‘Everybody Wants You’ is a hit song written and performed by American rock singer and guitarist Billy Squier. It appeared as the opening track of his multi-Platinum 1982 album Emotions in Motion, and was released as the second single (following the title track) from that album, reaching #31 on the Cash Box Top 100 and #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It became, however, a much bigger hit on AOR (Album Oriented Rock) radio, gridlocking the top spot of Mainstream Rock charts for six weeks straight. The song's music video also remained in heavy rotation for months on MTV.
The song features three guitars and a bass playing a "hard-rocking and funky" riff, and a "sleekly new wave-oriented production". It became a huge hit on both radio and MTV, topping the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks charts for six weeks, from August 28 to October 8, 1982. It was also on the pop charts, debuting on the Billboard Top 40 on November 27, 1982 and peaking at number 32. It was Squier's third Top-40 song, following ‘The Stroke’ (number 17) and ‘In the Dark’ (number 35).
‘Everybody Wants You’ was one of the songs Squier has performed live with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band; one version appeared on the Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band Live 2006 album, along with Squier's 1984 hit ‘Rock Me Tonite’. The song has been covered by artists such as the American hard rock bands Puddle of Mudd, Damone and The Unband, whose version appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film Scary Movie.
The song was used as The Fabulous Ones' (Steve Keirn and Stan Lane) entrance theme during their time in the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association from 1982 to 1985. It was also used in the episode 13 (title: 'Standards and Practices') of season 1 of the drama The Closer. In 2004, a mashup of "Everybody Wants You" and "Emerge" by Fischerspooner was included on the Queer Eye soundtrack. The song is used the first couple seasons of the TV show Burn Notice, including being included in a promotional ad for the second season. The song was also part of the soundtrack for the 2012 film Battleship.
Label – Capitol
Songwriter – Billy Squier
Producers – Reinhold Mack, Billy Squier
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]You see 'em comin' at you every night
Strung on pretension, they fall for you at first sight, mmm
You know their business, you think it's a bore
They make you restless, it's nothin' you ain't seen before
[Chorus]
Get around town, spend your time on the run
You never let down, say you do it for fun
You never miss a play, though you make quite a few
You give it all away, everybody wants you
Yeah
[Verse 2]
You crave attention, you can never say no
Throw your affections any way the wind blows
You always make it, you're on top of the scene
You sell the copy like the cover of a magazine, ooh
[Chorus]
Puttin' on the eyes till there's nobody else
You never realize what you do to yourself
The things that they see make the daily reviews
You never get free when everybody wants you
[Bridge]
Everybody knows you
Everybody snows you
Everybody leads you, needs you, bleeds you
Ooh
[Verse 3]
Nights of confusion and impossible dreams
Days at the mirror, patchin' up around the seams
You got your glory, you paid for it all
You take your pension in loneliness and alcohol
[Chorus]
Say goodbye to conventional ways
You can't escape the hours, you lose track of the days
The more you understand, seems the more like you do
You never get away when everybody wants you, ooh
[Outro]
Everybody wants you
Everybody wants you