Band lore states that their name came from both a flippant reference to Adolf Hitler's dog Blondie as well as vocalist Harry's bright blond hair. Previously having been a Playboy Bunny, Harry fronted the early version of the band. initially known as "Angel and the Snakes". They built up underground fame in NYC. Blondie released their first album, 'Blondie', in 1976. The album was mildly successful and spawned the Australian hit single "In The Flesh". Gary Valentine left the band later that year, and they continued briefly as a foursome, recording 'Plastic Letters' and gaining more airplay with their track "Denis". Still in touch with their punk roots, having played in clubs such as CBGBs and hung out with rock artists such as the Ramones, the band broke out into other, more diverse influences such as older dance and pop music, particularly interested in Phil Spector's 'wall of sound' technique.
Valentine was replaced by Los Angeles-based musician Frank Infante (guitar, bass guitar) in 1977. Infante had already played guitar on one track on 'Plastic Letters'. The band went out playing live with Infante and Stein swopping between playing guitar and bass guitar throughout each concert. The band also added British born but LA-based Nigel Harrison (bass guitar), making Blondie a six piece group for the first time. Harrison was a former member of the glam rock band Silverhead.
In 1978, they released the album that would make them international stars, titled 'Parallel Lines'. The album spawned several hit singles, including the number one hit "Heart Of Glass", "Sunday Girl", "Hanging On The Telephone" (a cover of the famous power pop track by The Nerves), and "One Way Or Another". The success of the heavily disco influenced "Heart of Glass", a song sometimes censored for its use of strong language for the time and considered by the band as tongue-in-cheek, proved controversial among many fans of the band's punk background, but it managed to break them through at a massive level.
They released three more albums (1979's Eat To The Beat, 1980's Autoamerican (containing the number one singles "The Tide Is High" and "Rapture") and 1982's The Hunter) as well as a number one single "Call Me", from the score of the 1980 film "American Gigolo".
In 1980, Harrison contributed several unused Blondie songs to ex-Silverhead singer Michael Des Barres solo album I'm Only Human. In 1981, Harry released a solo album Koo Koo, Destri released a solo album Heart On A Wall. Burke recorded and played live with the Eurythmics, and Stein started a record label named Animal Records.
In 1982, health problems for Stein, declining sales and inter-band tension caused the band to split. Harry kept a low profile for a few years while she nursed (now former) boyfriend Stein through a serious illness, but then continued a solo career as an actress/singer.
Reformation plans begun in 1997 with a line-up that included Harry, Stein, Destri, Burke, Valentine, and Harrison. Infante was not invited to the reunion. Valentine and Harrison were eventually (and unceremoniously, they claim) replaced by Paul Carbonara (guitar) and Leigh Foxx (bass).
The band released No Exit in 1998, which did quite well in both US and UK charts and contained the number one hit single "Maria".
The album did not include any song contributions from Valentine or Harrison, despite them recording early sessions for the album and Valentine being assured by Stein that they would use his already recorded song "Amor Fati". Harrison and Infante later filed an unsuccessful lawsuit claiming breach of contract for not including them in the reunion.
The Curse Of Blondie was released in 2003 and, while not matching its predecessor in sales, was critically acclaimed and spawned the global dance hit "Good Boys".
Destri retired from touring in 2004. Kevin Patrick (keyboards), Destri's former keyboard tech and assistant, replaced him soon followed by Matt Katz-Bohen in 2008.
The band's 2006 induction ceremony into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was the scene of an awkward moment between Infante and Harry, during which he asked that the former members be allowed to play along with fellow inductees Harry, Stein and Burke during the band's set, since it was the original band that was being inducted. Harry replied "Can't you see my band is up there?" prompting Infante to counter "I thought it was Blondie that was being inducted."
In 2006, the band toured as the opening act for The New Cars on the "Road Rage Tour." Although Harry was more than 60 years old, the band still managed incendiary versions of their old hits, while playing with enough fire to remind the audience of their punk roots.
In 2007, the band embarked on a tour of Europe, to coincide with the DVD release of the first ever music video album "Eat To The Beat".
Harry has since resumed her solo career, releasing 2007's Necessary Evil.
On June 5, 2008, Blondie commenced a world tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Parallel Lines with a concert at Ram's Head Live in Baltimore, Maryland. The tour covered some Eastern and Midwestern US cities throughout the month of June. In July, the tour took the band overseas to Israel, the UK, Russia, Europe and Scandinavia, wrapping up on August 2, 2008 at Rockefeller in Oslo, Norway.
Clem Burke and Paul Carbonara both recently told interviewers that the band is working on another record, which would be their first new album since the release of The Curse of Blondie in 2003. Carbonara described it as "a real Blondie record.
Blondie undertook a North American tour of mid-sized venues with Pat Benatar and The Donnas in the summer of 2009. Following the tour, in October, the band began recording sessions for their ninth studio album with producer Jeff Saltzman in Woodstock, New York. In December 2009, the band released the song "We Three Kings" to coincide with the Christmas holiday.
The new album, to be titled Panic of Girls, which was being mixed at the time, was said to follow in 2010. Chris Stein stated that Dutch artist Chris Berens will provide the cover art. In April 2010, it was announced that guitarist Paul Carbonara had amicably left Blondie to pursue other projects and was replaced by Tommy Kessler. Panic of Girls is tentatively set to be released in 2010/2011.
In June 2010, Blondie began the first leg of a world tour named "Endangered Species Tour", which covered the United Kingdom and Ireland, supported by UK band Little Fish. The set lists featured both classics and new material from the forthcoming Panic of Girls. After a break in July the tour will resume in August and cover the United States and Canada over a course of six weeks. Blondie is then set to take the "Endangered Species Tour" to Australia and New Zealand in November and December. It was revealed that the bands album will be released on the Australian Sony label in November 2010, and elsewhere in January 2011.
Songfacts reports that Mother, the first single from Panic of Girls received its global premiere on BBC Radio on March 17th, 2011 and was made available for purchase on May 23, 2011.
In May 2017 a new album was released named Pollinator with the single "Long Time" which saw the daylight in March.
In 2021, the band released a short film along with a soundtrack EP titled Vivir en la Habana. They also released an alternate version of their song Rapture titled βYuletide Throwdownβ which featured Fab 5 Freddy.
In 2022, Blondie released a Sunday Girl EP consisting of an unreleased demo and live version
of the song as well as the previously released french version of the track in honor of Record Store Day. The band went on a UK tour with support from Johnny Marr followed by a US tour with support from The Damned titled βAgainst The Odds Tourβ, which Chris Stein did not attend due to health problems. They also announced the release of their first archival project and box set, titled Against The Odds: 1974 - 1982, which took six years to compile, began recording their twelfth studio album and remastered their music videos in HD.
I Want You To Want Me
Blondie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna drag you around
I can't be worried 'bout everything you do
Nobody knows the places you get to
I want to drag you around
I'm gonna find ya
Just look behind you
I wanna drag you around
Boy I'm closing in
I can't be worried bout everything you do
Can't know the places you get to
The details they don't matter to me now
It's you and everything about you oh
And others scream and shout I need you no
Cause that's just not the way we go
Way we go
I can't be worried bout everything you do
Can't know the places you get to
I want to drag you around
Knuckles flying
Boy give up your fighting
I want to drag you around
I'll keep repeating
You know I'll never stop
I wanna drag you around
I wanna drag you around
I wanna drag you around
I wanna drag you around
I wanna drag you around
I wanna drag you around
Blondie's song "I Want You To Want Me" is a fast-paced, energetic track that conveys a sense of urgency in its lyrics. The singer is determined to "drag" the person they are singing to around, regardless of what they are doing or where they are going. The chorus repeats the phrase "I wanna drag you around" over and over again, emphasizing this urgency and desire.
The verses, on the other hand, provide a bit more context for the singer's desire. They can't be worried about everything the other person is doing, and they don't know the places they get to. It's clear that the singer wants to be with this person, but they also seem to acknowledge that they can't control or fully understand them.
The bridge of the song provides a bit of a break from the frantic chorus, as the singer reflects on their feelings. The details don't matter, they say--it's just the person and everything about them, with whom the singer is clearly infatuated. And while others may express their need for this person in a more overt way, the singer is simply content to keep "dragging them around" and pursuing them in their own way.
Overall, "I Want You To Want Me" is a high-energy, catchy track that conveys a sense of passion and desire. It's not the most complex or nuanced song lyrically, but its repetitive chorus and driving beat give it a sense of urgency that's hard to deny.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna drag you around
I desire to take you places and show you different experiences
I can't be worried 'bout everything you do
I am not concerned with your every action
Nobody knows the places you get to
You have unique experiences that others do not know about
I'm gonna find ya
I will locate you
Just look behind you
Turn around and you will see me
When you're not looking
When you are not paying attention
Boy I'm closing in
I am getting closer to you
The details they don't matter to me now
Specifics do not interest me at the moment
It's you and everything about you oh
I am captivated by you and all that you encompass
And others scream and shout I need you no
I am not like others who loudly profess their need for you
Cause that's just not the way we go
That is not our style or relationship dynamic
Knuckles flying
Being aggressive and ready to fight
Boy give up your fighting
Stop being defensive and argumentative
I'll keep repeating
I will persist and not give up
You know I'll never stop
I am determined and persistent in my pursuit of you
I wanna drag you around
I want to take control and guide you
I wanna drag you around
I want to lead and direct you
I wanna drag you around
I want to show you new experiences and perspectives
I wanna drag you around
I want to be the one in charge and take you on a journey
I wanna drag you around
My desire to take charge and lead you is strong
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID MICHAEL SMITH, MATTHEW KATZ-BOHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Nick-od8ql
Who else got here after searching for it continuously after it randomly popped into their head?
@jasonarmstrong5750
I actually heard it on my local classic rock station
@kiddink5167
Wow thatβs crazy, time is almost 5 am and I canβt sleep and this just randomly popped up in my head, so I searched for it nowπ
@lemon_tea.1138
Oh my god what..... That is exactly what happened π π . I was just walking down the road and randomly thought of it out of the blue. I donβt even really know this song >_>
@kiddink5167
@Lemon_ Tea.11 haha thatβs scary man
@michaelsoliman3219
That's wild man, I kept hearing the tune but had to dig deep in my mind to make it understandable then searched like hell to find it lol
@amandabuller8627
How can you not love this song it's a song that has stood the test of time
@j.m1928
Great song, but the lyrics are just narcissistic
@rickoshay5525
HTF are the lyrics narcissistic?
@angelrobinson4428
It's not narcissistic at all wtf