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You Were Meant for Me (Jewel song)

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"You Were Meant for Me"
Standard artwork (U.S. CD cardboard release pictured)
Single by Jewel
from the album Pieces of You
B-side
ReleasedNovember 12, 1996 (1996-11-12)
Length
  • 4:13 (album version)
  • 3:45 (radio edit)
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
  • Jewel Kilcher
  • Steve Poltz
Producer(s)
  • Ben Keith
  • Peter Collin
Jewel singles chronology
"Who Will Save Your Soul"
(1996) 		"You Were Meant for Me"
(1996) 		"Foolish Games"
(1997)
Music video
"You Were Meant for Me" on YouTube

"You Were Meant for Me" is a song written by Steve Poltz and American singer-songwriter Jewel and performed by Jewel on her first album, Pieces of You (1995). It relates the singer's incomprehension of a failed relationship and her inadequate attempts at moving on with her life.

"You Were Meant for Me" was released as the second single from Pieces of You and went on to receive a great deal of recognition. It became a hit and reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, as well as number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart for a single week. In 1997, a reissue of the single containing the unreleased "Foolish Games" allowed the song to rebound to number seven on the Hot 100, eventually totaling 65 weeks in the top 100, which at the time was a record. Worldwide, "You Were Meant for Me" experienced moderate success, reaching number three in Australia, number two in Canada and number 32 in the United Kingdom.

"Foolish Games/You Were Meant for Me" ranked at number 15 on Billboard's "All Time Top 100" list in 2008.[1] When the All Time chart was retabulated for the chart's 55th anniversary in 2013, it remained in the top 20 at number 17.[2] The song was also re-recorded for Jewel's Greatest Hits album with backing vocals from the country trio Pistol Annies.

Background

"You Were Meant for Me" was Jewel's second single to be taken from her debut album. Atlantic Records had Jewel re-record the song for a more radio-friendly version. Initially, the first version that was released was the "Juan Patino Radio Mix" (with a music video produced by Sean Penn). This version omits the first two lines of the chorus and the last four lines of the second verse, and did not gather much attention. It was later cancelled, with the video pulled from MTV and VH1. Jewel returned again into the studio to record the song for a third time, and the resulting version produced is known as the "radio version" and is featured on Greatest Hits.

The original radio version, "Juan Patino Radio Mix", only appeared on a promotional LP titled Phyllis Barnabee Finally Gets a Bra in 1996, and its only commercial release came on a Canadian various artists compilation entitled "Now! 2" that same year. The actual "radio version" was released on a commercial CD single and later on a re-release of Pieces of You.

Composition

"You Were Meant for Me" is written in the key of E minor with a moderate, swinging tempo of 114 beats per minute. The song follows a chord progression of Cadd9–G/B–C–Em, and Jewel's vocals span from G3 to C5.[3]

Critical reception

Steve Baltin from Cash Box picked "You Were Meant for Me" as Pick of the Week, writing that "this simple, charming pop ditty shows why Jewel’s star is rising at a meteoric rate, with no sign of slowing down." He added, "A staple of VH1 and Triple A for the past couple of months, Jewel has just landed a role in the star-studded pop version of The Wizard Of Oz. The ensuing publicity from that, coupled with the previous success of “Who Will Save Your Soul”, should break this song out in a big way. It couldn’t happen to a more deserving artist or song."[4] Another editor, Daina Darzin complimented it as "a sweetly affecting, charming tune whose easy groove showcases her effortless, lovely voice."[5] British magazine Music Week gave it four out of five, describing it as "[an] acoustic cross-fertilisation of Tori Amos and Alanis Morissette."[6]

Music video

A music video was directed by Lawrence Carroll for the Radio Edit. Steve Poltz appeared in the video. In the video Jewel and Poltz appeared together in numerous scenes, most of them depicting how both of them want to be together but always separated. In one scene, Poltz tries to reach for Jewel's hand, but a curtain appears between them separating their hands. In another scene, Jewel lies in front of Poltz and starts to undress and reveals her underwear, but instead of reaching for him, she moves away from him, leaving Poltz with his arms raised towards her. Other scenes include Jewel lying beside a little pond with some little ships (which is also the single's cover), sitting inside a boat in the middle of a room alone, and lastly sitting on the side of a bedroom while Poltz, shirtless, is on the other side and tries to reach for her.

The video won the award for Best Female Video at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.

Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1997 "You Were Meant for Me" MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video Won
MTV Video Music Award – Viewer's Choice Nominated
MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[35] Platinum 70,000^
United States (RIAA)[37] Platinum 1,300,000[36]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States October 15, 1996 (1996-10-15) Contemporary hit radio Atlantic [38]
November 12, 1996 (1996-11-12)
  • CD
  • cassette
 [citation needed]
United Kingdom November 10, 1997 (1997-11-10) [39]

Cover versions

Bellefire version

A single by the Irish girl group Bellefire was scheduled for release in June 2004, as the follow-up to "Say Something Anyway". The release was cancelled, although the track received some airplay in some far east countries. It is included on the album Spin the Wheel.

A promotional video exists and is included on a special edition of the Spin the Wheel album. The video was directed by Andy Hylton.

Other versions

  • The song was re-recorded by Hong Kong singer Fiona Sit in April 2005. The album was a success, leading to the release of a second edition, but the song was never promoted as a major single and acted as more of a 'bonus track' of the album.
  • On the 2007 American Idols Live! Tour, season six winner Jordin Sparks covered an acoustic version of the song and played it on guitar.
  • The song was performed in The Voice (US Season 12) by contestant Lauren Duski in the auditions. Duski would later win as the runner-up.

References

  1. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary - All-Time Top Songs". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on 2008-09-13.
  2. ^ "Hot 100 55th Anniversary: The All-Time Top 100 Songs | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on 2013-08-03.
  3. ^ Poltz, Steve (22 June 2009). "Jewel "You Were Meant for Me" Sheet Music in E Minor (transposable) - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  4. ^ Baltin, Steve (November 25, 1995). "Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 7. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  5. ^ Darzin, Daina (September 21, 1996). "Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 7. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  6. ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. November 1, 1997. p. 16. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  7. ^ You Were Meant for Me (US CD single liner notes). Jewel. Atlantic Records. 1996. 2-87021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ You Were Meant for Me (US cassette single sleeve). Jewel. Atlantic Records. 1996. 4-87021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ You Were Meant for Me (US CD single liner notes). Jewel. Atlantic Records. 1997. 2-87021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ You Were Meant for Me (UK & Australian CD single liner notes). Jewel. Atlantic Records. 1997. A5463CD, 7567-85463-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ You Were Meant for Me (UK cassette single sleeve). Jewel. Atlantic Records. 1997. A5463C, 7567-85463-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ "Jewel – You Were Meant for Me". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3203." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  14. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3225." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  15. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (13.3. '97 – 19.3. '97)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). March 14, 1997. p. 16. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  16. ^ "Jewel: You Were Meant for Me" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  17. ^ "Jewel – You Were Meant for Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  18. ^ "Jewel – You Were Meant for Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  19. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  20. ^ "Jewel: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  21. ^ "Jewel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  22. ^ "Jewel Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  23. ^ "Jewel Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  24. ^ "Jewel Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  25. ^ "Jewel Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  26. ^ "Jewel Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  27. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1997". ARIA. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  28. ^ "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  29. ^ "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  30. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1997". Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  31. ^ "1997 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. December 27, 1997. p. YE-82. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  32. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1998". Archived from the original on March 9, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  33. ^ "Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s". Billboard. May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  34. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  35. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  36. ^ "Best-Selling Records of 1997". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 5. January 31, 1998. p. 76. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  37. ^ "American single certifications – Jewel – You Were Meant for Me". Recording Industry Association of America.
  38. ^ "Selected New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1167. October 11, 1996. p. 63. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  39. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. November 8, 1997. p. 35. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
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