I Want You to Want Me

"I Want You To Want Me" has a long and intriguing history. It was written by Cheap Trick's guitarist Rick Nielsen and recorded for their 1977 self-titled debut album, but it didn't make the cut. The song was included on their second album, In Color, released later in 1977. This version has a medium tempo with a country feel and a honky tonk piano throughout the song. By 1978, the band had dropped it from their setlist, but restored it when they toured Japan that year, since Japanese audiences loved the song. They played it on April 28 and 30 at their famous concerts at the Budokan temple in Tokyo, a big deal because many Japanese citizens felt the temple was sacred and not appropriate for rock concerts. The shows were recorded and released as the Live At Budokan album. Enhanced by a febrile crowd going ape for the band, the songs had a very different feel, capturing every bit of Cheap Trick's live energy. The album was released in February 1979 and sold over 3 million copies, turning their fortunes around in America. The extracted "I Want You To Want Me" became their first hit, charting at #7.

Many early Cheap Trick songs written by Rick Nielsen are from the perspective of characters who are a little unhinged (see: "Dream Police"), and the band played that up with their eccentric fashions and accessories. The guy in this song is a bit desperate and delusional, figuring a shoe shine and a new shirt will make the girl love him.

According to Rick Nielsen, the band considered this "sort of hokey pop" when they first recorded it, and the arrangement matched that sentiment, with finger snaps and a plaintive country feel. Robin Zander played up the schmaltz in the vocal, sounding like a woebegone cornpoke. This studio version fell flat, but when they played it as an earnest rocker, it worked.