Don't You Want Me

Album: Jody Watley (1987)
Charted: 55 6
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Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Jody Watley is sizing up a potential love interest, trying to gauge his level of interest. In a Songfacts interview with Watley, she explained: "My idea was to convey the uncertainty and the vulnerability of when you meet someone and you don't know where they stand."
  • This was the third single from Watley's debut album, which landed her the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. The first single from the album was "Looking For A New Love," a title she revisited in the lyric to "Don't You Want Me" when she sings:

    Are you looking for a new love
    Or does commitment seem to bring you down?
  • Watley wrote this song with Franne Golde and David Bryant. Golde's other credits include "Nightshift" by the Commodores and "Talk To Me" by Chico DeBarge. Bryant's other co-writes include "The Love In Your Eyes" by Eddie Money and "Back On Holiday" by Robbie Nevil. Watley and Golde became good friends after the session.
  • The song was produced by Bernard Edwards of Chic, who also produced another track on the album, Watley's duet with George Michael, "Learn To Say No."
  • Dominic Sena directed the music video, which gives Watley a chance to show off her impressive dance moves and keen fashion sense. Before becoming a singer, she was a model and a Soul Train dancer. It was filmed in Los Angeles.

    The guy in the video is Andre Cymone, who produced six songs on the album. They had a real-life love connection and got married in 1991. They split three years later.
  • This isn't the biggest hit of the '80s called "Don't You Want Me." The Human League song of that title went to #1 in 1982.

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