Billy Stewart began singing publicly with his mother's group, the Stewart Gospel Singers, as a teenager. He made the transition to secular music by filling in occasionally for the Rainbows, a D.C. area vocal group led by future soul star Don Covay. It was also through the Rainbows that Stewart met another aspiring singer, a very young Marvin Gaye. Seminal rock and roller Bo Diddley has been credited with discovering Stewart playing piano in Washington, D.C. in 1956 and inviting him to be one of his backup musicians. This led to a recording contract with Bo Diddley's label, Chess Records, and Bo Diddley played guitar on Stewart's 1956 recording of "Billy's Blues". Stewart then moved to Okeh Records and recorded "Billy's Heartache" backed by the Marquees, another D.C. area group which was now featuring Marvin Gaye.
Back at Chess in the early 1960s, Stewart began working with A&R man Billy Davis. He cut a song called "Fat Boy". Showing additional promise with his recordings of "Reap What You Sow" and "Strange Feeling", major chart success was not far away. Stewart hit both the pop and R&B charts big in 1965 with the songs, “I Do Love You” and “Sitting in the Park.” His improvisational technique of doubling-up, scatting his words and trilling his lips made his style unique in the 1960s.
In 1966, wishing to appeal to a wider audience, Stewart recorded the LP "Billy Stewart Teaches Old Standards New Tricks" in 1966. The first single released from that album was Billy's radical stand-out interpretation of the George Gershwin classic "Summertime", a top ten hit on both the pop and R&B charts in 1966. The follow-up single was Billy's remake of the Doris Day hit "Secret Love", which just missed the top ten on the R&B chart.
While Stewart continued to record throughout the remainder of the 1960s, his weight problem worsened and he developed diabetes. He also suffered minor injuries in a motorcycle accident in 1969. His life was tragically cut short on January 17, 1970, just 2 months prior to his 33rd birthday, when the car he was driving plunged into the Neuse River in North Carolina, killing him and three members of his band.
Billy Stewart was inducted into the Washington Area Music Association Hall of Fame in 1982.
Strange Feeling
Billy Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My life, my, my life
In a sad world
(In a sad world)
But I'm gonna tell you
Gonna tell you
I'm gonna tell you
She's so gentle and kind
Gentle and kind
Gentle and kind
Gentle and kind
And she treats me like a king
(Just like a king)
Don't you know, child
I said now
I'm gonna tell my friends
My friends, my friends
I'm gonna treat her right
She's my queen
She said she loves me
And she wants to be my wife
And she says she wants to love me
For the rest, the rest of her life
Oh, this strange feeling
Feel, feel, feeling
That she put in my heart
Don't you know, child
I said now
This strange feeling
Feel, feel, feeling
That we'll never, never part
(Never part, we'll never part)
Don't you know now, child
This strange feeling
The lyrics of Billy Stewart's song Strange Feeling convey a message of hope and optimism for a bright future. The opening lines reveal that the singer has lived his life in a sad world, suggesting he has experienced difficulties and struggles. However, he declares that he has found the right girl, someone who is gentle, kind, and treats him like a king. He is so enamored with her that he wants to tell everyone about her and treat her right. She reciprocates his feelings and wants to be his wife and love him for the rest of her life. The chorus repeats the phrase "this strange feeling" to describe the intense and unfamiliar emotion the singer feels about his newfound love. The song ends with the promise that they will never part.
The lyrics of the song convey a sense of joy and elation, which is emphasized by the upbeat and lively music. The repetitive use of the phrase "gentle and kind" and "this strange feeling" creates a sense of anticipation and excitement, emphasizing how essential the singer's newfound love is to him. The song's message is universal, and anyone can relate to the feeling of finding the right person and experiencing the joy and happiness of falling in love.
Line by Line Meaning
I have lived my life
I have been alive for a while
My life, my, my life
I am emphasizing that it is my life
In a sad world
The world I have been living in has made me sad
(In a sad world)
Re-emphasizing that the world is sad
But I'm gonna tell you
I have something important to tell you
Gonna tell you
I am going to inform you
I'm gonna tell you
Re-emphasizing that I have something to share
I've found the right girl
I have found a girl who is perfect for me
She's so gentle and kind
She has a very kind and gentle personality
Gentle and kind
Re-emphasizing her positive traits
Gentle and kind
Continuing to describe her personality
Gentle and kind
Finishing the description of her character traits
And she treats me like a king
She treats me with great care and respect
(Just like a king)
Re-emphasizing how well she treats me
Don't you know, child
I want to make sure you understand
I said now
I am emphasizing what I am saying
I'm gonna tell my friends
I want to share my happiness with my friends
My friends, my friends
Re-emphasizing that I am talking about my friends
I'm gonna treat her right
I am going to behave well towards her
She's my queen
I think very highly of her
She said she loves me
She has expressed her love for me
And she wants to be my wife
She desires to be my partner for life
And she says she wants to love me
She desires to express her love for me
For the rest, the rest of her life
She wants to love me for a long time
Oh, this strange feeling
This is a new and unusual feeling for me
Feel, feel, feeling
I am trying to describe a feeling
That she put in my heart
She has caused this feeling in me
Don't you know, child
Re-emphasizing that I want you to understand
I said now
Re-emphasizing what I am saying
This strange feeling
Continuing to describe the feeling
Feel, feel, feeling
Repeating my attempt to describe the feeling
That we'll never, never part
I believe that we will always be together
(Never part, we'll never part)
Re-emphasizing that we will never be apart
Don't you know now, child
Re-emphasizing that I want you to understand
This strange feeling
One last emphasis on the feeling I am describing
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@maxxbennie5824
I have lived my life
My life, my, my life
In a sad world
(In a sad world)
But I'm gonna tell you
Gonna tell you
I'm gonna tell you
I've found the right girl
She's so gentle and kind
Gentle and kind
Gentle and kind
Gentle and kind
And she treats me like a king
(Just like a king)
Don't you know, child
I said now
I'm gonna tell my friends
My friends, my friends
I'm gonna treat her right
She's my queen
She said she loves me
And she wants to be my wife
And she says she wants to love me
For the rest, the rest of her life
Oh, this strange feeling
Feel, feel, feeling
That she put in my heart
Don't you know, child
I said now
This strange feeling
Feel, feel, feeling
That we'll never, never part
(Never part, we'll never part)
Don't you know now, child
This strange feeling
@user-sx5if7vx2z
My Husband for 30 yrs just passed .This was our song he dedicated to me. I touches my heart every time I hear it.
@anclark2063
When I was a child this tune would got everybody on their feet especially at wedding receptions and birth nights parties. In jamaica he was very popular ( the fatboy) he also performed there and it was a huge success.folks couldn't stop talking about his performance on the stage.
@jamesprevard6555
The man was so unique in his style no one on earth attempted 2 duplicate him..I've been collecting oldies 4 over 50ty years & he is without a doubt one of the greatest solo soul R&B of the 60tys.
@pedromunozjimenez
Pues así es con respeto para el ojala que algun dia seacuerden dé mí
@RESPECTFULLY_YT
Definitely
@bluesoul7862
Totally agree
@robertgill7009
Not one of billy's most popular but I think one of his best. Very under rated song.
@gervazejoseph9586
Billy Stewart was reared in northwest Wash., D.C., a vibrant area in which I would later live before leaving the City after enlisting in the military. This is my favorite of his.
@lisareinartz394
Für mich sein BESTER Song! Ich liebe ihn!
@minnealvarado473
OK the best