The BoDeans worked with T-Bone Burnett on their debut album, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, which appeared in 1986 to warm reviews. They recruited another big-name producer, Talking Head Jerry Harrison, to helm 1987's Outside Looking In, which found the band reduced to a trio after the departure of Hoffman. Outside Looking In broke into the Billboard Top 100, and the BoDeans grew their audience by touring alongside U2, appearing on Robbie Robertson's self-titled solo album, and receiving the honor of Best New Band by Rolling Stone magazine. By the time they released their third album, Home, in 1989, keyboardist Michael Ramos and drummer Danny Gayol had joined. This lineup stayed intact for the release of 1991's Black and White, but the BoDeans went without a drummer once again on their next recording, Go Slow Down.
Following the release of a double-disc live album, Joe Dirt Car, the band returned in 1996 with Blend. Around the time of Blend's release, "Closer to Free" -- a song that had originally appeared on 1993's Go Slow Down -- became a hit, due in large part to its exposure as the theme song for the TV show Party of Five. "Closer to Free" eventually cracked the Top 20, becoming the most successful single of the band's career. The BoDeans were arguably more popular than ever, but the band took a break during the late '90s, with both frontmen devoting time to their solo careers.
By 2004, the band had reconvened and signed with a new label, Zoe. Resolution was released that year, followed in 2005 by Homebrewed: Live from the Pabst. Griffin left the group in 2006 and was replaced by Eric Holden, who appeared on 2008's Still. By this point, the bandmates had found a new home on 429 Records, and they remained with that label for the release of Mr. Sad Clown in 2010 and Indigo Dreams in 2011. That same year saw the departure of Llanas, citing "differences of opinion." The band's 11th studio album, American Made, arrived the following year on the band's own Free & Alive label, and was the first with Neumann as sole leader. The BoDeans toured extensively in support of the release, and in 2014 began work on their next studio project. Released in 2015, I Cant Stop featured a new BoDeans lineup anchored by Neumann, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Sam Hawksley, bassist Eric Holden, and drummer Kenny Aronoff, the latter a well-respected journeyman musician who had played on several BoDeans recording sessions in the '90s. In June 2016, the BoDeans brought out a single, "My Hometown," with the release benefiting the Milwaukee County Historical Society. The single was a preview of the group's next album; titled Thirteen, the 11-song set was released in April 2017.
All I Ever Wanted
BoDeans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She was 15 years old
And her eyes were on fire
Burning straight from her soul
Her boots and her movies
Man, she was into her bong
And no one really knew her
She felt confused and alone
She would have liked to have said
"All I ever wanted was to be on your side
All I ever wanted was to be with you
All I ever wanted was to be on your side
All I ever wanted was to feel"
Since those times with her stepdad
She's been a victim of sex
Her family was gone now
It was all she had left
"Wasn't I good enough for you?
Wasn't I sweet enough
Wasn't I pretty enough
Why didn't you ever want me?"
Now those eyes once so hungry
Are just holes she can't seem to fill
And what she learned from her mama
Has long lost it's thrill
And in the distance there's thunder
Running over the sky
Man, she'd like to feel that
If she wasn't so down and tired
The lyrics of BoDeans’s song All I Ever Wanted tell the story of a young girl who has been through a lot of hardships and struggles in her life. The song starts by describing her background - her family was poor and she felt lonely and misunderstood despite her efforts to fit in. The girl’s dream was to be on the same side as the people around her, to feel a sense of belonging and be with the ones she loves. However, her innocence was destroyed when she became a victim of sexual assault by a stepfather. This traumatic experience left her with many questions - why wasn’t she good enough, sweet enough, or pretty enough? She couldn’t understand why someone who was supposed to care for her would hurt her like this.
The girl’s life was further complicated by the loss of her family. She was left alone with her pain and confusion, unable to fill the void within. The song describes how she is now struggling to find purpose and meaning in her life. She had lost her once burning passion, everything she learned from her mother, and felt tired and down all the time. The only thing that gives her hope is the thunder, which symbolizes a release of her past and a renewal of her spirit.
BoDeans’s song All I Ever Wanted is about the struggle for love, acceptance, and healing. It paints a vivid picture of a young girl who has been through unimaginable trauma but still hopes for a better future. It highlights the importance of empathy, understanding, and kindness towards everyone, especially those who have gone through tough times. The song reminds us that no matter how difficult life is, there is always an opportunity for growth and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
Her people didn't have much going
Her family wasn't very wealthy
She was 15 years old
At the time, she was fifteen years old
And her eyes were on fire
Her eyes displayed a passionate intensity
Burning straight from her soul
The intensity in her eyes came from the depths of her being
Her boots and her movies
She enjoyed wearing boots and watching movies
Man, she was into her bong
She frequently used a bong to smoke marijuana
And no one really knew her
She felt misunderstood and unknown by others
She felt confused and alone
She experienced feelings of confusion and loneliness
If anyone would have asked her
If someone had asked her
She would have liked to have said
She would have wanted to express
"All I ever wanted was to be on your side
Her desire was to be supportive of someone else
All I ever wanted was to be with you
She wanted to be close to someone else
All I ever wanted was to be on your side
She wanted to be supportive of someone else
All I ever wanted was to feel"
What she craved was an emotional connection
Since those times with her stepdad
After experiencing difficult situations with her stepfather
She's been a victim of sex
Someone has sexually assaulted her
Her family was gone now
Her family was no longer present in her life
It was all she had left
Her past experiences were the only things still with her
"Wasn't I good enough for you?
She asks why someone didn't see her as worthy enough
Wasn't I sweet enough
She wonders if she was kind enough
Wasn't I pretty enough
She questions if she was attractive enough
Why didn't you ever want me?"
She is asking for an explanation for why she was not desired
Now those eyes once so hungry
Her once passionate eyes
Are just holes she can't seem to fill
Now feel like empty voids that can't be satisfied
And what she learned from her mama
The lessons her mother taught her
Has long lost it's thrill
No longer excite her
And in the distance there’s thunder
Thunder can be heard in the distance
Running over the sky
Lightning is flashing in the sky
Man, she'd like to feel that
She desires to experience the natural occurrence
If she wasn't so down and tired
If she wasn't feeling so low and fatigued
Contributed by Savannah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.