I Want You
Katie James Lyrics
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When I met you
I picked you out, I shook you up and turned you around
Turned you into someone new
Now five years later on you've got the world at your feet
Success has been so easy for you
But don't forget it's me who put you where you are now
And I can put you back down too
Don't
Don't you want me?
You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me
Don't
Don't you want me?
You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me
It's much too late to find
When you think you've changed your mind
You'd better change it back or we will both be sorry
Don't you want me, baby?
Don't you want me, oh
Don't you want me, baby?
Don't you want me, oh
The song "I Want You" by Kate James is actually a cover of the Human League's hit song "Don't You Want Me" from the early 1980s. The lyrics tell the story of a man who meets a woman working as a waitress in a cocktail bar and transforms her life. He helps her achieve success and fame, but he also resents her for becoming too independent and forgetful of his role in her success. The man acknowledges that he can bring her down just as easily as he lifted her up, and he pleads with her not to abandon him.
Taking the lyrics at face value, the song can be interpreted as a tale of a toxic and possessive relationship. The man is controlling and manipulative, using his power to elevate the woman while also threatening to tear her down if she doesn't comply with his wishes. The lyrics "Don't you want me? You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me" suggest a relationship built on a one-sided power dynamic.
However, the song also has a deeper meaning when viewed through a feminist lens. The woman in the song becomes successful on her own terms, but the man still tries to take credit for her achievements and control her life. This mirrors the experiences of women in male-dominated industries, who must often navigate sexism and misogyny to succeed. By subverting the traditional gender roles of the man as provider and the woman as dependent, the song questions and critiques toxic masculinity and the societal pressure on women to conform to male expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar
When I first met you, you were a waitress working in a cocktail bar.
When I met you, I picked you out, I shook you up and turned you around
When we met, I chose you and changed you into a different person.
Turned you into someone new
I transformed you into someone else.
Now five years later on you've got the world at your feet
Five years later, you have achieved great success and have the world at your feet.
Success has been so easy for you
You have had an easy time achieving success.
But don't forget it's me who put you where you are now
However, you should remember that I am the reason for your current success.
And I can put you back down too
I also have the power to take it away from you.
Don't you want me?
A plea for acknowledgement, asking if you still want me.
You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me
It's hard for me to accept that you no longer want to see me.
You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me
I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me anymore.
It's much too late to find
It's too late now to realize.
When you think you've changed your mind
When you believe you have changed your decision.
You'd better change it back or we will both be sorry
It's imperative that you change it back, otherwise we will both regret it.
Don't you want me, baby?
A repeated plea for acknowledgement, asking if you still desire me.
Don't you want me, oh
A repeated plea for acknowledgement, asking if you still desire me.
Don't you want me, baby?
A repeated plea for acknowledgement, asking if you still desire me.
Don't you want me, oh
A repeated plea for acknowledgement, asking if you still desire me.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, BMG Rights Management
Written by: John William Callis, Philip Oakey, Adrian Philip Wright
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind