Peak
1
Weeks
25
Score
4,026
Chart Year
1988
This song about young love was the first US hit for Terence Trent D'Arby, who changed his name to Sananda Maitreya in 2001. Regarding the name change, he told Songfacts: "TTD had died. His psyche had been shot full of so many arrows that he could no longer hold his spirit. After intense pain I meditated for a new spirit, a new will, a new identity. Sananda Maitreya is an opportunity for me, this spirit, to live with a new psyche and use it to continue my work, the work I came to earth for." The line, "I want to be your midnight rambler" is a reference to the Rolling Stones song. Says Maitreya: "I am a disciple of The Stones and their fathers the Chicago blues. I see my work and most of rock as an evolution of the roots and branches of the urban blues." After a stint in the US Army, D'Arby moved to England and got a deal with CBS Records. For his first single, "If You Let Me Stay," he was paired with producer Howard Gray. The other nine tracks, including "Wishing Well," were produced by Martyn Ware of Heaven 17. D'Arby caught on right away in England with his first single, "If You Let Me Stay." As a 25-year-old American (he's from New York) with a very distinctive look, he played very well on British music showcases like The Tube. That song reached #7 in the UK but stalled at #68 in America in November 1987. "Wishing Well" fared much better, and when MTV put the video in hot rotation, it began climbing the charts, reaching #1 on the R&B tally in April 1988 and on the Hot 100 in May. D'Arby wrote this with Sean Oliver, who also played bass on the track. Oliver, who was in a band called Rip Rig & Panic with Neneh Cherry, died in 1990 from sickle-cell anemia in 1990. The video was directed by Vaughan Arnell, whose credits include "Bodies" by Robbie Williams and "Say You'll Be There" by Spice Girls.
Kissing like a bandit, stealing time, underneath a sycamore tree Cupid, by the hour, sends Valentines to my sweet lover and me Slowly, but surely your appetite is more than I knew Sweetly, softly, I'm falling in love with you Wish me, love, a wishing well, to kiss and tell A wishing well of butterfly tears Wish me, love, a wishing well, to kiss and tell A wishing well of crocodile tears sing Make it funky now, boys Hugging like a monkey see, monkey do, right beside a riverboat gambler Erotic images float through my head, say I wanna be your midnight rambler Quickly, but quickly the blood races through me veins Quickly, loudly I wanna hear those sugar bells ring Wish me, love, a wishing well, to kiss and tell A wishing well of butterfly tears Wish me, love, a wishing well, to kiss and tell A wishing well of crocodile tears, get up now On the beat now, uh Come on now Wish me, love, a wishing well, to kiss and tell A wishing well of butterfly tears, come on Wish me, love, a wishing well, to kiss and tell A wishing well of crocodile tears, uh (Wish me, love, a wishing well, to kiss and tell) Hey-hey I feel like going on, I feel like going on (Wish me, love, a wishing well, to kiss and tell) Come on, come on Erotic images float through my head Your midnight rider, my baby (Wish me, love, a wishing well, to kiss and tell) Dig it For you, anywhere Don't know, I don't care (Wish me, love, a wishing well, to kiss and tell) But all I know is
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 16, 1988 | 79 | 47 |
| 2 | Jan 23, 1988 | 74 | 52 |
| 3 | Jan 30, 1988 | 63 | 63 |
| 4 | Feb 6, 1988 | 56 | 70 |
| 5 | Feb 13, 1988 | 51 | 75 |
| 6 | Feb 20, 1988 | 46 | 80 |
| 7 | Feb 27, 1988 | 40 | 86 |
| 8 | Mar 5, 1988 | 35 | 91 |
| 9 | Mar 12, 1988 | 27 | 99 |
| 10 | Mar 19, 1988 | 20 | 106 |
| 11 | Mar 26, 1988 | 17 | 109 |
| 12 | Apr 2, 1988 | 12 | 114 |
| 13 | Apr 9, 1988 | 10 | 116 |
| 14 | Apr 16, 1988 | 5 | 121 |
| 15 | Apr 23, 1988 | 4 | 122 |
| 16 | Apr 30, 1988 | 2 | 124 |
| 17 | May 7, 1988 | 1 | 125 |
| 18 | May 14, 1988 | 3 | 123 |
| 19 | May 21, 1988 | 12 | 114 |
| 20 | May 28, 1988 | 24 | 102 |