Watch Cheap Trick Talk The Origin And Play “I Want You to Want Me”

Cheap Trick’s classic song “I Want You To Want Me” unconventionally rose to popularity when the group decided to take a shot at their growing fame in Japan. Their trip to the country spurred a highly successful Cheap Trick at Budokan, an album that gave them a massive accomplishment from around the world.

But what’s the real reason why this song is considered a classic?

In an interview with Howard Stern from the group back in 2006, Rick Nielsen identified the reason why he wrote this quintessential track for over 4 or 3 ½ minutes (at least that’s what he said): “Well, I got tired of begging, so I say, you know, make it simple.” Nielsen later added that the song he created generally polishes as a backlash to all the songs about pleading for love, imploring that it’s best to be direct about what you really want to happen, rather than to beg for something that there isn’t a chance.

When asked if he was a loser for love, Nielsen merely stated that he isn’t, but he’s the guy who would rather perform music in homecomings and football events rather than to actually be a part of that event.

The song was then performed by the members, and the exuding energy is both raw and delightful. There’s a reason why this song is timeless: because at one point in our lives, we all have someone to want us back.

Watch the full video here.