In addition to its US success, "All I Wanna Do" peaked at number one in Australia for one week and in Canada for four weeks, also topping the RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in the latter country. In New Zealand and the United Kingdom, it peaked at number four, and in Europe, it reached the top 10 in Austria, Flanders, France, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The accompanying music video was directed by David Hogan and Roman Coppola. Crow performed the song on her live album Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live from Central Park.
Background and structure
The lyrics of the song are based on the poem "Fun" by Wyn Cooper.[1][2][3][4] Cooper was inspired to write the poem by a conversation at a bar with a friend and occasional writer, Bill Ripley,[5][6] in which he said "All I want is to have a little fun before I die", which became the first line of the poem. In a 1994 interview, Cooper said: "The poem isn't really about him. Or me. They're different people. They're people you can sort of see as ... well ... objective correlatives. Symbols of people like us, or what we could have been, or what we would have become if we continued to drink and do nothing with our lives."[7][8]
Toad Hall Studio, where the song was recorded, was next door to the Pasadena Playhouse.[9][10] Crow's producer (Bottrell) discovered Cooper's poetry book The Country of Here Below in a nearby used bookstore in Pasadena, California. Crow had written a song called "I Still Love You" but was unhappy with its lyrics; she used its melody and adapted the poem for her lyrics to "All I Wanna Do".
The song earned Cooper considerable royalties and helped to promote his book, originally published in a run of only 500 copies in 1987, into multiple reprints.[7] After the song became popular, Ripley brought an unsuccessful lawsuit against Cooper for some of the song's royalties, which ended their friendship.[7][11]
Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Critical darling is poised for a long-deserved top 40 breakthrough with this breezy hand-clapper. Crow has a friendly demeanor that adds extra bounce to a sweet instrumental setting of jangly guitars and toe-tapping beats. Live-sounding jam is a fitting soundtrack to a day at the beach or speeding down the highway with the top down."[14] Troy J. Augusto from Cash Box felt it should have been the first single from Tuesday Night Music Club. "Devil-may-care lyrics ("I like a good beer-buzz, early in the morning"), a cool country twang and Sheryl's friendly vocal style should all spell hit for this feelin'-good number. Rock, country, adult and, particularly, hits radio should all find lots to love about this low-key frolic. Don't miss the live show."[15] In a second single review, he noted, "Seriously infectious hook, simple yet clever instrumentation and Crow's likable personality all spell a winner here. A perfect summertime track, "All I Wanna Do" could well be the song that kicks off Sheryl's run at the big leagues."[16] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton commented, that "All I Wanna Do" "certainly has potential to go further, not least with Lisa Loeb as a role model but my one overwhelming confession is that I honestly cannot see what all the fuss is about. It's a good record, but no more."[17] Alan Jones from Music Week said "this cheery pop/rock smash is a wordy, but expertly delivered and invigorating confection with a catchy chorus." He added, "Brits may not smile as much as US rock buyers, but they'll grin enough to get this into the chart."[18]
Music video
The accompanying music video for "All I Wanna Do" was directed by David Hogan and Roman Coppola, with Martin Coppen directing photography.[19] It features Crow and her band performing the song on the street, with notable characters flying through the air. The video was filmed in front of the Roxy Theatre at the corner of Franklin Street and North 1st Street in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Two versions of the music video exist. The original video featured the character "Billy", mentioned in the song, played by actor Gregory Sporleder. A second version of the video was released with the character's appearances edited out. The edited version appears on Crow's "Greatest Hits" music video DVD. In 2009, an additional music video was released, featured on the 2009 re-release of Tuesday Night Music Club.
Impact and legacy
In 2017, Billboard ranked "All I Wanna Do" number three on their list of the "10 Greatest Sheryl Crow Songs".[20] In 2023, The Guardian ranked the song number five on their list of the "20 Greatest Sheryl Crow Songs",[21] while Billboard ranked it number 405 in their "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time".[22] The latter added, "Well, it ain't no disco and it ain't no country club neither — it's the L.A.-set slice-of-life breakout hit for singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, a "Piano Man" for the alt-rock '90s."
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
English singer-songwriter Amy Studt released a cover version of "All I Wanna Do" as her fourth single. Studt was asked personally by Sheryl Crow to record a cover of the song, and Crow provided backing vocals on the track.[72][73]
Released on January 12, 2004, the single reached a peak of number 21 on the UK Singles Chart and number 25 on the Irish Singles Chart. It was taken from the re-release of her debut album, False Smiles. Following the peaking of "All I Wanna Do", Studt was dropped from her record label Polydor for poor sales.[74]
US singer Joanne Farrell released a dance version of the song in 1995. The song reached number 40 on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart; it also reached number 40 on the Official UK Singles Chart.
References
^
Cooper, Wyn (1987). "Fun". Ahsahta Press. Archived from the original on August 31, 2001. Retrieved January 21, 2015. extracted from 'The Country of Here Below' (Contemporary Poetry of the West Series)
^Rothman, David J. (March 24, 2010). "The Most Unlikely Muse: Bill Ripley". Contemporary Poetry Review. Retrieved May 8, 2022. ....Sheryl Crow's setting of Wyn's poem "Fun," which uses Bill's words as a springboard, the reimagined story of a Tuesday afternoon Bill and Wyn spent together in a Salt Lake City bar....
