Joy
Bettye Lavette Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't want you anymore
Cause you took my joy
I don't want you anymore
You took my joy

[Chorus]
You took my joy
I want it back
You took my joy
I want it back

I'm gonna go to west Memphis and look for my joy
Go to west Memphis and look for my joy
Maybe in west Memphis I'll find my joy
Maybe in west Memphis I'll find my joy

I'm gonna go to slidell and look for my joy
Go to slidell and look for my joy
Maybe in slidell I'll find my joy
Maybe in slidell I'll find my joy

You got no right to take my joy
I want it back
You got no right to take my joy
I want it back

[Chorus]

I'm gonna go to west Memphis and look for my joy
Go to west Memphis and look for my joy
Maybe in west Memphis I'll find my joy
Maybe in west Memphis I'll find my joy

I'm gonna go to slidell and look for my joy
Go to slidell and look for my joy
Maybe in slidell I'll find my joy
Maybe in slidell I'll find my joy

I don't want you anymore
Cause you took my joy
I don't want you anymore
You took my joy

[Chorus]

You took my joy
I want it back
You took my
I want it back





I'm gonna go to west Memphis
I'm gonna go to slidell

Overall Meaning

The song "Joy" by Bettye LaVette is about a person who has lost their happiness, or "joy," due to a relationship that has ended. The lyrics express the singer's frustration with the heartbreak caused by their former partner. The singer repeats the line "you took my joy" to emphasize the impact their former partner had on their emotional state. The chorus expresses the singer's desire to reclaim their joy, and the verses discuss their search for it.


The singer mentions two locations, West Memphis and Slidell, that they plan to visit in search of their joy. These locations are likely used symbolically to represent a possible new start or a fresh perspective. The repetition of these locations in the chorus suggests that the singer is determined to find their joy, wherever it may be.


Overall, the song is a powerful expression of the emotional pain caused by a broken relationship, and the journey to rediscover happiness. The lyrics are simple and direct, but convey a powerful message about the human experience of love and loss.


Line by Line Meaning

I don't want you anymore
I no longer desire your presence


Cause you took my joy
You are the one responsible for stealing my happiness


I don't want you anymore
I no longer desire your presence


You took my joy
You are the one responsible for stealing my happiness


You took my joy
You are the one responsible for stealing my happiness


I want it back
I desire to regain my happiness


You took my joy
You are the one responsible for stealing my happiness


I want it back
I desire to regain my happiness


I'm gonna go to west Memphis and look for my joy
I plan on traveling to West Memphis to search for the source of my happiness


Go to west Memphis and look for my joy
I plan on traveling to West Memphis to search for the source of my happiness


Maybe in west Memphis I'll find my joy
I hope to find the source of my happiness in West Memphis


Maybe in west Memphis I'll find my joy
I hope to find the source of my happiness in West Memphis


I'm gonna go to slidell and look for my joy
I plan on traveling to Slidell to search for the source of my happiness


Go to slidell and look for my joy
I plan on traveling to Slidell to search for the source of my happiness


Maybe in slidell I'll find my joy
I hope to find the source of my happiness in Slidell


Maybe in slidell I'll find my joy
I hope to find the source of my happiness in Slidell


You got no right to take my joy
You did not have the authority to take away my happiness


I want it back
I desire to regain my happiness


You got no right to take my joy
You did not have the authority to take away my happiness


I want it back
I desire to regain my happiness


You took my joy
You are the one responsible for stealing my happiness


I'm gonna go to west Memphis and look for my joy
I plan on traveling to West Memphis to search for the source of my happiness


Go to west Memphis and look for my joy
I plan on traveling to West Memphis to search for the source of my happiness


Maybe in west Memphis I'll find my joy
I hope to find the source of my happiness in West Memphis


Maybe in west Memphis I'll find my joy
I hope to find the source of my happiness in West Memphis


I'm gonna go to slidell and look for my joy
I plan on traveling to Slidell to search for the source of my happiness


Go to slidell and look for my joy
I plan on traveling to Slidell to search for the source of my happiness


Maybe in slidell I'll find my joy
I hope to find the source of my happiness in Slidell


Maybe in slidell I'll find my joy
I hope to find the source of my happiness in Slidell


I don't want you anymore
I no longer desire your presence


Cause you took my joy
You are the one responsible for stealing my happiness


I don't want you anymore
I no longer desire your presence


You took my joy
You are the one responsible for stealing my happiness


You took my joy
You are the one responsible for stealing my happiness


I want it back
I desire to regain my happiness


You took my
You are the one responsible for stealing my happiness


I want it back
I desire to regain my happiness


I'm gonna go to west Memphis
I plan on traveling to West Memphis to search for the source of my happiness


I'm gonna go to slidell
I plan on traveling to Slidell to search for the source of my happiness




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lucinda Williams

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@johnalves5979

Amazing, raw, mean, love it.

@claudiarejeanehartmann9420

Great song and she is fantastic!!!

@serenawilliams6138

So good💕

@alisyd5645

Love this... i found this in comments from The Original LW song. Happy to find Ms LaVette, great interpretation, She has made it wholly her own. Deeply Soulful. Thank you ❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

@teriwallace1658

I frickn love this jazz mama!! One of my favorite songs!! Her voice, sanded #raw and consumed by #emotion   #powderfuldiva   #onehellofavoice  

@markm3561

Two of my favorite artists meet and BOOM! What else can I say? I just know somebody better give BL her Joy back.

@clausmannsperger4432

heart&soul💯

@SherwoodAnderson

Thank you for uploading!

@funkdrunk

Great start to a day today! Seems sunny despite the gloom outside. People visit cemeteries, while I turn on a disrespectfully loud funk. Sorry!

@honeybozo

101 on how to do a cover: knock it out of the ballpark

More Comments

More Versions