At the age of 17, she recorded a duet with her father Rufus Thomas, "Because I Love You", which became a Southern hit and gave the Satellite label (later Stax Records) its first real success.
In 1961 she rose to national prominence with "Gee Whiz (Look in His Eyes)", which reached the Top Ten in both the R&B and Pop categories, becoming the first Memphis soul record to have an impact nationwide and ensuring the success of the Stax Records label.
In the next ten years, she had 22 singles on the national charts, including "I'll Bring It on Home to You" (an answer to Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me"), "Let Me Be Good to You", and Isaac Hayes' "B-A-B-Y".
She is well-known for her duets with Otis Redding, from the album King & Queen, including the recordings of the Lowell Fulson composition "Tramp" and the Steve Cropper/Eddie Floyd song "Knock on Wood".
In 1993 Carla Thomas received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
I Like What You're Doing
Carla Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm all messed up now
Baby, I like what you're doing to me
Your mama called you no good
And like most other men I see
You can't be true, it ain't in you
And it's no secret to me
But when you hold me in your arms
You're like ten good men wrapped in one
Baby, I like what you're doing to me (I like it, like what you're doing to me)
Baby, I like what you're doing to me (like it)
You're just like your old daddy
They say he didn't treat your mama right
I'm not downing you for what you do
But the truth shall give the light
You're like Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
But, oh, how you keep me satisfied
Baby, I like what you're doing to me (I like it, like what you're doing to me)
Baby, I like what you're doing to me (like it)
You make me feel all right now
La la la la la
You're like Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
But, oh, how you keep me satisfied
Baby, I like what you're doing to me
Though you're no good
Baby, I like what you're doing to me
Oh, I like what you're doing
Baby, I like what you're doing to me
You make me feel so good (so good, so good)
You make me feel so good (so good, so good)
I like, I like, I like what you're doing (so good, so good)
I like, I like, I like what you're doing
You make me feel so good
The lyrics of Carla Thomas's song "I Like What You're Doing" are about a woman who is attracted to a man who is known for being unfaithful and unreliable. Despite the warnings from others about his reputation, the woman is drawn to him because of the way he makes her feel. The lyrics suggest that the man has a dual personality, like Jekyll and Hyde, but that the woman is willing to overlook this because of the pleasure he brings her. She likes "what he's doing" to her, even though he's "no good."
The song is a classic example of the soul music that became popular in the 1960s. It features a lively, upbeat rhythm and blues sound with a catchy melody that lends itself to dancing. Its lyrics were controversial for the time, as they addressed the subject of infidelity and suggested that women were capable of making their own choices about men, regardless of their reputations.
One interesting aspect of the song is its use of the Jekyll and Hyde metaphor, which suggests that the man is capable of both good and bad behavior, and that the woman is willing to accept him as he is. The song was also notable for its upbeat tempo and its use of background vocals, which gave it a more layered and complex sound than many other soul songs of the time.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, I like what you're doing to me
The singer clearly enjoys the things the subject is doing to her
I'm all messed up now
The singer is overwhelmed with her emotions and feelings towards the subject
Your mama called you no good
The subject has a reputation for being untrustworthy and irresponsible
And like most other men I see
The singer has little faith in men in general, based on her experiences
You can't be true, it ain't in you
The singer believes the subject is incapable of being faithful or trustworthy
And it's no secret to me
The singer has a clear understanding of the subject's character flaws
But when you hold me in your arms
Despite her reservations, the singer enjoys being physically close with the subject
You're like ten good men wrapped in one
The subject has many positive qualities that make up for their negative character traits
You're just like your old daddy
The subject shares negative traits with their father
They say he didn't treat your mama right
The subject's father had a reputation for mistreating women
I'm not downing you for what you do
The singer is not judging the subject for their past or present behavior
But the truth shall give the light
The singer believes that the truth about the subject will eventually be revealed
You're like Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The subject has two very distinct sides to their personality and behavior
But, oh, how you keep me satisfied
Despite the subject's flaws, the singer is satisfied and content in their relationship
You make me feel all right now
The subject's actions or presence are comforting and reassuring to the singer
Baby, I like what you're doing to me (I like it, like what you're doing to me)
Repeating the chorus, the singer emphasized her enjoyment of the subject's actions
Though you're no good
The singer acknowledges the subject's negative reputation
Oh, I like what you're doing
Despite the subject's flaws, the singer still enjoys being with them
You make me feel so good (so good, so good)
The subject's actions or presence are very pleasurable to the singer
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BETTYE JEAN BARNES CRUTCHER, HOMER BANKS, RAYMOND E. JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ralph2winall
The Goddess of Soul !!!!!!
Mitchell Steven
My goodness I have not heard this in a Many Many moons. Years decades. wow. the Queen of the Memphis sound. Queen of Stax Ms Carla Thomas. she used to be the queen R&B, back in those days.
albert wright
A beautiful song Carla.
Mozzell Smith
WOW ! Real Soul Music !
Mattigrooves
Otis Redding’s favourite female singer !!!
Shawn Samuels
Just can not get away from those back in the day songs.
WesGriffin
Can you imagine Carla Thomas joining the Supremes...replacing Diana Ross ? Her voice fit the sound and her sultry vocals and career would have soared .
I heard in the early stages of planning Diana's solo career, Motown approached Carla about being Diana's replacement. Carla turned them down.
Georgia SoulMan
WOW!
WesGriffin
At the time of Motown's wooing Carla to replace Diana, she flat out turned them down for more reasons than one. And also during that time Otis Redding was in a Royalty and Contract dispute with Stax Records. Negotiations fell thru so Otis started making plans to break ties with Stax and start his Own record label. Carla, being close to Otis was all for it and planned to join him in his new venture. But it didn't come to frutation because on a dreadful night in December, his plane crashed. Carla was devastated 😢
Glenda Sparkman
This back oodles of memories