Music Review: Kim Wilde "Say You Really Want Me"

Say You Really Want Me
Album: Another Step/Running Scared soundtrack
Year: 1986

Kim Wilde challenges her boyfriend to admit his feelings in the adequate "Say You Really Want Me."

A sexy breath and glitzy synths open the single, setting a playful tone. Over the beat, Wilde repeats "do ya" in different tones.

"Do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya do ya/ Do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya/Do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya/Do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya."

In the first verse, she asks him about his blasé attitude. He acts like he's seen and been it all. However, he's never ventured further past the stateline. She then wonders why she puts up with his pretentious behavior. She would like for him to talk about his emotions towards her.

"Why you always got to be so cool/And why I always got to play your fool/You don't really know what life's about/Baby come and let your feelings out."

In the chorus, she would like to hear him express that he likes spending time with her. She would like to know if she even matters to him. He won't say a word about their relationship to her. She's unsure of where they stand. She would like to be with him.

"Say you really want me/Don't keep it to yourself/Say you really need me/Just me and no one else/Say you really love me/Oh let me know it's true/Say you really want me/The way that I want you tonight.."

In the second verse, she tells him that he really doesn’t know how a relationship works. He's been afraid to love someone. She tells him that she cares for him, despite his flaws. She informs that he has to let her know soon or she's gone.

"You don't know a thing about romance/Deep inside you're scared to take the chance/'Cause love like this may never come again/Make your move or I'll be in the wind."

The synth has a predictable solo.

In the bridge, she says she's looking for a boyfriend who will be best friend. The world is cruel and unforgiving. Without someone to vent to, she would be lost. She says he has to stop jerking her around and be straight with her. She believes they could have a relationship.

"I need somebody through the thick and the thin/'Cause I know the problems of today/The time is over now for playing those games/Let’s take it all the way."

The chorus is sung again.

The intro section ("do ya") ends the single.

She's involved with the troubled bad boy. He's uncommunicative and only wants to hang out. She presses him to make a decision and offers an ultimatum: either they are a couple or she’s leaving.

Wilde's vocals are insistent yet easygoing. She is able to reveal things about the song’s main character: emotionally strong, firm, self-aware. She gives the song far more than it deserves.

However, the synth arrangement is dated and uses an array of 80s clichés: saxophone, synth, and keyboard (which distorts Wilde’s voice). The instruments are all cobbled together in the bridge, making for a jumbled mess.

"Say You Really Want Me" is listenable and entertaining, but it could’ve been better.

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