The entertainment world is mourning the loss of James Van Der Beek, who passed away on February 11 at the age of 48 after a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer. As fans return to the world of Capeside to honor his memory, the show’s iconic theme song, “I Don’t Want to Wait” by Paula Cole, has seen a significant resurgence in interest and digital performance.

While official Billboard chart positions are still being tabulated, real-time data shows a clear “tribute effect.” The 1997 hit has climbed into the Top 40 of the iTunes Digital Songs chart and has seen a massive spike in daily streams on Spotify and Apple Music as fans revisit the series.

The song is inextricably linked to Van Der Beek’s portrayal of Dawson Leery. The lyrics, originally written by Cole about her grandfather, have taken on a new, poignant meaning for fans following the statement from Van Der Beek’s family, which noted he met his final days with “courage, faith, and grace.”

In a striking coincidence, Paula Cole had just announced her 30th Anniversary Tour for the album This Fire on February 10—the day before the news broke. The tour, which kicks off in September, features Cole performing the album in its entirety. Fans have already begun turning to her social media pages to share their grief, noting that the upcoming performances will now serve as a powerful nightly tribute to the actor who helped make the track a generational anthem.

The surviving Dawson’s Creek cast has also been vocal in their grief. Katie Holmes shared that she was “grateful to have shared in James’ journey,” while Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams also released statements honoring their “formative years” together on the WB series.