For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, Jim Adams has asked us to find a song that was played on the UK shows Top of The Pops or Ready, Steady Go suggested by Willow of willowdot21. As an American, I’ve never seen (or even heard of) either show. When I Googled “Top of the Pops,” I learned that it was a British music chart television program, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between January, 1 1964 and July 30, 2006.

The program was the world’s longest-running weekly music show. For most of its history, it was broadcast on Thursday evenings on BBC One. Each show consisted of performances of some of the week’s best-selling popular music records. It turns out that Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Want to Be with You” was the first song featured on TOTP, so that is the song I’ve chosen to feature this week.

“I Only Want to Be with You” was written by Mike Hawker and Ivor Raymonde. The song was Dusty Springfield’s debut solo single. “I Only Want to Be with You” peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles chart in January 1964 and number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Before going solo, Dusty was a member of The Springfields with her brother Tom. When Dusty went solo, her manager, Philips A&R director Johnny Franz, was looking for a song that “put this girl into the charts.” Dusty had already recorded nine solo tracks, none of which was deemed the right vehicle to launch her solo career. Hawker submitted “I Only Want to Be With You” to Franz, who, along with Dusty, approved the song, which Springfield recorded in October 1963.

In the U.S., Dusty Springfield was the second artist of the British Invasion, after the Beatles, to have a hit. This song is about a girl who has finally found the guy of her dreams — or at least she thinks so. It’s very much a teenage crush song in the same vein as many of the girl group songs Springfield loved. When she came to America and began her solo career, Dusty took more of a pop/R&B direction inspired by groups like The Shirelles and The Crystals.

Here are the lyrics to “I Only Want to Be with You.”

I don't know what it is that makes me love you so
I only know I never want to let you go
'Cause you started something, oh, can't you see?
That ever since we met you've had a hold on me
It happens to be true, I only want to be with you

It doesn't matter where you go or what you do
I want to spend each moment of the day with you
Well, look what has happened with just one kiss
I never knew that I could be in love like this
It's crazy but it's true, I only want to be with you

You stopped and smiled at me
Asked if I'd care to dance
I fell into your open arms
And I didn't stand a chance

Now, listen, honey, I just want to be beside you everywhere
As long as we're together, honey, I don't care
'Cause you started something, oh, can't you see?
That ever since we met you've had a hold on me
No matter what you do, I only want to be with you

Oh, you stopped and you smiled at me
Asked if I'd care to dance
I fell into your open arms
I didn't stand a chance

Now hear me darling, I just want to be beside you everywhere
As long as we're together, honey, I don't care
'Cause you started something, oh, can't you see?
That ever since we met you've had a hold on me
No matter what you do, I only want to be with you

I said, no matter, no matter what you do
I only want to be with you