"Like the Way I Do" is a song by American singer-songwriter

Melissa Etheridge Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist. Her eponymous debut album was released in 1988 and became an underground success. It peaked at No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and its lead ...

, released as the second US single from her first album, ''

'' (1988). In the United Kingdom, "Don't You Need" was released as the second single.

Song information

The song was written years before the album was recorded.

had already played it during her live concerts, where it was the first of her own compositions that kept being requested by the audience. The intro of the song was created by coincidence when the singer played one of her other songs—"I Want You"—backwards on a cassette recorder. "Like the Way I Do" is one of Etheridge's most famous songs and in her autobiography, she says, ""Like the Way I Do" is definitely one of my best songs. It is filled with passion and agony and desire and utter gut-wrenching pain. If you've ever seen me in concert, you know that when I perform that song, it becomes a part of me. It's a transforming song for both the audience and me." Etheridge also says that the studio version is actually a short version of the song since when she performs it live, she improvises a lot which sometimes makes the song last 15 to 20 minutes.

Chart performance

The song did not chart on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, but it was a minor hit on the Album Rock Tracks chart, where it reached 28. Seven years later, "Like the Way I Do" was re-released as the B-side to '' Yes I Ams final single, "

If I Wanted To "If I Wanted To" is a song by American singer, Melissa Etheridge. It was released in 1994 as the final single from Etheridge's 1993 studio album, '' Yes I Am'', and entered the top 50 in Australia, Canada, Iceland, and the United States. Criti ...

"; this allowed the track to chart on the Hot 100 for the first time, peaking at No. 42. Under the then Hot 100 rules, all of the combined retail sales points of the single were given to the A-side, so "Like the Way I Do" charted on radio airplay points alone. In 1992, a live version of the song that Etheridge performed at the Roxy Theatre in October 1988 was released as a single in the Netherlands and Belgium, peaking at No. 2 in the former country and No. 38 in the latter the following year.

Music video

"Like the Way I Do" was the first Etheridge song for which a video was produced. It was conceived and directed by Tony van den Ende. It shows the singer during a live concert and includes scenes both on stage and backstage. The place at which she is playing is a smaller bar or club with a smoky, rather dark atmosphere. It was produced in 1988 and is also included on the bonus DVD of her album ''Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled''.

Track listing

All songs were written by Melissa Etheridge. :A. "Like the Way I Do" – 5:25 :B. "Like the Way I Do" (live) – 6:03

Credits and personnel

Musicians * Melissa Etheridge –

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

* Johnny Lee Schell – guitar * Kevin McCormick –

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

* Craig Krampf –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

Production * Melissa Etheridge, Niko Bolas, Craig Krampf, Kevin McCormick –

producers Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

* Chris Blackwell, Rob Fraboni – executive producers * Allan Blazek, Jim Nipar – engineer * David Kane – assistant engineer * Duane Seykora, Bob Vogt – mixing assistants * Stephen Marcussen – mastering * Melissa Etheridge, Craig Krampf – arrangers * George DuBose – photography * Tony Wright – cover design

Charts

Weekly charts

Original version Live version

Year-end charts

Original version Live version

Certifications

Cover versions

* German band 2-4 Grooves recorded the song under the title "The Way I Do" in a

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

version and released it as a usual single with another song as a B-side and on a remix single including the radio version and three additional remixes. The singles were released in October 2006 but did not chart. The band said that, before the release, the single was presented to Etheridge and she approved the version. *

Elli Erl Elisabeth Maria Erl (born 25 May 1979) is a German singer-songwriter. She came to fame as the winner of the second season of the television show ''Deutschland sucht den Superstar'', the German ''Idol'' series adaptation. With ''DSDS'', Erl a ...

, the winner of the second season of ''

Deutschland sucht den Superstar ''Deutschland sucht den Superstar'' (''DSDS''; "Germany is looking for the Superstar") is a German reality talent show. Part of the ''Idol'' franchise, it was created by British media mogul Simon Fuller as a spin-off from the British show ''P ...

'' (''German Idol'') performed the song several times during the season: for her original audition, in the first motto show ("My pop idol", finishing fourth out of 13) and in the final as her personal season highlight. In the show's fourth season, candidate Julia Falke performed the song in the second top 20 show making her proceed to the motto shows.

References

* Melissa Etheridge and Laura Morton: ''The truth is...'', Random House 2002 * ''Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled'' bonus DVD {{Authority control 1988 singles Melissa Etheridge songs Songs written by Melissa Etheridge 1988 songs Island Records singles Song recordings produced by Niko Bolas