolphins had lots to cry about in the ensuing years as the team often struggled to make the playoffs. Asked in 2011 if the Dolphins still make him cry, Rucker replied: "Thank God no. I got over that a couple years ago. I don't know if I could take another 1-15 season."
Like "Hold My Hand," this song first appeared on the group's 1993 EP Kootchypop, which they released independently. After signing with Atlantic, they re-recorded it for Cracked Rear View.

According to Hootie drummer Jim Sonefeld in his book Swimming With The Blowfish, they got the rights to use Dylan's lyrics when they recorded it for Kootchypop but didn't realize they needed to secure the rights again when they re-recorded it for Cracked Rear View.
Post Malone released a cover titled "Only Wanna Be with You (Pokémon 25 Version)" to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pokémon. The Texas rapper is a longtime Pokéfan, and he takes a few creative liberties with his interpretation by sampling sound effects from the original Game Boy games. Malone also changed the Dolphins reference to reflect him being a Dallas Cowboys fan. His version peaked at #74 on the Hot 100.

So why did Malone choose to cover Hootie's rootsy hit? He explained that the original "I Only Wanna Be With You" was on the Billboard charts in February 1996, the same time that Pokémon Red and Blue first hit the shelves in Japan.
The titular stuffed bear sings this at karaoke in the 2015 movie Ted. "This is how everybody sang in the '90s, he says."
Wondering what Darius Rucker thinks of the Post Malone cover? Apparently, he loves it. "The smile in my face will not leave for a long time," he tweeted. "This is awesome. My bro Post Malone bringing it. Hell yes man!"
Post Malone's CG character performed the song on Virtual Concert Experience, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of Pokémon on February 27, 2021. The rapper played "Only Wanna Be With You" amid a menagerie of familiar Pokemon favorites, such as Torterra, Gyarados, Braviary, Sharpedo and Charizard.

Comments: 22

1colddoc from Amundsen-scott Station South Pole AntarcticaThe one thing that takes the 'cold' blues away ... music. Only Wanna Be With You is what I recently received attached to a message from my lady friend doing a field study of the volcanoes in Iceland. (I immediately put in an urgent request for an assistant at my location .... ).
Andy J from Dubai, UaeThe lyric, "Put on a little Dylan, sittin of a Fence" is a play on words referencing the North Carolina band Dillon Fence--regionally, a huge draw, but sadly, they never achieved the huge, national audience they deserved
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 14th 1995, the ABC-TV network aired the special 'Sinatra: 80 Years My Way'...
One of the acts to appear was Hootie and the Blowfish; they performed "The Lady Is A Tramp", a song that was used in the 1957 Frank Sinatra movie 'Pal Joey'...
On the day the special aired Hootie & the Blowfish had two songs on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; "Only Wanna Be With You" was at #20, while "Time" was at #31...
Just under eight weeks earlier on October 15th "Only Wanna Be With You" peak at #6 {for 1 week} and it stayed on the Top 10 for eleven consecutive weeks...
"Time" would peak at #14 {for 2 non-consecutive weeks} on January 21st, 1996.
Elmer from AustraliaChad
Details of Dylan's settlement with Hootie can be found here:
http://entertainment.ha.com/itm/music-memorabilia/autographs-and-signed-items/bob-dylan-and-hootie-and-the-blowfish-signed-agreement-total-2-items-/a/7006-50043.s#47584758096
Cyberpope from Richmond, CanadaFinally found it! Have a funny parody, "Only Got a 3 inch Tool" & knew it was a familiar tune, but couldn't place it. . .
Memorable line, "But. . . when. . .I'm. . . coming out of the pool. . . I only got a 1 inch too-oo-ool!"
Denise from Pembroke Pines, FlThe line "Sitting on a fence" is also taken from a Dylan song from the same album that has Tangled Up in Blue and Idiot Wind, album 'Blood On the Tracks'. The song is 'You're a Big Girl Now.' "Bird on the horizon
Sittin' on a fence
He's singin' his song for me
at his own expense
And I'm just like that bir, singin' just for you
I hope that you can hear
Hear me singin' through these tears."

This is one of the most beautiful songs I know. The lyrics are heartwrenching and the guitar work, kind of Spanish in places, is beyond pretty. Even the harmonica at the end is touching and beautiful. Another song about his wife I suppose,as they were splitting up when this album was recorded.
Blood On the Tracks is full of amazing songs, Meet Me in the Morning, Buckets of Rain, simple Twist of Fate...one of my 'desert island' albums!
Adam from York, PaHey brian, if you ever come threw pennsylvania, specifically the gettysburg area, turn on 96.1, 97.3, or 98.5. Those stations have the songs that were played before i was born. I'm 15, and like you, cannot stand my generation's music. Honestly, some days I feel like a fifty year old man in a fifteen year old's body.
Adam from York, PaHey guys, I gotta tell you something funny. My dad had the cracked rear view album on cassette a few years back and when he got a new car that didn't play cassettes he threw it out. This christmas I got him an Eagles greatest hits album, a brooks and dunn greatest hits album, the some girls rolling stones album, a greatest hits tom petty and the heart breakers album, a toto super hits album, the R.E.M. Document album (best R.E.M. Album ever) and , you guessed it, the Hootie and the Blowfish Cracked Rear View album on CD. It was his favorite Hootie and the Blowfish album and it went full circle, he hadn't seen the some girls album since college, and he'd never had a tom petty album. It wound up costing me the most worthy fifty dollars of my life. Also, the place i went had a buy 3 used albums get one free deal so i saved four bucks.
Brian from Boston, MaLook Hootie was never my favorite but I liked some of their stuff.This had to be the most overplayed music of the 90's.All that having been said I still would welcome that type of music on the radio today.What have we got now lady Gaga and Justin Beiber.At least they had guitar oriented music with melody.I can not stand the soulless electronic s--t on the radio today with an electronic beat.All anyone knows about songwritting today is the beat.Wich they get from a computer.no musicians required.it is amazing to me that someone can become a "musician' without any knowlege of how to play an instument.
Joe from Portland, MeI was wondering who/what he is referencing when he sings about "she inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me."
Mark B. Stoned from Desperate Hot Springs, CaI'm not an expert on Bob Dylan's lyrics, so could anyone tell me if "Idiot Wind" and "Tangled Up in Blue" are the only songs of his referenced in this song?
Musicmama from New York, NyThis song makes me think of a rejection letter from Wallace Shawn,the longtime editor of the New Yorker:

"Your manuscript is both good and original. However, the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good."
Andrew from Atlanta, GaThe band should be sued for recording this song period. "the dolphins make me cry?"
Come on.
Sara from Greenville, AlThe original idea for this video had the band swinging at golf balls and riding camels. It was nixed b/c they were worried about the ethical treatment of the camels. It's a good thing, too. If they had used this idea, they may have had PETA on their backs.
Sara from Greenville, AlThat last comment came from Sara, Greenville, Alabama. And Dylan suing someone for paying tribute to him? That's a nice way to say thank you.
Sara from Greenville, AlThe gutair Darius plays was not his own. He forgot his, so a fan had to loan him his.
Chad from Reading, PaFirst of, I've never seen any proof that Dylan sued them over this song, I won't beleive it until someone shows me a reliable source that shows that he did indeed sue them, as far as I'm concerned it's just an internet 'legend'. Second Junichi Saga's book is a non-fiction, oral history piece about a Japanese gangster. The lines Dylan took are from oral history so they belong to no one. Do some research next time you try to call someone a coward.
Jerry from Minneapolis, MnI find it ironic that Dylan would sue the group for using his lyrics in a song paying tribute to him when he in fact was discovered stealing lyrics from some Japanese man. He was not even trying to pay tribute to that man. Dylan is such a coward.
Mo from Philadelphia, PaThis song also samples lyrics from another song on Bob Dylan's 1974 "Blood on the Tracks" album called "Idiot Wind".
Brian from Edmonton, CanadaThe video also features apperances from NBA basketball players Walt Williams and Alonzo Mourning, and ESPN sports broadcaster Chris Berman.
Jack from Raleigh, NcThe guys are also avid golfers and are as likely to be found at a charity golf event as not.

Jack @ Star FM in Raleigh
Suzie from North Myrtle Beach, ScHootie got their start in South Carolina! They used to play the club scene in the Myrtle Beach/North Myrtle Beach area for NEXT TO NOTHING, only ten years ago.

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