Lee was a musical prodigy and by the time she was two she would hear songs on the radio once and be able to whistle the complete tune. She was five years old when she started to gain wider attention when she won a local singing contest sponsored by the elementary schools. At age 11, she was offered a recording contract with Decca Records and released the song “Dynamite,” leading to her lifelong nickname, “Little Miss Dynamite.”
Lee was popular in the UK very early in her career, and her 1961 rockabilly release “Let’s Jump the Broomstick” did not chart in the US, but went to #12 in the UK. Her biggest hits during this time include a rockabilly version of the country classic “Jambalaya (On the Bayou),” “Sweet Nothin’s,” “I Want to Be Wanted,” “All Alone Am I,” and “Fool #1.”
In 1960, she recorded her signature song, “I’m Sorry,” which hit number one on the Billboard pop chart and was her first gold single. Her last top-10 single on the pop charts was 1963’s “Losing You,” while she continued to have other chart songs such as her 1966 song “Coming On Strong” and “Is It True?” in 1964.
During the early 1970s, Lee re-established herself as a country music artist, and earned a string of Top 10 hits on the country charts. Her biggest selling track of her career is, oddly enough, a Christmas song: “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” It was released in 1958, but it sold only 5,000 copies. However, it eventually sold over five million copies and remains a perennial radio favorite each December. In December 2023, Lee became the oldest artist to ever top the Hot 100, when "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" topped the chart 65 years after its release.
Over the ensuing years, Lee has continued to record and perform all around the world, previously cutting records in four different languages. She is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. In 1992, she recorded a duet with Willy DeVille; Chuck Berry also wrote a song about her. Lee has been married to Ronnie Shacklett since 1963, and they have two daughters and three grandchildren. She is the second recipient of the Jo Meador-Walker Lifetime Achievement award.
Throughout her career, Brenda Lee has released 41 studio albums, 12 compilation albums, and over 100 singles. She has had numerous top twenty hits on the Billboard Hot 100, Country, and AC charts in the US, UK, and Canada.
Someday You'll Want Me To Want You
Brenda Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I'm in love, with somebody else.
You expect me to be true, and keep on loving you
And though I'm feeling blue
You think I can't forget you
Until someday, you'll want me, ah, to want you
When I am strong on somebody new
I'll get along somehow
And then I won't want you
I said that someday, you'll want me, ah to want you
When I'll be strong, honey,
I'll be strong for somebody new
And, and then thought, you don't want me now
I'll try to get along somehow
Then I won't, baby I won't
I won't want you
At first listen, Brenda Lee's "Someday You'll Want Me To Want You" sounds like a typical love song, but upon closer inspection, it reveals itself to be a song about heartbreak and the hope for a better future. The lyrics speak of the singer's belief that someday the person she once loved will finally understand what it feels like to be left behind, and that she will have moved on to someone who loves her in return. The chorus ("When I'm in love, with somebody else... And then I won't want you") delivers the song's message in a simplified way. Brenda Lee's voice conveys a sense of sadness and yearning, but also a quiet determination that she will be happy and loved in the future.
The idea of moving on is not a new one in love songs, but the lyrics of "Someday You'll Want Me To Want You" offer an alternative perspective. Instead of wallowing in sadness and longing for the person who left, the singer sees a future where she will have found someone else to love, someone who will love her back just as much. The song reminds us that heartbreak is not the end, and that healing and happiness are possible. The melody is simple and sweet, but the lyrics offer a message that is both uplifting and empowering.
Line by Line Meaning
I know that someday, you'll want me to want you
You'll want me to love you back someday.
When I'm in love, with somebody else.
When I've moved on and found someone new to love.
You expect me to be true, and keep on loving you
You expect me to remain faithful and keep loving you even though you don't love me back.
And though I'm feeling blue
Even though I'm sad and heartbroken.
You think I can't forget you
You think I'll never be able to forget about you.
Until someday, you'll want me, ah, to want you
You'll only realize you want me when it's too late.
When I am strong on somebody new
When I've moved on and found someone new to love and am strong enough to resist your charms.
And though you don't want me now
Even though you don't love me and want me now.
I'll get along somehow
I'll find a way to move on and be happy without you.
And then I won't want you
When I've moved on, I won't want you anymore.
I said that someday, you'll want me, ah to want you
You'll regret not loving me back and wish I still loved you.
When I'll be strong, honey,
When I'm strong enough to resist your charms.
I'll be strong for somebody new
I'll be in love with someone else who makes me strong.
And, and then thought, you don't want me now
Even though you don't love me and want me now.
I'll try to get along somehow
I'll find a way to move on and be happy without you.
Then I won't, baby I won't
I won't want you anymore.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES F. HODGES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind