Peak
25
Weeks
44
Score
5,321
Chart Year
1994
The black-and-white music video for "Come to My Window", directed by Samuel Bayer, cuts between a mental patient (Juliette Lewis) and Etheridge playing her guitar and singing. The video also features "child-like" drawings in certain scenes. According to an episode of VH1's Pop Up Video, these drawings were created by a crew member's five-year-old daughter. Additionally, the video was to have included an appearance by a little girl; the mental patient's "lost childhood". While the appearance was filmed, it got lost during editin
A song with a Shakespearian level of passion, "Come to My Window" finds Melissa Etheridge baring her soul to her lover, letting her know that she will go that she will go to great lengths just to be with her. Etheridge is imploring her to sneak in through the window (much more romantic than using the spare key) so she'll be there when she gets home. At this time, Etheridge had been seeing Julie Cypher for a few years, and she was smitten. Many of her songs express her feelings for Cypher in some way, and in this case, it's amorous anticipation. Yes I Am was a breakthrough album for Etheridge, selling over six million copies in America and launching her to arena-level stardom. "Come to My Window" was the first single, followed by "I'm the Only One." Both songs got extensive radio play across a variety of formats and were put in heavy rotation on VH1, where Etheridge was a core artist. "Come to My Window" stayed in the Hot 100 for 44 weeks, peaking at #25 in August of 1994. "I'm the Only One" spent 40 weeks on the chart, peaking at #8 in January 1995. This made Etheridge the first artist with back-to-back singles that spent at least 40 weeks on the chart. Etheridge came out as gay in early 1993, and the Yes I Am album title is a reference to this admission. Her songs of passionate longing were now revealed to be directed toward another woman, but most listeners had no problem with this. Any backlash came not because Etheridge was a lesbian, but because this song and "I'm the Only One" were inescapable, each holding a spot on many radio station playlists for nearly a year. The black-and-white video stars Juliette Lewis, who recites some lines from the song at the beginning of the clip and in a break in the middle. In the video, Lewis plays a locked-up mental patient in various states of crazy (the following year, she would play an unhinged serial killer in the film Natural Born Killers). It was directed by Samuel Bayer, who was one of the most prolific directors of the '90s. His work includes Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Blind Melon's "No Rain." This won a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and was nominated for Best Rock Song. Etheridge performed the song on the telecast. When Etheridge recorded this song, she almost left it off the album, since she thought it was "too simple." Her friends convinced her it was worthy, and Etheridge learned a valuable lesson: simplicity can be very effective. Etheridge opened her set at Woodstock '94 with this song.
Come to my window Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon Come to my window I'll be home soon I would dial the numbers Just to listen to your breath I would stand inside my hell And hold the hand of death You don't know how far I'd go To ease this precious ache You don't know how much I'd give Or how much I can take Just to reach you Just to reach you Oh to reach you Come to my window Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon Come to my window, I'll be home soon Keeping my eyes open I cannot afford to sleep Giving away promises I know that I can't keep Nothing fills the blackness That has seeped into my chest I need you in my blood I am forsaking all the rest Just to reach you Just to reach you Oh to reach you, oh Come to my window Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon Come to my window, I'll be home soon I don't care what they think I don't care what they say What do they know about this love, Anyway Come, come to my window I'll be home, I'll be home, I'll be home I am coming home Come to my window, oh-ho Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon Come to my window, I'll be home soon I'll be home, I'll be home I am coming home Come to my window, oh-ho Crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon Come to my window I'll be home soon I'll be home, I'll be home, I'll be home
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 26, 1994 | 92 | 34 |
| 2 | Mar 5, 1994 | 88 | 38 |
| 3 | Mar 12, 1994 | 84 | 42 |
| 4 | Mar 19, 1994 | 75 | 51 |
| 5 | Mar 26, 1994 | 74 | 52 |
| 6 | Apr 2, 1994 | 68 | 58 |
| 7 | Apr 9, 1994 | 62 | 64 |
| 8 | Apr 16, 1994 | 58 | 68 |
| 9 | Apr 23, 1994 | 48 | 78 |
| 10 | Apr 30, 1994 | 48 | 78 |
| 11 | May 7, 1994 | 40 | 86 |
| 12 | May 14, 1994 | 38 | 88 |
| 13 | May 21, 1994 | 37 | 89 |
| 14 | May 28, 1994 | 37 | 89 |
| 15 | Jun 4, 1994 | 36 | 90 |
| 16 | Jun 11, 1994 | 35 | 91 |
| 17 | Jun 18, 1994 | 35 | 91 |
| 18 | Jun 25, 1994 | 32 | 94 |
| 19 | Jul 2, 1994 | 31 | 95 |
| 20 | Jul 9, 1994 | 28 | 98 |