I Don't Want to Be

"I Don't Want to Be" is a song by American singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw from his 2003 debut album, Chariot. The song gained exposure after being featured as the opening theme to The CW teen drama series One Tree Hill, and it was released as a radio single on February 17, 2004. It peaked at number 10 in the United States in 2005 and became a top-20 hit in Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.

"I Don't Want to Be"
A man wearing a grey t-shirt and yellow ball cap is lying down on a pile of leaves.
Single by Gavin DeGraw
from the album Chariot
ReleasedFebruary 17, 2004 (2004-02-17)
Studio
Length3:37
LabelJ
Songwriter(s)Gavin DeGraw
Producer(s)Mark Endert
Gavin DeGraw singles chronology
"I Don't Want to Be"
(2004)		 "Chariot"
(2005)

The song is certified gold in the US, having sold over 500,000 downloads. In 2012, the song reached number 27 on the UK Singles Chart, its highest position, due to the finale of One Tree Hill's ninth and final season airing, which also featured DeGraw. The song's music video follows the message of the lyrics, featuring a girl investigating her high school peers while they are frozen in time, and she eventually decides to be herself.[1]

Background and composition

Gavin DeGraw wrote the song as a message to adolescents, encouraging them to be themselves and to not let outside factors change their personalities. DeGraw explained:

["I Don't Want to Be"] was heavily influenced by the identity crisis right now that exists amongst youth. It's almost like you can go into any town in the country and the kids don't necessarily have an identity of their own; it's like whatever is on television is who they are.[1]

Upon finishing the song, DeGraw was happy with the results, but he was unsure if the song would become a hit despite being able to "have an impact on people's psyche and on their tapping toe".[2] Musically, the track is written in the key of C minor and proceeds at a moderately slow tempo of 76 beats per minute.[3][4]

Track listings

UK and Australian CD single[5][6]

  1. "I Don't Want to Be" (album version) – 3:37
  2. "I Don't Want to Be" (Stripped/acoustic version)
  3. "Just Friends" (album version) – 3:24
  4. "I Don't Want to Be" (video)

European CD single 1[7]

  1. "I Don't Want to Be" (album version) – 3:38
  2. "I Don't Want to Be" (Stripped version) – 4:04
  3. "Get Lost" – 4:26
  4. "I Don't Want to Be" (video)

European CD single 2[8]

  1. "I Don't Want to Be"
  2. "I Don't Want to Be" (Stripped version)

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the UK CD single liner notes.[5]

Studios

Personnel

  • Gavin DeGraw – lyrics, music, vocals, piano
  • Michael Ward – guitars
  • Alvin Moody – bass
  • Joey Waronker – drums
  • Mark Endert – production, recording, mixing
  • Steve Gryphon – additional editing, additional programming

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[31] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States February 17, 2004
J [32]
August 16, 2004 Contemporary hit radio [33]
Australia September 6, 2004 CD [34]
United Kingdom June 20, 2005 [35]

Use in media

References
  1. "Behind the Mask: Gavin DeGraw's 'I Don't Want to Be' Will Dig Deep into Who You Really Are". Society of Rock. February 29, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  2. Roberge, Nicole (December 4, 2013). "Gavin DeGraw Discusses His Platinum Chariot Album, and His Hit Single 'I Don't Want to Be'". Songwriter Universe. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  3. "I Don't Want to Be by Gavin DeGraw – Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. March 16, 2015. MN0145901. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  4. "I Don't Want to Be ● Gavin DeGraw". Note Discover. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  5. I Don't Want to Be (UK CD single liner notes). Gavin DeGraw. J Records. 2005. 82876 702222.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. I Don't Want to Be (Australian CD single liner notes). Gavin DeGraw. J Records. 2004. 82876-64530-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. I Don't Want to Be (European CD single liner notes). Gavin DeGraw. J Records. 2005. 82876 645302.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. I Don't Want to Be (European CD single liner notes). Gavin DeGraw. J Records. 2005. 82876 645312.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. "Gavin DeGraw – I Don't Want to Be". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  10. "Gavin DeGraw – I Don't Want to Be" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  11. "R&R Canada CHR/Pop Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1588. January 7, 2005. p. 25. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  12. "Gavin DeGraw – I Don't Want to Be" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  13. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Gavin DeGraw". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  15. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 24, 2005" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  16. "Gavin DeGraw – I Don't Want to Be" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  17. "Gavin DeGraw – I Don't Want to Be". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  18. "Gavin DeGraw – I Don't Want to Be". VG-lista. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  19. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  20. "Gavin DeGraw – I Don't Want to Be". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  21. "Gavin DeGraw – I Don't Want to Be". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  22. "Gavin DeGraw: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  23. "Gavin DeGraw Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  24. "Gavin DeGraw Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  25. "Gavin DeGraw Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  26. "2004 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 52. December 25, 2004. p. YE-74. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  27. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2005". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  28. "Årslista Singlar, 2005" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  29. "Billboard Top 100 – 2005". BillboardTop100of.com. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  30. "British single certifications – Gavin DeGraw – I Don't Want to Be". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  31. "American single certifications – Gavin DeGraw – I Don't Wanna Be". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  32. "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1542. February 13, 2004. p. 25. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  33. "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1568. August 13, 2004. p. 19. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  34. "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 6th September 2004" (PDF). ARIA. September 6, 2004. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  35. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. June 18, 2005. p. 35.
  36. Lujan, Adam (July 25, 2016). "One Tree Hill cast reunites, performs theme song". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
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