Why Todd Rundgren Didn't Care to Play His Egotistical Hit "Hello It's Me" With Ringo Starr
When Todd Rundgren first released his song “Hello It’s Me” as a B-side with his band Nazz in 1968, it managed to peak at No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100, then reentered the chart at No. 66 months later. After Nazz—which pulled it’s name from the Yardbirds’ 1966 song “The Nazz Are Blue”—disbanded in 1969, Rundgren revisited “Hello It’s Me” on his third solo album Something/Anything? in 1972 and took the more uptempo version to No. 5 on the chart.
Despite it’s chart history, when Rundgren joined Ringo Starr with his All-Starr Band, he performed “Hello It’s Me” a few times but eventually retired it on their tours.
“Originally, Ringo wanted me to do “Hello It’s Me,” and I just felt that the song, in the context of what the rest of the band was playing, didn’t represent the message I wanted to convey,” said Rundgren. “‘Hello It’s Me’ is a kind of a selfish song. It’s me, me, me. It’s all about me. I’m in charge, and all this other stuff.”
Hello, it’s me
I’ve thought about us for a long long time
Maybe I think too much but something’s wrong
There’s something here, doesn’t last too long
Maybe I shouldn’t think of you as mine
Seeing you or seeing anything as much I do you
I take for granted that you’re always there
I take for granted that you just don’t care
Sometimes I can’t help seeing all the way through
It’s important to me
That you know you are free
‘Cause I never want to make you change for me
Think of me
You know that I’d be with you if I could
I’ll come around to see you once in a while
Or if I ever need a reason to smile
And spend the night if you think I should
Source: Tina Benitez-Eves/americansongwriter.com
