It's hard to think of iconic '90s WB series Dawson's Creek without hearing Paula Cole's "I Don't Wanna Wait," which was the series theme song. That is, unless you've only seen the teen drama on streaming services. Because home video music licensing wasn't a thing that was baked into contracts until the mid-'00s, much of the original Dawson's Creek soundtrack, which featured current alt-rock and pop, was replaced with generic music or parts of the show's score. That included Cole's iconic anthem -- a favorite of Eric Cartman's -- which was replaced by Arden’s “Run Like Mad,” a song that was written specifically for the show. Only the first two seasons on DVD have "I Don't Wanna Wait" as the theme, and it's never been licensed for streaming.
Until now. Netflix announced this morning that they've ponied up the dough to restore Dawson's Creek to its heart-tugging Cole-filled glory. Sort of. It's actually a new version of the song that Paula Cole recorded a few years ago and put on streaming services because she couldn't get the rights to her master recordings back from former label Warner Brothers. (Did Taylor Swift get the idea from Paula?) "It’s true. I re-recorded 'I Don’t Want To Wait,' and they are using the master," Paula wrote on Twitter today. "All artists should be compensated for their intellectual work. Thank you @SonyTV @netflix and most of all the fans who made this happen. That’s the power of patience & persistence. Grateful."