One of the best known American power pop bands, the group's biggest hits over the years include "I Want You to Want Me", "Surrender", "Dream Police", "Don't Be Cruel" (a cover of Elvis Presley's hit), and "The Flame". Their most recent release, The Latest, has gained critical acclaim. They also wrote and performed the theme song for "The Colbert Report" as well as "That 70s Show", both tunes being fan favorites.
Nielsen and Petersson originally formed the group as Fuse in 1967, with Carlos joining the group several years later; however, when Zander joined as vocalist in 1972, the group was renamed Cheap Trick. Zander is considered one of the best hard rock vocalists of his era. For their part, Tom Petersson has been known for playing custom made 8, 12, and even a 18 string custom bass made by Modulus for Tom in 1981 and Rick Nielsen also has a penchant for unusual instruments. He owns and plays a five-necked solidbody electric guitar (it can be seen in the video for the song "She's Tight" among others).
Studio Albums
(1977) Cheap Trick [a.k.a Cheap Trick (1997)]
(1977) In Color
(1978) Heaven Tonight
(1979) Dream Police
(1980) All Shook Up
(1980) Found All The Parts
(1982) One on One
(1983) Next Position Please
(1985) Standing on the Edge
(1986) The Doctor
(1988) Lap of Luxury
(1990) Busted
(1994) Woke Up With A Monster
(1997) Cheap Trick [a.k.a Cheap Trick (1997)]
(2003) Special One
(2006) Rockford
(2009) The Latest
(2016) Bang, Zoom, Crazy...Hello
(2017) We're All Alright!
(2021) In Another World
[Live Albums]
(1978) At Budokan
(1978) Budokan II
(1998) At Budokan: the Complete Concert
(1999) Music for Hangovers
(2001) Silver
Had to Make You Mine
Cheap Trick Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've wasted all this time
You know that I'm so glad
Just to have your love
I'm telling all the world
That you're my little girl
You know I must be mad
When I dream of you
All my dreams come true
You are my night, my day
I'm lost when you're away
Can you hear my heart
It's calling you (it's calling you)
Oh girl, oh little girl
I had to make you mine
I've wasted all this time
You know that I'm so glad
Just to have your love
I'm telling all the world
That you're my little girl
You know I must be mad
Just to have your love
I thought you'd like to know
You've heard this all before
So even if I'm wrong
I'm right where I belong
Can't you hear my heart
It's calling you (it's calling you)
Oh girl, oh little girl
I had to make you mine
I've wasted all this time
You know that I'm so glad
Just to have your love
I had to tell the world
That you're my little girl
You know I must be mad
Just to have your love
I had to make you mine
I've wasted all this time
You know that I'm so glad
Just to have your love
I had to make you mine
I had to make you mine
The lyrics to Cheap Trick's song "Had to Make You Mine" express the singer's love and obsession for someone who he had to win over after a long period of wasted time. The repetitiveness of the chorus highlights the desperation behind the singer's need to have this person be his, even though he acknowledges how insane it may seem. The singer also admits that he knows he's not the first to say these things, but he still believes he belongs with this person.
The desperation in the singer's voice is apparent, especially in lines like "When I dream of you, all my dreams come true" and "Can't you hear my heart, it's calling you." The imagery of dreaming about the person and feeling lost without them reinforces the idea that this person is necessary for the singer's happiness. The repetition of the line "I had to make you mine" emphasizes the level of importance that this person holds in the singer's life and how far he would go to win them over.
Overall, "Had to Make You Mine" is a declaration of the singer's love and a plea for this person to reciprocate those feelings. The lyrics are powerful in their simplicity, and the message of the song is clear: the singer had to have this person, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Line by Line Meaning
I had to make you mine
I had a strong need to make you mine and be with you
I've wasted all this time
I have spent a long period of time without being with you and I regret it
You know that I'm so glad
You know that I am happy to finally have you as my love
Just to have your love
I only wanted your love as it brings happiness to my life
I'm telling all the world
I am informing everyone about my love for you and making it known to all
That you're my little girl
I am referring to you as my dear one and expressing my love for you
You know I must be mad
Despite the possible foolishness of my actions, I am happy to have you as my love
When I dream of you
When I have dreams about you in my sleep
All my dreams come true
All my dreams become a reality when I am with you
You are my night, my day
You are a constant presence in my life, both during the day and at night
I'm lost when you're away
I feel disorientated and incomplete when you're not with me
Can you hear my heart
I want you to understand the depth of emotion I have for you
It's calling you (it's calling you)
My love for you is so strong that it feels like it's reaching out to you
Oh girl, oh little girl
An expression of affection towards the subject of the song, who is younger or less significant in stature than the singer
I thought you'd like to know
I am informing you of something that I believe you would be happy to hear
You've heard this all before
You may have heard other people say these types of things to you before, but I am being sincere
So even if I'm wrong
Even if my actions or beliefs turn out to be incorrect
I'm right where I belong
Being with you makes me feel like I'm in the right place
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: RICK NIELSEN, TOM PETERSSON, ROBIN ZANDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind