"I Do" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb. Released on October 14, 1997, as the lead single from her second album, Firecracker (1997), the song peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Loeb's second-highest-charting single, after her number-one debut single, "Stay (I Missed You)". In Canada, "I Do" gave Loeb her second number-one hit, after "Stay". "I Do" was her last top-20 hit in both countries.
Lyrics and composition On the surface, the song seems to be about "the realization that a person isn't right for you, that the relationship has gone bad". However, the real intention of the song is different according to the liner notes for The Very Best of Lisa Loeb: "We were almost finished recording the album, Firecracker, and the record company told us that we still needed a single. I decided to write a song that sounded like a song about a relationship but was actually about the record company not 'hearing' a single on the record already. You can hear it in the lyrics, 'You can't hear it, but I do.' The song ended up being an expression of strength and power even when someone's not treating you right."
Reception The song was warmly greeted by Billboard magazine, which called the melody and chorus "nothing short of pure pop bliss."
Music video In the music video, directed by Phil Harder in Minneapolis, it shows scenes of Lisa Loeb in black and white singing on an upside-down microphone and also lying down on the feather floor (like in the album's cover) then singing and playing guitar in a psychedelic room with several dancers around her. It also features paintings of her as well as the lyrics in some scenes (during Pop-up Video, the words would pop up in the same font as the words in the drawings, and the "I will" parts have the percentages).
Track listings US CD and cassette single, UK cassette single "I Do" "Jake" (alternative version)
European CD single "I Do" (LP version) "Do You Sleep?" (live)
UK, Australian, and Japanese CD single "I Do" (LP version) – 3:41 "Do You Sleep?" (live) – 3:35 "Jake" (alternative version) – 3:00
Credits and personnel Credits are lifted from the Firecracker album booklet.
Studios Recorded at various studios in New York City and Los Angeles with Pro Tools 4.0 Mixed at Mix This! (Pacific Palisades, California) Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)
Personnel
Lisa Loeb – writing, lead and harmony vocals, acoustic guitar, production Juan Patiño – harmony vocals and loops, production, engineering Tony Berg – electric guitars Leland Sklar – bass John "JR" Robinson – drums Bob Clearmountain – mixing David Bianco – basic track engineering Ryan Freeland – additional engineering (Mix This!) Ted Jensen – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1997–1998)PeakpositionAustralia (ARIA)85Europe Airplay (European Hit Radio)22Quebec (ADISQ)6
Year-end charts Chart (1998)PositionCanada Top Singles (RPM)35Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)40US Billboard Hot 10058US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)24US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)39US Triple-A (Billboard)15
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United StatesOctober 14, 1997CDGeffenJapanOctober 28, 1997United StatesOctober 30, 1997United KingdomFebruary 2, 1998
References