A winter lockdown just received a much-needed dopamine bump: Dawson’s Creek has just landed on Netflix. The series got us through some tough times in our teens, so we can’t wait to dive back in. But there’s one thing you need to prepare yourself for if you’re looking for some nostalgia: the removal of the classic theme song.
I Don’t Want To Wait, by Paula Cole, is the theme tune that we grew up hearing. It’s what we imagine when we see the credits roll and the cast – James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Michelle Williams et al – wander through the gorgeous green backdrop of Capeside. But you’ll notice that it has been replaced by Run Like Mad, by folk singer Jann Arden.
It seems like a complete travesty, but there is an explanation. Surprisingly for those who feel that I Don’t Want To Wait is the perfect choice, Run Like Mad actually got there first. Dawson’s Creeks producers commissioned several artists to write songs for the show (they had wanted Alanis Morissette’s One Hand In My Pocket, but that was too expensive) and chose Jann’s offering as their favourite.
Then cam a change of plan. Shortly before the iconic teen drama aired on the WB network, an advert for the show aired on TV featuring… you guessed it: I Don’t Want To Wait. Something gelled: the channel bigwigs suggested that Paula’s song seemed the perfect fit, and ditched Run Like Mad. Rude.
I Don’t Want To Wait, then, became synonymous with Dawson and his creek, thanks to the show’s successful run over six years. However, when it came to the series being released on DVD, the network needed to shell out further cash for the rights to the song. Sony Pictures, which handled the releases, happily paid the fees to use the track in the season one and two DVD sets, but when it failed to fly off the shelves they made cutbacks: I Don’t Want To Wait was deemed to expensive, and they reverted to the original choice from Jann Arden.
Jann received no further royalties for her song. There is not even a full version. But several of her songs featured in individual episodes, so she’s benefitted from royalties.
So there you have it. Go, watch Dawson’s Creek. Knock yourself out with teenage angst. Maybe by the time you’ve finished watching the show from start to finish, Run Like Mad may feel like it’s the song that should never have been cut. Maybe.
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