The List

4 Rock Anthems From the 90s That Melissa Etheridge Wrote by Herself

Beginning with her self-titled debut album in 1988, Melissa Etheridge has carved out a career for herself as one of the most respected singer-songwriters of all time. What makes Etheridge stand out even more is her ability to write songs by herself. Among Etheridgeโ€™s many hits are these four incredible songs, which were all written solely by Etheridge. 

“I’m The Only One”

Etheridgeโ€™s first No. 1 single, โ€œIโ€™m The Only Oneโ€ is on Yes I Am, her monumental fourth studio album.

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 Out in 1993, โ€œIโ€™m The Only Oneโ€ is a song about wanting to be with someone who is with someone else. The chorus says, โ€œBut I’m the only one / Who’ll walk across the fire for you / I’m the only one / Who’ll drown in my desire for you / It’s only fear that makes you run / The demons that you’re hiding from / When all your promises are gone / I’m the only one.”

“Come To My Window”

โ€œCome To My Windowโ€, also on Yes I Am, follows โ€œIโ€™m The Only Oneโ€. The song was inspired by her own life.

“I was in a relationship at the time that was tumultuous,” Melissa Etheridge tells Entertainment Weekly. “In my early twenties and thirties, I made some poor choices, and what you choose is what you get. I was struggling with fidelity, honesty, and what it is that makes a relationship.”

“Come To My Window” says, โ€œCome to my window / Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon / Come to my window / I’ll be home soon / I would dial the numbers just to listen to your breath / And I would stand inside my hell and hold the hand of death / You don’t know how far I’d go to ease this precious ache / And you don’t know how much I’d give or how much I can take.โ€

Actress Juliette Lewis appears in the video for โ€œCome To My Windowโ€.

“I Want To Come Over”

In 1996, Etheridge released โ€œI Want To Come Overโ€. The song, a Top 10 single, is part of Your Little Secret, her fifth record.

โ€œI Want To Come Overโ€ says, โ€œI want to come over / To hell with the consequence / You told me you loved me / That’s all I believe / I want to come over / It’s a need I can’t explain / To see you again / I want to come over.”

โ€œYou Can Sleep While I Driveโ€

โ€œYou Can Sleep While I Driveโ€ surprisingly did not do as well as some of Etheridgeโ€™s other singles. Although it remains a favorite among fans to this day. Out in 1990, โ€œYou Can Sleep While I Driveโ€ is on her sophomore Brave And Crazy album.

The song says, โ€œCome on baby / Let’s get out of this town / I got a full tank of gas / With the top rolled down / If you won’t take me with you / I’ll go before night is through / And baby you can sleep while I drive.

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