Relocating to Los Angeles in the early 1970s, McClinton emerged in a partnership with fellow Texan Glen Clark, performing a combination of country and soul music. They achieved a degree of artistic success, releasing two albums before splitting, with McClinton embarking on a solo career. Emmylou Harris had a number 1 hit in 1978 with his composition "Two More Bottles of Wine", and McClinton's "B Movie Boxcar Blues" was covered on the first album of The Blues Brothers, Briefcase full of blues. His 1980 album, The Jealous Kind contained his only Top 40 hit single "Givin' It Up for Your Love".
After a rest period during much of the '80s, McClinton made a welcome return in 1989 with the fiery album Live From Austin, taped during an Austin City Limits appearance. He won a 1991 Grammy for his duet with Bonnie Raitt, "Good Man, Good Woman", and reached the Top 5 of the country charts with the Tanya Tucker duet, "Tell Me About It". He recorded the opening title song "Weatherman" for the Bill Murray film Groundhog Day. The fledgling label Rising Tide offered One of the Fortunate Few in 1997, but the label quickly folded. In addition to releasing two new studio albums in the early 2000s, New West Records issued Delbert McClinton Live in 2003, a compilation of songs from throughout his career.
McClinton is the star of the upcoming musical documentary: "Rocking the Boat: A Musical Conversation and Journey" by Hawaii-based film maker Jay Curlee. The feature includes interviews and performances by McClinton, Marcia Ball, Rodney Crowell, Stephen Bruton, Wayne Toups, Jimmy Hall,Paul Thorn, Jeffrey Steele and Teresa James. Sometime author, musician, sheriff and now Texas gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman also stars. The film will be entered in the 2006 Telluride Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, and Hawaii International Film Festival.
Seesaw
Delbert McClinton Lyrics
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Sometimes you treat me so bad, baby, my tears run like water
You get me up before your friends
Then you disown me, baby, till we're alone again
Your love is like seesaw
Your love is like seesaw, baby
Your love is like seesaw
Sometime you tell me you don't need a sweet candy man
Sometimes, baby, never know where I stand
You lift me up when I'm on the ground
Soon as I get up, child, you send me a tumblin' down
Your love is like seesaw
Your love is like seesaw, baby
Your love is like seesaw
Goin' up, down, all around, like a seesaw
When I kiss you and I like it
And I ask you to kiss me again
When I reach at you, you jump clean out of sight
You change just like the wind, it ain't right
It aint' right, it ain't right
Your love is like seesaw, baby
Your love is like seesaw,
Your love is like seesaw, baby
It goes up, down, all around, like a seesaw
Delbert McClinton's "Seesaw" is a bluesy love song about a tumultuous and unstable relationship. The lyrics are simple and repetitive, but they effectively convey the emotional rollercoaster the singer is on with his lover. He describes how his partner's love is like a seesaw, constantly going up and down, leaving him feeling both loved and neglected.
The first verse of the song introduces the conflicting nature of their relationship. The singer notes that sometimes his lover treats him well, like a "good girl ought to," but other times she treats him so poorly that he's left in tears. She's also inconsistent about their relationship in front of others, sometimes including him and sometimes disowning him. The chorus repeats the comparison of their love to a seesaw, emphasizing the unpredictable up and down nature of their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes you love me like a good girl ought to
At times, you treat me with the love and care of a good partner
Sometimes you treat me so bad, baby, my tears run like water
Other times, you mistreat me so much that I end up crying uncontrollably
You get me up before your friends
You show affection for me in front of your friends
Then you disown me, baby, till we're alone again
But later, you completely reject me and pretend like we aren't together until we're alone
Your love is like seesaw
Your affection towards me is unstable and fluctuates
Goin up, down, all around, like a seesaw
Just like a seesaw, your love for me goes up and down and all around
Sometime you tell me you don't need a sweet candy man
Occasionally, you claim that you don't desire a loving partner
Sometimes, baby, never know where I stand
At times, it's hard to tell where we stand in our relationship
You lift me up when I'm on the ground
You briefly make me feel better when I'm feeling low
Soon as I get up, child, you send me a tumblin' down
But then you bring me back down again soon after
When I kiss you and I like it
When we kiss and I enjoy it
And I ask you to kiss me again
And then request for another kiss
When I reach at you, you jump clean out of sight
But as I try to initiate physical intimacy with you, you suddenly disappear
You change just like the wind, it ain't right
Your sudden changes in behavior are unfair and disheartening
Your love is like seesaw, baby
Overall, your love for me is inconsistent and unstable
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Don Covay, Steve Cropper
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind