Say I Wanna Know

Album: Time's All Gone (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In our interview, Nick Waterhouse said that "Say I Wanna Know" is an incredibly personal song. Although critics laud him for his loud, retro sound, he credits this personal element for the strong emotions the song inspires. "Aesthetics are really important to the song," he said, "but the material is the most important thing." He also named it as one of his two favorite songs he's released so far.
  • This song is written from a first-person perspective. The narrator is speaking to somebody he's just met, presumably a romantic interest, and openly wonders what they've been through in life - it's an openhearted plea to get to know the deeper side of somebody.
  • The song is the opening number on Waterhouse's 2012 debut, Times All Gone. While many outlets were impressed with the masterful retro R&B sound featured on the record, Waterhouse disavowed that label. "It's just how I felt and I don't think it sounds like anything specific, which is what's important to me," he said to The Stool Pigeon. "I'm not gonna name, it just play it. The album was just a lot of fun and anguish."
  • The female vocals on the track are provided by his backup all-woman singing group, The Naturelles.
  • The song features on a commercial for the Acura ILX.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" Album

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" AlbumSong Writing

In the summer of 1990, you could get arrested for selling a 2 Live Crew album or performing their songs in Southern Florida. And that's exactly what happened.

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Titles

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song TitlesMusic Quiz

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have some rather unusual song titles - see if you can spot the real ones.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.