I Want a New Drug
"I Want a New Drug" | ||||
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Single by Huey Lewis and the News | ||||
from the album Sports | ||||
B-side | "Finally Found a Home" | |||
Released | January 3, 1984 | |||
Recorded | 1983 | |||
Genre | New wave | |||
Length | 4:46 (album version) 3:29 (single edit) 5:32 (12" dance mix) | |||
Label | Chrysalis | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Huey Lewis and the News | |||
Huey Lewis and the News singles chronology | ||||
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"I Want a New Drug" is a song by American rock band
History
According to Lewis, he wrote the song in only a few minutes. He drove to his attorney's office and told him, "Bob, give me a pen and paper!"[1] According to Lewis, the song is a love song, and the meaning of the word "drug" in the song was purposely open ended.[2] "It's really a love song. It's not a pro-drug song; it's not really even an anti-drug song. The word drug sort of gets your attention. But I think in love relationships there's more than 'I want you' or 'I need you' kind of thing."[2] Lewis believed the definition of love was very open to interpretation depending on the listener. "I think real love contains humor and anger and confusion, all of those things."[2]
Three versions of the song were released. The album version has two extensive guitar solos, one in the middle of the song and the other as a fade out. The single edit eliminates the first solo (on their greatest hits album, the first solo is there but truncated) and has the band stop on a sustained chord which is allowed to fade out naturally.[
The video echoes the song's origin, with Lewis waking up late, remembering he has a concert that night, and racing across San Francisco using his yellow convertible, the San Francisco ferry,
Reception
Lawsuit
When the
Track listing
- 7" Chrysalis / CHS 2776 United Kingdom
- "I Want a New Drug" – 3:29 unlabelled 7" mix
- "Finally Found a Home" – 3:48
- 12" Chrysalis / CHS 12 2776 United Kingdom
- "I Want a New Drug (Called Love)" (12" mix) – 5:32
- "I Want a New Drug (Called Love)" (7" mix) – 3:29
- "Heart and Soul" – 3:55
- "(Tattoo) Giving It All Up for Love" (Phil Lynott) – 3:11
- 12" Chrysalis / CS 42779 Canada
- "I Want a New Drug" (dance mix) – 5:32
- "I Want a New Drug" (instrumental) – 4:30
- 7" Chrysalis / CHS 42766 Canada
- "I Want a New Drug" - 3:29
- "Finally Found a Home" - 3:42
- 12" Chrysalis / 601 194 Germany
- "I Want a New Drug" (extended version) – 5:32
- "Heart and Soul" (special remix) – 6:42
- "Tell Me a Little Lie" – 4:08
- 12" Chrysalis / 601 343 Germany
- "I Want a New Drug (Called Love)" (maxi mix) – 5:32
- "I Want a New Drug (Called Love)" (simple mix) – 3:29
- "(Tattoo) Giving It All Up for Love" – 3:11
- "Honky Tonk Blues" (Hank Williams) – 3:16
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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See also
References
- ^ Greene, Andy (May 17, 2013). "Huey Lewis on 30 Years of 'Sports': 'Our 15 Minutes Were a Real 15 Minutes'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 7, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Exclusive Interview with Huey Lewis by Steve Wosahla, Song Hits Magazine, July 1984
- ^ "Question of the Week". Huey Lewis and the News. November 25, 2019. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020.
- ^ "Question of the Week". Huey Lewis and the News. February 9, 2015. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016.
- ^ "Question of the Week". Huey Lewis and the News. September 1, 2013. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016.
- ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. January 14, 1984. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
- ^ Vanhorn, Teri (March 23, 2001). "Ray Parker Jr. Suing Huey Lewis Over ‘Ghostbusters’ Comment". MTV.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "CHART NUMBER 1418 – Saturday, March 10, 1984". Archived from the original on 7 November 2006. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). CHUM. Retrieved April 23, 2016. - ^ "Top Singles - Volume 40, No. 3, Mar 24, 1984". RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
- ^ "Huey Lewis and the News – I Want a New Drug". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
- ^ All Media Network. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
- ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MARCH 31, 1984". Cash Box. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Huey Lewis and the News – I Want a New Drug" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles of 1984". RPM. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
- ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
- ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
- ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1984". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Huey Lewis & the News – I Want a New Drug". Music Canada. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "American single certifications – Huey Lewis & the News – I Want a New Drug". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 21, 2016.