‘Everything About You’ is the debut single of American heavy metal band Ugly Kid Joe, originally from their 1991 EP, As Ugly as They Wanna Be. The song gained popularity after being featured in the 1992 hit film Wayne's World and was later included on the band's full-length debut album, America's Least Wanted, which was also released in 1992. Ugly Kid Joe described themselves at the time as "A bunch of stupid-ass, cheesy idiots from Santa Barbara." They embraced their ugly side in their music and their artwork, with a logo that looks like it came from the Garbage Pail Kids.
The pop-metal song was a commercial success around the world, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart, number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number five in Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway. In Australia, the song was released as part of the As Ugly as They Wanna Be EP, reaching number four on the ARIA Singles Chart. The song has been seen as "[signifying] the intersection of fading hair metal and rising grunge by combining the former’s optimistic sound with the latter’s pessimistic lyrics".
Singer Whitfield Crane said the song is about a cynical childhood friend of the band's. "He's not mean-spirited by any means, but he can sure pick apart any situation. And he always had that charm about him," said Crane. The song describes, with an uptempo beat, a list of things the lead singer hates or doesn't care about: the weather, "your" family, and "everything about you." In the bridge, the singer admits that he has a bad attitude, but that he enjoys hating everything and refuses to change. The song closes with the well-known couplet "Shave and a Haircut".
The song found its greatest success in the United Kingdom, where it reached number three in May 1992, and it also reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. It additionally reached the top 10 in Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway and peaked within the top 20 in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. The single also charted in Australia as part of the As Ugly as They Wanna Be EP, reaching number four and earning a Platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association for shipments exceeding 70,000. Rolling Stone Magazine placed this song and its follow up ‘Cats in the Cradle’ on their list of the "20 Greatest Two-Hit Wonders of All Time", saying for ‘Everything About You’, "this California group straddled the line between the hard-rock hookiness that was waning in popularity in Nirvana's Nineties and more au courant alt-rock surliness on their debut single". AllMusic reviewer Heather Phares, reacted to the song negatively, and called it a "hair metal snark-fest"
Label – Mercury
Songwriters – Whitfield Crane, Klaus Eichstadt
Producers – Ryan Dorn, Ugly Kid Joe
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]I hate the rain and sunny weather
And I, I hate the beach and mountains too, boo-hoo
And I don't like a thing about the city, no, no
And I, I, I, hate the countryside too!
[Chorus]
And I, hate everything about you
Everything about you
[Verse 2]
And I don't like a thing about your mother
And I, I hate your daddy's guts too, boo-hoo
And I don't like a thing about your sister, no, no
'Cause I, I, I think sex is overrated too
[Chorus]
And I get sick when I'm around
I can't stand to be around
I hate everything about you
Everything about you
Everything about you
Everything about you
[Bridge]
Some say I've got a bad attitude
But that don't change the way I feel about you
And if you think this might be bringing me down
Look again 'cause I ain't wearing no frown
Get down!
[Verse 3]
Well, I don't really care about your sister
Fuck the little bitch, 'cause I already kissed her
One thing that I did to your lady
I put her on the bed and she didn't say maybe
Well, I know, you know, everybody knows
The way it comes, the way it's gonna go
You think it's sad
Well, that's too bad
'Cause I'm havin' a ball
Hatin' every little thing about you, ha-ha!
[Chorus]
Everything about you, everything about
I get sick when I'm around
I can't stand to be around
[Pre-Outro]
I hate everything about
You!
[Outro]