▁one ▁on ▁Bill boards ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁Top ▁Pop ▁Singles ▁year - end ▁chart . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁cert ified ▁gold ▁by ▁the ▁Rec ording ▁Indust ry ▁Association ▁of ▁America , ▁representing ▁half ▁a ▁million ▁copies ▁sold , ▁and ▁was ▁Capit ol ▁Records ' ▁fast est ▁gold ▁status ▁debut ▁single ▁since ▁the ▁Beat les ' ▁" I ▁W ant ▁to ▁Hold ▁Your ▁Hand " ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁ ▁In sp iration ▁When ▁F ie ger ▁was ▁ 2 5 ▁years ▁old , ▁he ▁met ▁ 1 7 - year - old ▁, ▁who ▁inspired ▁a ▁two - month - long ▁run ▁of ▁song writing , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁becoming ▁F ie ger ' s ▁girl friend ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁four ▁years . ▁F ie ger ▁rec ount ed ▁that ▁" It ▁was ▁like ▁getting ▁hit ▁in ▁the ▁head ▁with ▁a ▁baseball ▁bat ; ▁I ▁fell ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁her ▁instantly . ▁And ▁when ▁that ▁happened , ▁it ▁spark ed ▁something ▁and ▁I ▁started ▁writing ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁songs ▁fe ver ish ly ▁in ▁a ▁short ▁amount ▁of ▁time ." ▁F ie ger ▁and ▁A ver re ▁worked ▁out ▁the ▁structure ▁and ▁mel ody ▁of ▁the ▁song . ▁A ver re ▁was ▁originally ▁a verse ▁to ▁using ▁Al per in ' s ▁name ▁in ▁the ▁song , ▁but ▁F ie ger ▁wanted ▁it ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁direct ▁expression ▁of ▁his ▁feelings ; ▁A ver re ▁ultimately ▁rel ented . ▁F ie ger ▁claimed ▁that ▁" My ▁Sh ar