Sunday, July 03, 2005
Have you ever listened to the words?
One of my favourite songs used to be Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness." A beautiful, soulful song, Redding pleads a case for the hard-working, deeply-loving women of the world, encouraging men everywhere that "when she gets weary ... try a little tenderness."
Even the song itself is beautiful, starting slowly and then *hop* *hop* Otis slowly picks it up, moves it up, takes it higher, makes it more, until at the end he is really leaning into it, giving it his all.
But have you ever listened to the words? I mean, have you really looked at what Redding says? A bit anti-climactic, if you ask me:
Ooh she may be weary
And them young girls they do get weary
Wearing that same old shaggy dress
But when they get weary
[You gotta] try a little tenderness
You know she's waiting, just anticipating
The thing that she'll never, never, possess,no,no
But while [all the time] she's without it
Go to her and try just a little bit of tenderness
Oh,but its one thing
It might be a bit sentimental yeah, yeah
She has - her grieves and care
But the soft words [they] are spoken so gentle
Yeah, but, oh, that makes it, makes it easier to bear, yeah
You wont regret it
No no, them young girls they dont forget it
[Cause] Love is their whole, whole happiness Yes, yes, yeah
And its all so easy, come on and try
Try a little Tenderness, Yeah Try
Just keep on trying
You've got to love her, squeeze her
Don't tease her Make love [Get to her], hold her tight
Just, just try a little tenderness
Thats all you gotta do, youve gotta hold her tight
One more time, you`ve got to love her
hold her Don't tease her
Never leave her, make love to her
Hold her, man
Try a little tenderness
[Just one time] God have mercy now
All you`ve gotta do, Love her
You've gotta hold her, Don't squeeze her
Never leave her You gotta now,now,now
Watch it, tell everybody
Try, Try a little tenderness
You gotta make love
Don't tease her
Never leave her
Rub her down
Smooth her, soothe her
Move her
Love her
Rub her
Gotta gotta, sock it to her
Try some tenderness
Oh yeah
Tenderness
Little tendernes
Gotta, lord you gotta hold her
Squeeze her Never leave her
Even the song itself is beautiful, starting slowly and then *hop* *hop* Otis slowly picks it up, moves it up, takes it higher, makes it more, until at the end he is really leaning into it, giving it his all.
But have you ever listened to the words? I mean, have you really looked at what Redding says? A bit anti-climactic, if you ask me:
Ooh she may be weary
And them young girls they do get weary
Wearing that same old shaggy dress
But when they get weary
[You gotta] try a little tenderness
You know she's waiting, just anticipating
The thing that she'll never, never, possess,no,no
But while [all the time] she's without it
Go to her and try just a little bit of tenderness
Oh,but its one thing
It might be a bit sentimental yeah, yeah
She has - her grieves and care
But the soft words [they] are spoken so gentle
Yeah, but, oh, that makes it, makes it easier to bear, yeah
You wont regret it
No no, them young girls they dont forget it
[Cause] Love is their whole, whole happiness Yes, yes, yeah
And its all so easy, come on and try
Try a little Tenderness, Yeah Try
Just keep on trying
You've got to love her, squeeze her
Don't tease her Make love [Get to her], hold her tight
Just, just try a little tenderness
Thats all you gotta do, youve gotta hold her tight
One more time, you`ve got to love her
hold her Don't tease her
Never leave her, make love to her
Hold her, man
Try a little tenderness
[Just one time] God have mercy now
All you`ve gotta do, Love her
You've gotta hold her, Don't squeeze her
Never leave her You gotta now,now,now
Watch it, tell everybody
Try, Try a little tenderness
You gotta make love
Don't tease her
Never leave her
Rub her down
Smooth her, soothe her
Move her
Love her
Rub her
Gotta gotta, sock it to her
Try some tenderness
Oh yeah
Tenderness
Little tendernes
Gotta, lord you gotta hold her
Squeeze her Never leave her
