“I Want It That Way – Backstreet Boys” was written by Andreas Carlsson and Max Martin, both of which are Swedish producers who also have written numerous hits for *NSYNC, Celine Dion and Britney Spears.
This was the very first single from third album of The Backstreet Boys. It’s among the fastest and massive selling album that ever graced the recording industry, not until *NSYNC released their No Strings Attached a little later that year, though.
The band did not realize that this should be the very first single since it sounded too much or a bit like their previous album. The record company had to really convince them otherwise and just give it a go.
Vanilla Fudge had covered this on their album called Then And Now. The Fudge drummer Carmine Appice noted: “That song is such an awesome song. I actually used to hear that I Want It That Way song before and I also used to hear Vanilla Fudge concord behind it with the really “goosebump-ing” hair raising kind of organ thing in the background. The lyrics, however, did not dictate that song though as much as the mood did. That was another one as well, we said, ‘Let’s simply put in an awesome arrangement and then make it sound like it’s really Fudge. Put a couple of emotional vocals here and there.'”
This was also The Backstreet Boys’ first and only chart topping number 1 hit in the UK.
I Want It That Way was also used as the soundtrack of the 1999 film Drive Me Crazy.
And then, due to its popularity Weird Al Yankovic have recorded a parody of the song called “eBay,” where he sang about continually purchasing bizarre and unnecessary items being sold on eBay. The purchases he made included “a pre-loved pink bathrobe,” “the little Smurf TV tray,” “an Alf alarm clock” and “a pretty weird Kleenex that’s been used by Dr. Dre.”
So a lot of people think that these lyrics don’t make any sense at all, however that’s because they don’t really know what the real mindset of the song writer is.
The singer is actually singing something about someone that he loves and longs for so much, but could not call her or pay her a visit simply because of his pride. Few people run away from their past, even if it really means shutting people out that they once knew. They could be hiding the real person that they have become, and just don’t want their past relationship from finding out about the life that they now lead. Many have changed in the singer’s life then ever since he knew her, and he knows that if they ever reunite, things will never be the same again. So, he pushes the ex-lower away and vow to not let her get close.
He’s singing the song, “I Want It That Way – Backstreet Boys” to himself, just like a prayer, or it can also be interpreted as a dialogue among the two.
Sing Me Something 