(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To

Last updated
"(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To"
Weezer-IfYoureWondering-Cover.jpg
Single by Weezer
from the album Raditude
B-side "Should I Stay or Should I Go"
ReleasedAugust 18, 2009
RecordedJuly 2009
Genre Power pop, Indie rock
Length3:28
Label Geffen
Songwriter(s) [1]
Producer(s) Butch Walker
Weezer singles chronology
"Dreamin'"
(2008)
"(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To"
(2009)
"I'm Your Daddy"
(2010)
Music video
" I Want You To" on YouTube

"(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" is a song by American alternative rock/power pop band Weezer. It was released as the first single from the band's seventh studio album Raditude . Initially scheduled to be released to American rock radio on August 25, 2009, [2] the official release of the single to radio was moved up to August 18. The single debuted at number 21 on the Billboard Rock Songs Chart, and in the same position on the Alternative Songs chart. The music video features Odette Yustman. The song was first played live on August 23, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario at the Molson Amphitheatre. The main riff of this song bears a similarity to the main riff of The Jam song "Town Called Malice".

Contents

Reception

"If You're Wondering If I Want You To (I Want You To)" has received positive reviews from Billboard Magazine [3] and Allmusic [ citation needed ] The song also reached number 36 in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2009. [4]

Music video

The music video was released on October 23. [5] Directed by Marc Webb, the music video revolves around the members of the band living a normal life until a beautiful lady played by Odette Yustman comes to the town. Her callousness and disregard leads to multiple band members being injured while trying to impress her, leaving only frontman Rivers Cuomo unhurt, though upon seeing his injured bandmates, Cuomo rejects the woman, to their approval. [6]

"Marc Webb has created a kind of '50s small town for us to live in," Cuomo told MTV, "And basically it's just populated by the four members of Weezer. So we're just hanging out, driving around, filling up our trucks with gasoline. Basically being guys, and that's what Weezerville is like." [7]

"The idea of the video is really simple: It's a town that's made up of clones of Weezer. There are multiple versions of Brian [Bell] and Patrick [Wilson] and Scott [Shriner] and Rivers, and they're just going about their business, until one day, this woman shows up," Webb continued. "And after that, everything basically goes to hell." [7]

Track listing

Digital download

  1. "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" – 3:28

7″ picture disc

  1. "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" – 3:28
  2. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" (live; The Clash cover) – 3:07

Promo radio CD

  1. "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" – 3:28

Promo 7″ orange vinyl

  1. "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" – 3:28
  2. "I Woke Up in Love This Morning" (The Partridge Family cover) – 3:01

Chart performance

On the week ending September 12, 2009, "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 82. It fell off the following week, but on the week ending November 21, 2009 (the same week that their album Raditude debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200), it re-entered at number 81. On Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart, it peaked at number 2 in its eighth week and stayed there for 12 consecutive weeks behind Muse's "Uprising". It ultimately spent 37 weeks on the chart, a personal record for the band at the time; it was surpassed in 2021 by the 43-week run of "All My Favorite Songs."

Weekly charts

Chart (2009)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [8] 87
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [9] 24
Japan Hot 100 16
US Billboard Hot 100 [10] 81
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [11] 2
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [12] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (2009)Position
US Alternative Songs (Billboard) [13] 27
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard) [14] 38
Chart (2010)Position
US Alternative Songs (Billboard) [15] 8
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard) [16] 7

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weezer</span> American rock band

Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson, Scott Shriner, and Brian Bell. They have sold 10 million albums in the US and more than 35 million worldwide.

<i>Pinkerton</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Weezer

Pinkerton is the second studio album by the American rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996, by DGC Records. After abandoning plans for a rock opera titled Songs from the Black Hole, Weezer recorded the album between lead vocalist and primary songwriter Rivers Cuomo's terms at Harvard University, where he wrote most of the album's songs. It is the last Weezer album to feature their full original lineup, with bassist Matt Sharp leaving the group in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rivers Cuomo</span> American rock musician (born 1970)

Rivers Cuomo is an American musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter of the rock band Weezer.

<i>Weezer</i> (Blue Album) 1994 studio album by Weezer

Weezer is the debut studio album by the American rock band Weezer, released on May 10, 1994, by DGC Records. It was produced by Ric Ocasek, former lead singer and songwriter of The Cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddy Holly (song)</span> 1994 single by Weezer

"Buddy Holly" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. The song was written by Rivers Cuomo and released as the second single from the band's debut album, Weezer . The lyrics reference the song's namesake, 1950s rock-and-roll singer Buddy Holly, and actress Mary Tyler Moore. Released on September 7, 1994 - which would have been Holly's 58th birthday - the song reached number two on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. Outside the US, the song peaked at number six in Canada, number 12 in the United Kingdom, number 13 in Iceland, and number 14 in Sweden. The song's music video earned considerable exposure when it was included as a bonus media file in the initial release of Microsoft's successful release of the operating system, Windows 95.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Scorcho</span> 1996 single by Weezer

"El Scorcho" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. It is the first single from the band's second album, Pinkerton, released in 1996. The music video features the band playing in an old ballroom in Los Angeles, surrounded by light fixtures of diverse origin, flashing in time to the music. The name of the song supposedly came from a packet of hot sauce from Del Taco, labeled "Del Scorcho".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Island in the Sun (Weezer song)</span> 2001 single by Weezer

"Island in the Sun" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. It is the second single from the band's second self-titled album Weezer, released in 2001. "Island in the Sun" was not originally planned to be on the album, but producer Ric Ocasek fought for its inclusion. It was a successful radio single and perhaps the band's biggest hit ever outside of the United States, reaching No. 31 in the UK and No. 17 in France. In January 2002, the Australian Triple J Hottest 100 ranked the song 7 in its 2001 countdown. "Island in the Sun" is also the most-licensed track in the Weezer catalog. In 2009, Pitchfork named it the 495th greatest song of the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Hills (song)</span> 2005 single by Weezer

"Beverly Hills" is a song by American rock band Weezer. It is the first single from the band's fifth album, Make Believe. "Beverly Hills" was released to US radio on March 28, 2005. The song features Stephanie Eitel of Agent Sparks on the chorus on backup vocals, performing the "gimme, gimme" hook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perfect Situation</span> 2005 single by Weezer

"Perfect Situation" is a song by American alternative rock band Weezer. It was released to radio on October 11, 2005 as the third single from the band's fifth album Make Believe, following "Beverly Hills" and "We Are All on Drugs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weezer discography</span> Band discography

The discography of Weezer, an American rock band, consists of 15 studio albums, two compilation albums, one video album, nine extended plays, 37 singles and 40 music videos. Weezer's self-titled debut studio album, often referred to as The Blue Album, was released in May 1994 through DGC Records. The album was a commercial success, peaking at number 16 on the US Billboard 200 and spawning the singles "Undone – The Sweater Song" and "Buddy Holly", both of which were responsible for launching Weezer into mainstream success with the aid of music videos directed by Spike Jonze. It has sold 3.3 million copies in the United States and has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), becoming the band's best selling album to date. Following the success of their debut album, Weezer took a break from touring for the Christmas holidays. Lead singer Rivers Cuomo began piecing together demo material for Weezer's second studio album. Cuomo's original concept for the album was a space-themed rock opera, Songs from the Black Hole. Ultimately, the Songs from the Black Hole album concept was dropped; the band, however, continued to utilize songs from these sessions into work for their second studio album. Pinkerton was released as the band's second studio album in September 1996. Peaking at number 19 on the Billboard 200, it was considered a critical and commercial failure at the time of its release, selling far less than its triple platinum predecessor. However, in the years following its release, it has seen much critical and commercial championing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Undone – The Sweater Song</span> 1994 single by Weezer

"Undone – The Sweater Song" is a song by the American alternative rock band Weezer, released on the band's self-titled 1994 debut album. It was released as their debut single in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pork and Beans (song)</span> 2008 single by Weezer

"Pork and Beans" is a song by the American alternative rock band Weezer, released on the group's 2008 self-titled album Weezer, also known as the Red Album. It was released to radio on April 22, 2008 and released in digital form on April 24. The track debuted at number 19 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart, and spent eleven weeks at number one. The song charted in many countries such as Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stupid Girl (Cold song)</span> 2003 single by Cold

"Stupid Girl" is a song by American rock band Cold and the lead single from their third major label album, Year of the Spider. It was the second song released for the album overall; "Gone Away" was released on the WWE Tough Enough 2 soundtrack while recognized as a Year of the Spider track a year prior to its release. "Stupid Girl" made its radio debut on March 18, 2003, and was the only Cold single to crack the Billboard Hot 100 staying on for 20 weeks and peaking at No. 87. The song, as well as its music video, were heavily played on MTV2 and Fuse TV throughout the several months following its release.

<i>Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo</i> 2008 compilation album by Rivers Cuomo

Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo is a compilation album by the Weezer songwriter Rivers Cuomo. It is Cuomo's second compilation of demos, after Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo, and includes material written for Weezer's unfinished album Songs From the Black Hole. Alone II debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart with first-week sales of 6,000. It was followed by Alone III: The Pinkerton Years (2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Love College</span> 2009 single by Asher Roth

"I Love College" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Asher Roth, released on January 13, 2009, as his commercial debut single by Schoolboy, SRC and Universal Motown. The song, which was produced by Mike Caren, Apathy, and Ben H. Allen, serves as the lead single from Roth's debut album, Asleep in the Bread Aisle. The song was later serviced for airplay to radio stations in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2009.

<i>Raditude</i> 2009 studio album by Weezer

Raditude is the seventh studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on October 30, 2009 and is their final album on DGC Records, Geffen Records and Interscope Records. The title of the album was suggested to Weezer vocalist Rivers Cuomo by actor Rainn Wilson.

<i>Hurley</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Weezer

Hurley is the eighth studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on September 10, 2010 by Epitaph Records. The album was produced by Rivers Cuomo and Shawn Everett, and, similar to their previous album Raditude, features songs co-written with songwriters outside of the band.

<i>Everything Will Be Alright in the End</i> 2014 studio album by Weezer

Everything Will Be Alright in the End is the ninth studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on October 7, 2014. It is Weezer's only album released by Republic Records, and the third and final Weezer album produced by Ric Ocasek, who previously produced the Blue Album (1994) and Green Album (2001).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back to the Shack</span> 2014 single by Weezer

"Back to the Shack" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. It was released as the first single from their ninth studio album Everything Will Be Alright in the End on July 22, 2014. The song was sent to radio stations and uploaded to Weezer's YouTube channel a day before the single's official release. It was written in response to the band's past several albums, with lead vocalist Rivers Cuomo wanting to return to their roots. The song received generally favorable reviews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Africa (Weezer cover)</span> 2018 single by Weezer

"Africa" is a cover version of Toto's popular 1982 song, as performed by American rock band Weezer. The cover was released as a single on May 29, 2018, and later included on Weezer's self-titled 12th studio album, nicknamed the Teal Album.

References

  1. Butch Walker. "just heard the new Weezer single i produced and co-wrote on KROQ.. sounded real nice.". Twitter. August 17, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
  2. MTV. "Weezer Announce New Album, Parenthetical Single". MTV.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  3. Weezer "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To review
  4. "Hottest 100 - 2009: 31-40". Triple J. January 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  5. "New Weezer Video – "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To"". Stereogum. 2009-10-22. Archived from the original on 2010-02-04. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  6. "Clipes - Mais Vistos - Hoje | VH1 Brasil". Vh1brasil.uol.com.br. 2011-03-31. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  7. 1 2 Montgomery, James. "Weezer Create Their Very Own Weezerville For New Video". mtv.com. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  8. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 298.
  9. "Weezer Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  10. "Weezer Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  11. "Weezer Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  12. "Weezer Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  13. "Alternative Songs – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  14. "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  15. "Alternative Songs – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  16. "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2018.