Kept a near prisoner by Phil Spector throughout her teens and 20s, she eventually left the abusive relationship to raise her son, and re-establish her languishing singing career. Many attempts fell flat; even 1976's Say Goodbye to Hollywood, written by Billy Joel and with backing from Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band, didn't take to the charts. Her 1980 album Siren, produced by Genya Ravan, featured a Ramones cover but was not a hit. In 1986 she was featured by Eddie Money on the hit single Take Me Home Tonight, singing the line "Be my baby" as part of the chorus.
Her 2006 album Last of the Rock Stars features work with Keith Richards, Patti Smith, the Raveonettes and others, including a cover of a Johnny Thunders song. Her previous EP She Talks to Rainbows was produced by and included a duet with Joey Ramone. In 2003, she released through her website Something's Gonna Happen, a five-song EP of Marshall Crenshaw songs recorded in 1989. Her 2006 European summer tour was postponed when her husband, Jonathan Greenfield, became ill.
In 2011, after the death of Amy Winehouse, Ronnie Spector released her version of Winehouse's 2006 single "Back to Black".
In 2016, she released, through 429 Records, English Heart, her first album of new material in a decade.
All I Want
Ronnie Spector Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel a little I'll at ease
With how You've been treating me
I'm not some kind of disease
For you to cure, Oh Baby
I wake up at seven a.m. and you're gone
Out the door again and when you come back
And I don't want flowers or fancy things
I gave up on a diamond ring
All I WANT
I just want a little pat on the back from you
Not another little subtle attack from you
I just want a little something
To show me that you care whether I live or die
ALL I WANT
For you to treat me with a little respect
Not like a big pain in the neck
All I want is tell me it's alright
I feel kind of furious
And you're not even curious
You're way too oblivious
Where I'm concerned, Oh Darling
You turn to me at night
Like you think everything's alright
And it is til we turn on the lights
And real life returns
And I don't want flowers and fancy things
I gave up on a diamond ring
ALL I WANT
I just want a little hug and a kiss from you
Not a list of things I didn't do
I just want a little something
To show me that you care whether I live or die
ALL I WANT
For you to tell me that you're liking the dress I'm in
Not criticize me cause my life is a mess again
All I want is tell me it's alright
And I don't want flowers and fancy things
I gave up on a diamond ring
ALL I WANT
I just want a little pat on the back from you
Not another go hop in the sack with you
Just want to know something to show me that you care whether I live or die
ALL I WANT
For you to treat me with a little respect
Not like a big pain in the neck
All I want is tell me it's alright
I just want a little hug and a kiss from you
Not a list of things I didn't do
All I want is tell me it's alright
OOH! OOH!
All I WANT ALL I WANT OOH! OOH! OOH!
OOH! OOH!
ALL I WANT OOH!
All I want is tell me it's alright
OOH! YEAH! WOO OOH!
All I want is to show me that you care
OOH! OOH! OOH! OOH! WOO OOH! AA AH!
It's all right OOH! OOH! OOH! OOH! OOH! OOH! WOO OOH! OOH! OOH!
Ronnie Spector's song "All I Want" is a poignant, emotional plea to her lover to treat her with respect and to show her that his feelings for her are genuine. She speaks of feeling ill at ease and hurt by the way he has been treating her, and tells him that she doesn't want material things like flowers or a diamond ring, but rather just a little pat on the back, a hug and kiss, or some other small gesture to show her that he cares about her. She is feeling neglected and unacknowledged and is looking for signs that her lover truly values and loves her. She wants to be treated with dignity and respect and not like a pain in the neck. The song is a touching reminder of our need for connection and affection, and of the importance of treating those we love with kindness and respect.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel a little I'll at ease
I'm feeling a little uncomfortable or anxious
With how You've been treating me
With the way you've been treating me lately
I'm not some kind of disease
I'm not a problem that needs to be cured or solved like a disease
For you to cure, Oh Baby
For you to solve, oh baby
I wake up at seven a.m. and you're gone
I wake up at 7 am and you've already left
Out the door again and when you come back
You leave again and when you return
You can't even say a one kind word
You can't even say one kind word to me
And I don't want flowers or fancy things
I don't need or want flowers or fancy things
I gave up on a diamond ring
I've given up on wanting a diamond ring
All I WANT
All I want is...
I just want a little pat on the back from you
I just want a small gesture of appreciation from you
Not another little subtle attack from you
I don't want another small, indirect criticism from you
I just want a little something
I just want a small thing
To show me that you care whether I live or die
To prove to me that you care about me and my well-being
For you to treat me with a little respect
For you to treat me with some dignity or admiration
Not like a big pain in the neck
Not like a big annoyance or problem
All I want is tell me it's alright
All I want is for you to assure me that it's okay
I feel kind of furious
I'm feeling pretty angry
And you're not even curious
And you don't even seem interested
You're way too oblivious
You're completely unaware of the situation
Where I'm concerned, Oh Darling
When it comes to me, oh darling
You turn to me at night
You come to me at night
Like you think everything's alright
As if everything is okay
And it is til we turn on the lights
And it is until we turn on the lights and reality sets in
And real life returns
And we have to deal with reality again
I just want a little hug and a kiss from you
I just want a small hug and kiss from you
Not a list of things I didn't do
I don't want a list of all the things I didn't do right
For you to tell me that you're liking the dress I'm in
For you to express your admiration for the dress I'm wearing
Not criticize me cause my life is a mess again
Not criticize me because my life is a mess again
All I want is tell me it's alright
All I want is for you to assure me that it's okay
OOH! OOH!
Inarticulate vocalization
All I WANT ALL I WANT OOH! OOH! OOH!
All I want, all I want (inarticulate vocalization)
ALL I WANT OOH!
All I want (inarticulate vocalization)
OOH! YEAH! WOO OOH!
Inarticulate vocalization
All I want is to show me that you care
All I want is for you to prove to me that you care
OOH! OOH! OOH! OOH! WOO OOH! AA AH!
Inarticulate vocalization
It's all right OOH! OOH! OOH! OOH! OOH! OOH! WOO OOH! OOH! OOH!
It's all right (inarticulate vocalization)
Contributed by Lincoln J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.