When Benton was young he enjoyed gospel music and wrote songs and in 1948 he went to New York to pursue his music career.
He was a member of several gospel groups including "The Langfordairies", "The Jerusalem Stars", and "The Golden Gate Quartet".
After returning to his home state he joined a R&B singing group, "the Sandmen", and soon went back to New York to try for a big break. Eventually the record company decided to drop The Sandmen and push Brook as a solo artist.
Benton wrote songs for artists such as Nat King Cole, Clyde McPhatter, and Roy Hamilton. Soon he released his first minor hit A Million Miles From Nowhere, and later he joined the Mercury label, which would later bring him big success.
In 1952 he got his big break with It's Just a Matter of Time and Endlessly.
It's Just a Matter of Time made it to #3 on the U.S. Pop charts, while Endlessly made it to #12 . Both hits were written by Benton himself.
Benton had many #1 hits including Rainy Night in Georgia and Hotel Happiness. According to Songfacts, his version of the blues standard The Boll Weevil Song has the unique distinction of being the first #1 song on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.
Altogether, Benton had 38 hit singles through out his career. His last album was "Fools Rush In", released posthumously in 2005. He died on April 9, 1988.
Kiddio
Brook Benton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One word can close this deal
Baby, be my queen of hearts
Please gimme that love you've got
A-won'tcha say yes? Don'tcha say no
Make me feel good, kiddio
Maybe I'm just wastin' time
You could make me feel so good
I know you could if you only would
A-won'tcha say yes? Don'tcha say no
Make me feel good, kiddio
I wrote you a six page letter
I called you on the phone
But you started talkin' 'bout the weather
Kiddio, don'tcha know that's wrong?
I can't stand this playin' 'round
Help me up, don't let me down
Kiss me baby, tell me so
If you love me, let me know
A-won'tcha say yes? Don'tcha say no
Make me feel good, kiddio
I wrote you a six page letter
I even called you on the phone
But you started talkin' 'bout the weather
Kiddio, don'tcha know that's wrong?
I can't stand this playin' 'round
Help me up, don't let me down
A-kiss me baby, tell me so
If you love me, let me know
A-won'tcha say yes? Don'tcha say no
Make me feel good, kiddio
Make me feel so uh-oh oh good, so, so good, kiddio
In Brook Benton's song Kiddio, the singer expresses his feelings of love to his significant other, who he refers to as "Kiddio." He implores Kiddio to be his queen of hearts and confesses that she holds the love that he desires. He pleads with her to say yes to his love without saying no, offering the hope that she would make him feel good by reciprocating his love. The singer expresses his frustration, as he has tried to reach out to Kiddio in a six-page letter and multiple phone calls, but she seems uninterested in his advances. He implores Kiddio to not let him down and kisses her while asking her to let him know if she loves him.
Line by Line Meaning
I told you, baby, how I feel
I previously expressed my emotions to you
One word can close this deal
Your answer will either confirm or deny our future together
Baby, be my queen of hearts
I want you to be my true love and partner
Please gimme that love you've got
Please share your affection with me
A-won'tcha say yes? Don'tcha say no
Please answer positively, not negatively
Make me feel good, kiddio
Please make me happy
Maybe I'm just wastin' time
I am uncertain if pursuing you is a waste of time
Can't get you off my mind
I cannot stop thinking of you
You could make me feel so good
I believe you have the ability to make me happy
I know you could if you only would
I believe you have control over your actions and could make me happy if you chose to
I wrote you a six page letter
I tried to communicate with you through a long, written message
I called you on the phone
I also attempted communication through a verbal conversation
But you started talkin' 'bout the weather
You avoided the real issue and talked about trivial matters
Kiddio, don'tcha know that's wrong?
I want you to recognize the importance of our discussion
I can't stand this playin' 'round
I am tired of these indirect conversations
Help me up, don't let me down
I need your support and commitment
Kiss me baby, tell me so
I want physical affection and confirmation of your feelings
If you love me, let me know
I want to know if our feelings for each other are mutual
Make me feel so uh-oh oh good, so, so good, kiddio
I want to feel fantastic through your actions and affection
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BROOK BENTON, CLYDE LOVERN OTIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Tonetwisters
The man had an incredible voice. His "Rainy Night In Georgia" is just beyond description ...
@TbirdsOf1965
Thanks for checking out one of my videos!
@marbanak
agreed on rainy Night
@NM-ip8vi
What a class act, his voice was truly magic. It is sad he has never made it to the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. Always rooting for him ....
@TbirdsOf1965
Thanks for checking out one of my videos!
@carlmanning6738
Grew up with his music good times
@jaccalpig
Smoother than silk!!!
@billpoole1945
Never got enough recognition, a true original voice💯
@TbirdsOf1965
@billpoole1945 I have another of his tunes on this channel, and a much earlier one on my other channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNyeAX0QTfE
@kalihiwarhomes2177
Brook Benton was one CLASS ACT. The late '50s/early '60s were a very special time in music.