In 2007, Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles started recording for their third studio album, Love on the Inside, as a follow-up to their two earlier successful records. Sugarland’s “All I Want To Do” then served as the lead-off single of the album, which entered the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at No. 27, marking the highest debut for the duo.
Eventually, it reached the top spot of the country chart and was even a crossover hit, peaking at No. 18 on Billboard Hot 100 – making it one of Sugarland’s greatest hits and signature songs.
Written by Bush and Nettles along with country music artist Bobby Pinson, “All I Want To Do” tells the tale of a woman who persuades her man to waste away the day together instead of going to work and doing the task they are supposed to. After all, “all I want to do is love you,” the woman said.
Pinson describes the romantic ballad as “a simple song” of not doing anything as it’s already been done. “All you have to do is lay around and enjoy each other,” he said.
And if you notice a number of “ooh” added into the word “do” in the chorus that makes you want to groove into it – well, you’ve got Bush’s wife to thank for. While Bush’s wife was trying to teach their daughter to dance, she sang a series of “do,” which melody caught Pinson’s attention. He realized that there was a great amount of funk on it that he decided to use it in the song.
Nettles, on the other hand, finds the track a little flirty – which she loves. The song serves their goal of bringing different energies into the country scene, “and we got to play on the light side this time,” said Nettles.
Make sure you listen to “All I Want To Do” by Sugarland in the video below.