I Want You

"I Want You" is a song by Australian pop duo Savage Garden. It was originally released in Australia on 27 May 1996 as the lead single from their eponymous debut album, Savage Garden (1997). The single reached number one in Canada and peaked at number four in Australia and on the US Billboard Hot 100. Much of the song's chart success in the US was the result of Rosie O'Donnell playing the song on several episodes of The Rosie O'Donnell Show. In the United Kingdom, the single was issued twice, achieving its highest peak of number 11 during its initial release in 1997. At the APRA Music Awards of 1998 "I Want You" won Most Performed Australian Work Overseas. In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, the album version of the song was ranked number 87. In February 2023, Peking Duk released a version featuring re-recorded vocals by Darren Hayes. Content The song's lyrics refer to the attraction exerted by a person possessing strong sex appeal. They fascinate the singer and arouse his curiosity, even though he is not sure whether he needs them at all. Singer Darren Hayes described it as a song about "being in love with a male energy", when asked if the song had a coded gay message. The fast-paced, almost rapped vocal style verses is similar to the verses featured in "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" by Reunion. In an interview with Apple Music about their debut album, Darren Hayes also said: