Like the Way I Do
Encyclopedia
"Like the Way I Do" is a 1988 Melissa Etheridge
song and the second single from her debut album Melissa Etheridge
.
Like many other songs on the album ("Bring Me Some Water
", "Similar Features", "Don't You Need"...), "Like the Way I Do" deals with the non-monogamous relationship she was in at the time. In the lyrics she asks her lover, who had told her that she had a crush on someone else, what she sees in the other person and what that person is giving to her what she herself can't: "Tell me does she love you like the way I love you, does she stimulate you, attract and captivate you?". In the verses she also accuses her lover of not putting enough effort on making the relationship work: "You found out to love me you have to climb some fences".
"Like the Way I Do" is one of Etheridge's most famous songs and in her autobiography, she states:
Etheridge also says that the studio version is actually a short version of the song since when she performs it live, she improvises a lot which sometimes makes the song last 15 to 20 minutes.
on its initial release, but it was a minor hit on the Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, where it reached #28. Seven years later, when Etheridge was at the height of her popularity and radio exposure, "Like the Way I Do" was rereleased as the B-side to Yes I Am
s third single, "If I Wanted To"; this allowed the track to chart on the Hot 100 for the first time, peaking at #42. This statistic understates the song's popularity, however: While Billboard tracked the songs separately, and "If I Wanted To" was regarded as the A-side and hence charted higher (#16, 1995), many Top 40 radio stations treated "Like the Way I Do" as the de facto A-side and played it in heavy rotation—in many markets, more than "Wanted." Under then-current Hot 100 rules, all of the combined retail sales points of the single were given to the A-side, and so "Like," the B-side, had to chart on radio airplay points alone. Under modern Hot 100 rules, which no longer distinguish between A- and B-sides of singles, "Like" would probably have charted much higher.
Having been performed at a Dutch music festival (Pinkpop festival) which was broadcast on television in the early 1990s, "Like the Way I Do" became a #2 hit in the Netherlands after Whitney Houston
's "I Will Always Love You
".
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
song and the second single from her debut album Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge (album)
Melissa Etheridge is the self-titled debut album by singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1988 .The album was re-released on 23 September 2003 as a two-CD remastered edition containing a bonus disc of ten tracks recorded live at the Roxy in Los Angeles and a five-track session from BBC...
.
Song information
The song was actually written years before the album was recorded. Melissa Etheridge had already played it during her live concerts, where it was the first of her own composition that kept being requested by the audience. The intro of the song was created by coincidence when the singer played one of her other songs - "I Want You" - backwards on a cassette recorder.Like many other songs on the album ("Bring Me Some Water
Bring Me Some Water
- Song information :Melissa Etheridge wrote the song after the initial version of her debut album was rejected by the recording company, which left her only four days to provide new material and a modified edition of the album...
", "Similar Features", "Don't You Need"...), "Like the Way I Do" deals with the non-monogamous relationship she was in at the time. In the lyrics she asks her lover, who had told her that she had a crush on someone else, what she sees in the other person and what that person is giving to her what she herself can't: "Tell me does she love you like the way I love you, does she stimulate you, attract and captivate you?". In the verses she also accuses her lover of not putting enough effort on making the relationship work: "You found out to love me you have to climb some fences".
"Like the Way I Do" is one of Etheridge's most famous songs and in her autobiography, she states:
Etheridge also says that the studio version is actually a short version of the song since when she performs it live, she improvises a lot which sometimes makes the song last 15 to 20 minutes.
Music video
"Like the Way I Do" was the first Melissa Etheridge song for which a video was produced. It shows the singer during a live concert and includes scenes both from on stage and backstage. The place at which she is playing is a smaller bar or club with a smoky, rather dark atmosphere. It was produced in 1988 and is also included on the bonus DVD of her album Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled.Charts
The song did not chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
on its initial release, but it was a minor hit on the Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, where it reached #28. Seven years later, when Etheridge was at the height of her popularity and radio exposure, "Like the Way I Do" was rereleased as the B-side to Yes I Am
Yes I Am
Yes I Am is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released by Island Records on September 21, 1993 . The title is generally thought to refer to Etheridge's recent coming out as a lesbian, confirming long-standing rumors about her personal life. This is the album...
s third single, "If I Wanted To"; this allowed the track to chart on the Hot 100 for the first time, peaking at #42. This statistic understates the song's popularity, however: While Billboard tracked the songs separately, and "If I Wanted To" was regarded as the A-side and hence charted higher (#16, 1995), many Top 40 radio stations treated "Like the Way I Do" as the de facto A-side and played it in heavy rotation—in many markets, more than "Wanted." Under then-current Hot 100 rules, all of the combined retail sales points of the single were given to the A-side, and so "Like," the B-side, had to chart on radio airplay points alone. Under modern Hot 100 rules, which no longer distinguish between A- and B-sides of singles, "Like" would probably have charted much higher.
Having been performed at a Dutch music festival (Pinkpop festival) which was broadcast on television in the early 1990s, "Like the Way I Do" became a #2 hit in the Netherlands after Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
's "I Will Always Love You
I Will Always Love You
"I Will Always Love You" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1973, who first released the song as a single in 1974.-Dolly Parton version:...
".
Peak positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | U.S. Hot 100 | 42 |
| 1989 | Australian single charts | 16 |
| 1992 | Dutch single charts | 2 |
| 1988 | U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart | 28 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 90 |
Track listing
All songs written by Melissa Etheridge.- A-side: "Like the Way I Do" – 5:25
- B-side: "Like the Way I Do (live)" – 6:03
Credits and personnel
- Melissa Etheridge – acoustic guitar, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Wally BadarouWally BadarouWally Badarou is a musician from Benin.-Biography:A synthesiser specialist, Badarou was the longtime associate of the British band Level 42, known for its blend of funk, pop, soul and rock...
– keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Craig Krampf – percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Kevin McCormick – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Johnny Lee Schell – guitar
- Scott Thurston – keyboard
- Waddy WachtelWaddy WachtelRobert "Waddy" Wachtel is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work...
– guitar - Melissa Etheridge, Niko Bolas, Craig Krampf, Kevin McCormick – producersRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Chris Blackwell, Rob Fraboni – executive producers
- Allan Blazek, Jim Nipar – engineer
- David Kane – assistant engineer
- Duane Seykora, Bob Vogt – mixing assistants
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Melissa Etheridge, Craig Krampf – arrangers
- George DuBose – photography
- Tony Wright – cover design
Cover versions
- German band 2-4 Grooves2-4 Grooves2-4 Grooves is a Germany Electro music project, consisting of 2 members; Stephan Drobez and Sascha Mulder.-History:Stephan Drobez and Sascha Mulder started the project in 2002. Their first single, "The Way I Do", was released in 2006, charting on a number of Dance charts, including taking first...
recorded the song under the title "The Way I Do" in a house version and released it as a usual single with another song as a B-side and on a remix single including the radio version and three additional remixes. The singles were released in October 2006 but did not chart. The band states that before the release, the single was presented to Melissa Etheridge and she approved the version. - Elli ErlElli ErlElli Erl is a German musician, who came to fame as the winner of the second season of the television show Deutschland sucht den SuperStar, the German version of Pop Idol....
, winner of the second season of Deutschland sucht den SuperstarDeutschland sucht den SuperstarDeutschland sucht den Superstar is a German reality talent show, also commonly known by its initials DSDS. Part of the Idol franchise, it was created by English media mogul Simon Fuller as a spin-off from the British show Pop Idol, of which two series were broadcast between the years of 2001 and...
("German Idol") performed the song various times throughout the season: during her original audition, in the first motto show ("My pop idol", finishing fourth out of 13) and in the final as her personal season highlight. In the show's fourth season, candidate Julia Falke performed the song in the second top 20 show making her proceed to the motto shows.
Sources
- Melissa Etheridge and Laura Morton: The truth is..., Random House 2002
- Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled bonus DVD