Indiana Wants Me
Encyclopedia
"Indiana Wants Me" is a song written and originally recorded by Canadian
singer-songwriter
R. Dean Taylor
. It was released on the Rare Earth label, a subsidiary of Motown Records
, in 1970, and was a top ten hit in both the US and UK.
The song is written from the viewpoint of someone who has murdered a man who insulted his woman; he is missing his family and hiding from the Indiana police, who eventually catch up with him. Taylor wrote the song after watching the movie Bonnie and Clyde
. The record was produced by Taylor, and arranged by him with David Van De Pitte
. It was released on the Rare Earth label, formed by Motown in an attempt to establish itself in the rock music
market. The police siren sounds at the start of the record were removed from some copies supplied to radio stations, after complaints that drivers hearing the song on the radio had mistakenly pulled over thinking that they were real.
The record became Taylor's first and biggest hit
as a performer in the US, where it rose to no. 5 on the Billboard
Hot 100 in late 1970. Taylor appeared on the TV show American Bandstand
to promote the record. In the UK, where Taylor had had an earlier hit with "Gotta See Jane", it also became his biggest hit, reaching no. 2 on the UK singles chart
in spring 1971.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
R. Dean Taylor
R. Dean Taylor
R. Dean Taylor is a Canadian singer, most famous as a recording artist, songwriter and record producer for Motown Records company during the 1960s and 1970s...
. It was released on the Rare Earth label, a subsidiary of Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
, in 1970, and was a top ten hit in both the US and UK.
The song is written from the viewpoint of someone who has murdered a man who insulted his woman; he is missing his family and hiding from the Indiana police, who eventually catch up with him. Taylor wrote the song after watching the movie Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde (film)
The film was originally offered to François Truffaut, the best-known director of the New Wave movement, who made contributions to the script. He passed on the project to make Fahrenheit 451. The producers approached Jean-Luc Godard next...
. The record was produced by Taylor, and arranged by him with David Van De Pitte
David Van De Pitte
David J. Van De Pitte was an American music arranger and bass player. He is best known for his work at Motown Records during the 1960s and early 1970s, when he was responsible for arranging many of the best known and most successful of the company's records, including those by Marvin Gaye, The...
. It was released on the Rare Earth label, formed by Motown in an attempt to establish itself in the rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
market. The police siren sounds at the start of the record were removed from some copies supplied to radio stations, after complaints that drivers hearing the song on the radio had mistakenly pulled over thinking that they were real.
The record became Taylor's first and biggest hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
as a performer in the US, where it rose to no. 5 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 in late 1970. Taylor appeared on the TV show American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
to promote the record. In the UK, where Taylor had had an earlier hit with "Gotta See Jane", it also became his biggest hit, reaching no. 2 on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in spring 1971.