All I Want

Album: Ixnay On The Hombre (1996)
Charted: 31
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The Offspring guitarist Noodles explained this song's meaning in an interview with Lollipop Magazine: "Rather than getting all bummed out about how screwed up life is ... you can write a song about how people are always keeping you down and making you live by their rules, or you can say, 'Leave me the f--k alone' and go do your own thing."
  • This evolved from a song called "Protocol" that frontman Dexter Holland wrote as part of a Bad Religion songwriting contest held by Epitaph Records, The Offspring's label at the time. It was dismissed by Epitaph owner (and Bad Religion guitarist) Brett Gurewitz, so Holland reworked the song to suit his own band. By the time they released it, The Offspring had moved to a major label, Columbia Records.
  • This is featured in the video game Crazy Taxi and is also featured in the computer game Jugular Street Luge Racing.
  • The Offspring didn't make their singles available for sale in America at this time so fans would have to buy the albums, but "All I Want" was issued as the first promotional single from Ixnay On The Hombre, their fourth album. It was ineligible for the Hot 100 but peaked at #18 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #13 on the Alternative Songs chart. The album didn't sell nearly as well as its predecessor, Smash (the one with "Come Out And Play"), but their next album, Americana, delivered more hits, including "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)" and "Why Don't You Get a Job?."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Cheerleaders In Music Videos

Cheerleaders In Music VideosSong Writing

It started with a bouncy MTV classic. Nirvana and MCR made them scary, then Gwen, Avril and Madonna put on the pom poms.

Shaun Morgan of Seether

Shaun Morgan of SeetherSongwriter Interviews

Shaun breaks down the Seether songs, including the one about his brother, the one about Ozzy, and the one that may or may not be about his ex-girlfriend Amy Lee.

Real or Spinal Tap

Real or Spinal TapMusic Quiz

They sang about pink torpedoes and rocking you tonight tonight, but some real lyrics are just as ridiculous. See if you can tell which lyrics are real and which are Spinal Tap in this lyrics quiz.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson of Jethro TullSongwriter Interviews

The flautist frontman talks about touring with Led Zeppelin, his contribution to "Hotel California", and how he may have done the first MTV Unplugged.

Stan Ridgway

Stan RidgwaySongwriter Interviews

Go beyond the Wall of Voodoo with this cinematic songwriter.

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.