In 1950, McPhatter joined Billy Ward & the Dominoes, and was present for the recording of "Sixty Minute Man", which was a huge hit in 1951, and was one of the earliest rock and roll records. After several more hits, McPhatter quit the group in 1953 because he made little money and gained virtually no fame, in spite of his voice being the lead on most of the group's songs. McPhatter then signed to Atlantic Records after forming a group, The Drifters. "Money Honey", "Such a Night", "Honey Love", "White Christmas" and "Whatcha Gonna Do" became huge hits.
In 1954, McPhatter was drafted but was assigned in the U.S., allowing him to continue recording. He soon left The Drifters and launched a solo career. His first solo hit occurred just after being discharged - "Love Has Joined Us Together" (with Ruth Brown). He released several R&B hits in the next few years, but only made one serious dent in the pop charts with the Brook Benton penned song "A Lovers Question", which made it to #6 in 1958. White groups usually covered his best compositions and achieved more widespread mainstream success. In spite of this, McPhatter became one of the most popular black musicians among white listeners. His 1956 recording of "Treasure of Love" saw him enjoy just one week in the UK singles chart. The lack of any subsequent entry gave him the unenviable tag there of being a one hit wonder
McPhatter soon signed to MGM Records, and released several more hits. "I Told Myself a Lie" and "Think Me a Kiss" (1960) became minor pop hits, as was "Ta Ta", his first single for Mercury Records. "I Never Knew" and "Lover Please" (1962) became even bigger pop hits, but his career started suffering due to his alcoholism. Other black artists were following McPhatter's blueprint into pop audiences, including Rudy Lewis, Johnny Moore, Sam Cooke and an all new line-up of The Drifters. McPhatter's unreliability kept him from maintaining his career in the face of this competition. As the 1960s wore on, McPhatter's career kept falling in spite of a few minor hits.
In the early 1970s, McPhatter spent some time living in England, where he still had a significant audience, but this was short-lived. Back again in America, Clyde McPhatter died of a heart attack in 1972, at the age of 39.
In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Just to Hold My Hand
Clyde McPhatter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me do you care?
Will you let me hold you baby?
Take you anywhere?
Tell me, will you let me be, let me be your friend?
Will you let me hold you?
Until then, yeah, don't you know baby
That the truth is the lie? Ask yourself, dear, if you're doing me right
Cause I want to love you
Oh but not just to let you sit, sit and hold my hand
Baby, just hold my hand
Now I want to love you, oh but not just to let you sit
Sit and hold my hand, baby just hold my hand
When I first met you, we took a long long walk
While we were walkin baby, we had a long long talk
I told you how I wanted you, and all the things I'd do
If you'd only prove that you loved me too
Yeah, I want to tell you how it thrills, a how it thrills me
To call your name
If we don't make it, you've got yourself to blame
Cause I'm gonna love you, oh but not just to let you sit
Sit and hold my hand
Sit and hold my hand
Sit and hold my hand....
The lyrics to Clyde McPhatter's song "Just to Hold My Hand" convey a sense of yearning for a deeper connection with a lover. McPhatter starts by asking the listener if they love him and if they care, and then wonders if they will allow him to hold them and take them anywhere. He then asks if they will let him be their friend and hold them until they can establish a deeper connection. McPhatter acknowledges that there are lies within the truth of their relationship, and encourages the listener to ask themselves if they are treating him right. He eventually expresses his desire to love the listener, but not just to hold their hand, emphasizing his desire for a more profound bond.
The song can be interpreted as McPhatter's desire for a more significant relationship with his lover that goes beyond just physical closeness. He wants a deeper, emotional bond with his partner, wanting to love them in all capacities, not just to hold their hand. The repetition of the phrase "just hold my hand" implies that McPhatter feels stuck in a superficial level of his relationship, and he wants to move beyond that.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to know do you love me?
I am curious to know if you truly love me
Tell me do you care?
Kindly inform me, do you have my best interest at heart?
Will you let me hold you baby?
Would you permit me to hold you tight, my dear?
Take you anywhere?
Can I accompany you anywhere you go?
Tell me, will you let me be, let me be your friend?
Would you allow me to be friendly with you?
Will you let me hold you?
Will you let me embrace you within my arms?
Until then, yeah, don't you know baby, that the truth is the lie?
Until then, be aware that the truth is not always what it appears to be
Ask yourself, dear, if you're doing me right
Please interrogate yourself, my love, if you are treating me fairly
Cause I want to love you, oh but not just to let you sit, sit and hold my hand
My aim is to love you not merely as a hand holder
Baby, just hold my hand
Sweetie, just hold onto my hand
Now I want to love you, oh but not just to let you sit
Presently, I yearn to love you not merely as a listener
Sit and hold my hand, baby just hold my hand
Sitting and holding hands is great, sweetheart just hold onto my hand
When I first met you, we took a long long walk
The first day I met you, we went on a really long stroll
While we were walkin baby, we had a long long talk
While we walked, baby we conversed at length
I told you how I wanted you, and all the things I'd do
I shared with you my desires and pledges I'm willing to keep
If you'd only prove that you loved me too
Only if you would demonstrate your affection for me also
Yeah, I want to tell you how it thrills, a how it thrills me
Yes, I want to confess how you excite me so much
To call your name
Simply calling out your name fills me with ecstasy
If we don't make it, you've got yourself to blame
If this doesn't work out, you'll have only yourself to fault
Cause I'm gonna love you, oh but not just to let you sit
I will love you but not merely as a passive listener
Sit and hold my hand
Sit and hold hands
Sit and hold my hand...
Sit and hold hands...
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON D. ROBEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@berthadaniels4050
The most beautiful voice !Love Clyde..so unique.❤
@berthadaniels5373
YOU GO CLYDE .YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST.(IF NOT THE BEST) LOVE THIS. 💞💞💞💞💞
@2011TDG
Miss in love you clyde beautiful voice handsome too. Tammy
@srercrcr
No smooching on the set....
@beng2269
Endless Summer 2
@samg.2232
YES
@thenotoriousmars5356
Endless Summer🔥
@norbertoguadagni9331
¡Muy bueno!
@srercrcr
Thanks, I'll tell him!
@alain59200
VERY NICE §§§§