Gayten was born in Kentwood, Louisiana, the nephew of blues pianist Little Brother Montgomery. In his teens he played piano in local bands while also setting up his own group, Paul Gayten's Sizzling Six, which featured future bebop saxophonist Teddy Edwards.
During the war, he led a band at the Army base in Biloxi, Mississippi. He then moved to New Orleans and, with a new trio, established a residency at the Club Robin Hood. In 1947 the trio recorded two of the first New Orleans hits of the R&B era, "True (You Don't Love Me)", and "Since I Fell for You", the latter featuring singer Annie Laurie. Both made the R&B top ten. Gayten also backed singer Chubby Newsom on her hit "Hip Shakin’ Mama".
In 1949 he expanded his combo into a nine-piece orchestra and moved to Regal Records. There, Gayten wrote the #1 R&B hit "For You My Love" for Larry Darnell, and recorded "I’ll Never Be Free" with Annie Laurie. His orchestra toured widely, for a period adding saxophonist Hank Mobley and singer Little Jimmy Scott, and appearing on double bills with both Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. In 1952 he moved to Okeh Records.
In 1953 he decided to quit as a touring bandleader and joined Chess Records as a talent scout, producer, promotion man, songwriter and part-time musician and recording artist. He discovered Clarence "Frogman" Henry and produced his first hit, "Ain't Got No Home", in 1956, later going on to co-write and produce his biggest hit, "But I Do", in 1961. At Chess, Gayten produced Bobby Charles' "Later Alligator" and played piano on Chuck Berry’s "Carol". In 1956 he also had one of the biggest hits of his own career with "The Music Goes Round And Round", followed up by "Nervous Boogie".
In 1960 he moved to Los Angeles with his wife Odile to run the Chess operations there. In 1968 he set up his own label, Pzazz, which recorded Louis Jordan, among others. He continued to live in Los Angeles with Odile after retiring in the 1970s, and died there in 1991.
Bandleader & pianist born in 1920 who enjoyed several hit jump blues & bawdy swing 78's on the New Jersey based De Luxe & Regal labels in the late 40's & early 50's before returning south to become a key figure in his hometown New Orleans booming late 50's Rock n Roll scene. Beginning a show biz career after his release from the military in 1946, he often worked with vocalist Annie Laurie. He toured extensively with package shows featuring Laurie as well as vocalist Jimmy Scott and musicians like Hank Mobley. Gayten's Orchestra ends up on Columbia's Okeh imprint in 1952 and releases various material before he eventually gets dropped & finds his way into the Chess records fold. The Chess Bros. soon had him moving laterally to the Checker imprint and later Argo. During this period he was a live staple for 6 years running at the busy Brass Rail Club in the Crescent City. By 1956 he had ended up charting high on the Argo offshoot label with the instrumental "Nervous Boogie". His band at the time included hot players like Earl Palmer on drums, Lee Allen on sax and Edgar Blanchard on guitar. After years of hard touring Gayten eventually curtailed his road & recording efforts and became a Chess A & R man signing Eddie Bo and others. Gayten's most lasting legacy likely occured when he brought Clarence Frogman Henry into the national limelight in late 1956 with the hit "Ain't Got No Home". Gayten helped the frogman score big again with "But I Do" , a tune co-written with Bobby Charles that hit #4 on the pop charts in 1961. While ostensibly retired from the road, Gayten still occasionally found time to perform with Fats Domino and recorded a single for an upstart Detroit independent label owned by a former auto worker named Berry Gordy. The tune "The Hunch" b/w "Hot Cross Buns" was Anna Records #1106, the precursor label to Motown. Gayten eventually founded his own record label in 1969 called Pzazz which for a time featured the great Louis Jordan. He continued recording, arranging & producing various musical performers into his elder years until his death in Los Angeles in 1991.
You Better Believe It
Paul Gayten Lyrics
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And my love is true
Don't go around with a doubt in your mind
You know, baby, I'm not the cheatin' kind because
(You'd better believe it)
Whoa... oh... whoa... you'd better believe it, baby
(You'd better believe it)
Somebody's been lyin'
Because I've been so true
Now stop your cryin'
And your sobbing too
You'll feel so much better when you do
You know, baby, there's no one else but you because
(You'd better believe it)
Whoa... oh... whoa... you'd better believe it, baby
(You'd better believe it)
How could you let them get under your skin
The story you heard was just a big lie
I know within my heart I've committed no sin
So baby, there's no reason to cry,
Whoa... whoa... yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(You'd better believe it)
I know, I know, I know, baby, you'd better believe it, yeah, yeah
(You'd better believe it)
(You'd better believe it) Baby,
Believe it, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(You'd better believe it) Just put a little trust in me, baby
(You'd better believe it) I'll show you that I care, ooh
(You'd better believe it)
The lyrics of Paul Gayten’s “You Better Believe It” convey a message of unwavering love and fidelity. The singer expresses his love for his partner and reassures her that there is no reason to doubt his commitment. He acknowledges that someone has been spreading lies about him but appeals to his lover to trust him and not let those rumors affect their relationship. The lines “Don't go around with a doubt in your mind / You know, baby, I'm not the cheatin' kind” emphasize his loyalty and devotion to her. The singer tries to comfort his lover by telling her that she’d feel much better if she stopped crying and believed him instead. The lyrics indicate that the singer is willing to do anything to prove his love and gain her trust.
The repeated phrase “You'd better believe it” throughout the song is a plea for the lover to accept the singer’s love and fidelity. He implores her to put her trust in him and acknowledges that it's understandable to occasionally feel insecure but insists that the rumors she's heard are not true. Ultimately, the song emphasizes the importance of trust and communication in a relationship and the need for honest, open dialogue to strengthen the bond between two people.
Line by Line Meaning
That I do love you
I want you to know that I really do love you
And my love is true
My love for you is genuine and sincere
Don't go around with a doubt in your mind
Please don't let doubts and mistrust cloud your mind
You know, baby, I'm not the cheatin' kind because
I want you to believe that I am faithful and loyal to you
(You'd better believe it)
I am serious and sincere about what I'm saying
Somebody's been lyin'
Someone has been spreading false rumors about me
Because I've been so true
But you can trust me because I have been honest and sincere
Now stop your cryin'
Please stop crying and feeling upset
And your sobbing too
It's time to stop feeling sad and heartbroken
You'll feel so much better when you do
You will feel happier if you can let go of your doubts and trust me
You know, baby, there's no one else but you because
I want you to understand that you are the only one I love and care for
(You'd better believe it)
This is the truth and you need to trust me
How could you let them get under your skin
Why did you let other people's lies affect you so much?
The story you heard was just a big lie
What you heard about me was completely false
I know within my heart I've committed no sin
I have done nothing wrong and my conscience is clear
So baby, there's no reason to cry,
Therefore, there is no need for you to continue crying
(You'd better believe it)
Really, you need to trust me
Just put a little trust in me, baby
Just try to have faith in me and our relationship
I'll show you that I care, ooh
I will do my best to demonstrate my love and affection for you
Writer(s): Paul Gayten
Contributed by Hannah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.