I Got It Bad
Charlie Parker & Jay McShann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me to save my tears
Well I'm so mad about him
I can't live without him
Never treats me sweet and gentle
The way he should
I've got it bad
My poor heart is so sentimental
Not made of wood
I've got it so bad
And that ain't good
But when the fish are jumpin'
And Friday rolls around
My man an' I, we gin some
We pray some, and sin some
He don't love me like I love him
The way he should
I've got it bad
And that ain't good
Yes I've got it bad
And that ain't good
Charlie Shavers's song, "It Feels Good," is a song about a woman who is madly in love with a man who doesn't treat her as well as he should. She is so in love with him that she cannot bear the thought of living without him, despite her friends' advice to move on. The woman's heart is pure and sentimental, and she feels deeply for her man, even though he does not reciprocate her feelings to the same degree. The song's chorus repeats the phrase, "I've got it bad, and that ain't good," conveying the woman's frustration and unrequited love.
The opening lyrics of "It Feels Good" suggest that the woman is struggling to cope with her feelings for her man, despite the fact that he does not treat her well. The second verse, in which the woman describes her emotional state as sentimental, adds a layer of vulnerability to the song. The final lines are particularly striking, with the woman admitting that she and her man "pray some, and sin some." The implication is that their relationship has both positive and negative aspects and that the woman, despite her problems with her man, cannot help but feel drawn to him.
Line by Line Meaning
Though folks with good intentions
Tell me to save my tears
Even though well-meaning people advise me to stop crying over him
Well I'm so mad about him
I can't live without him
I'm so obsessed with him that I cannot imagine living without him
Never treats me sweet and gentle
The way he should
He never treats me with the loving care that I deserve
I've got it bad
And that ain't good
I am in a difficult and painful situation, and it's not good
My poor heart is so sentimental
Not made of wood
My heart is incredibly emotional and prone to feelings, not emotionless like wood
But when the fish are jumpin'
And Friday rolls around
My man an' I, we gin some
We pray some, and sin some
On certain occasions like Fridays, my partner and I drink, pray and even do something immoral together
He don't love me like I love him
The way he should
He doesn't love me with the depth of my love for him, as he should
Yes I've got it bad
And that ain't good
Yes, I am in a difficult and painful situation, and it's not good
Contributed by Leah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lastknowngood0
Prima sang I got it good and that ain't bad! ;-)
lastknowngood0
I am reminded of The Blue Devils when I hear Hootie's band!
Lorenzo de' Medici
Lol I love how bird is looking at the piano (or the sheet music on top) not the camera.
Probably working out some stroke of melodic genius
jpog
Outline slides right onto Jays chord tone & I can’t believe it’s not butter
jpog
Had to be. The way he ended this solo is perfection. Truly sounds like a flat footed, hands in suit pockets acrobatic landing.
contactkeithstack
morningblue isn't he second from the right?
ghairraigh
"... at the Savoy Ballroom ...On the Blue Network..."
The Blue Network, and its immediate predecessor, the NBC Blue Network, were the on-air names of the now defunct American radio production and distribution service, which ran from 1927 to 1945.
Gary Foster
It sounds like John Jackson on the alto solo, not Bird.