Donald Randolph was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. His father a Baptist preacher died when Don was eight. Covay resettled in Washington D.C. during the early 1950s and initially sang in the Cherry Keys, his family's gospel quartet. He crossed over to secular music with the Rainbows, a formative group which also included Marvin Gaye and Billy Stewart. Covay's solo career began in 1957 as part of the Little Richard Revue.
A single "Bip Bop Bip" was released on Atlantic and produced by Little Richard, on which Covay was billed as "Pretty Boy". It also featured his backing band the Upsetters. Over the next few years Covay drifted from label to label, but a further dance-oriented track called "Popeye Waddle" was a hit in 1962. He also wrote and recorded "Pony Time" which later became a US #1 single for Chubby Checker. Covay meanwhile honed his songwriting skills by penning a hit for Solomon Burke, "I'm Hanging Up My Heart for You", while Gladys Knight & The Pips reached the US Top 20 with "Letter Full of Tears".
Covay's singing career continued to falter until 1964, when he signed to the Rosemart label. His debut single there with the Goodtimers, "Mercy Mercy" (accompanied by a young Jimi Hendrix on guitar), established his earthy bluesy style. Atlantic bought his contract, but, while several R&B hits followed, it was a year before Covay returned to the pop chart. "See Saw", co-written with Steve Cropper and recorded at Stax, paved the way for more hits.
Don Covay's songs still remain successful: Aretha Franklin won a Grammy for her performance of his composition "Chain of Fools". He is a legendary composer and singer, best known for his R&B classic compositions "Mercy Mercy", "Chain of Fools", "See Saw" and "Sookie Sookie". Covay had success as a singer as Don Covay and The Goodtimers, and his compositions have been recorded by such varied artists as Steppenwolf, Bobby Womack, The Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett, The Small Faces, Grant Green, Peter Wolf and many more.
Don Covay had a stroke in 1992, and the following year Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones appeared, with Iggy Pop, Todd Rundgren and others on a Covay tribute album Back to the Streets: Celebrating the Music of Don Covay. The same year he was presented by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation with one of its Pioneer Awards.
He released an album Adlib in 2000 on the Cannonball label, his first album in 23 years. Collaborating musicians included Paul Rodgers, Wilson Pickett, Lee Konitz, Otis Clay, Kim Simmonds, Ann Peebles, Syl Johnson, Paul Shaffer, Huey Lewis, and Dan Penn. The cover art was by Ronnie Wood.
Covay died on January 30, 2015 at the age of 76.
See-Saw
Don Covay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes you hurt me so bad, my tears run like water
Sometimes you get me out, yeah, right before your friends now
Then you kiss on me baby, tell me you love me again, yeah
Your love is like seesaw
Your love is like seesaw, yeah
Your love is like seesaw, baby
Sometimes you tell me I'm your sweet candy man
Then sometimes, baby, I just never know where I stand
You lift me up when I'm on the ground
Soon as I get up, child, you send me tumbling down
Oh, your love is like seesaw
Your love is like seesaw, yeah
Your love is like seesaw, baby
Go up, down, all around like a seesaw, yeah
When I'm, kissing you and I like it
And ask you to kiss me again
I reach at you, you jump out of sight
You change just like the wind
Got it right, got it right, got it right now
Your love is like seesaw, yeah
Your love is like seesaw
Your love is like seesaw, baby
Go up, down, go up, down
Go up, down all around like a seesaw
Never know baby,
Sometimes you love me, sometimes you
Baby I don't need no talking of love
I want someone to love me all the time, right now
Sometimes you love me, you love me
Up and down all around, I never know when you're with me baby
Never know when you're kissing me
I love you, I need to love
In "See Saw," Don Covay sings about the ups and downs of a relationship with a woman who is inconsistent in her affections. Sometimes she loves him like a good woman ought to, and sometimes she hurts him so badly that he cries. She is unpredictable and fickle, sometimes affectionate and sometimes cold, leaving Covay wondering where he stands with her. She lifts him up when he's down, but just as soon he's up, she sends him tumbling down again. The title, "See Saw," is a metaphor for the way their love goes up and down like a playground seesaw.
The seesaw metaphor suggests that their relationship is a game, or that it's unstable and precarious. The woman is compared to the wind, which is just as unpredictable and changeable, shifting direction without warning. Covay wants someone to love him all the time, not just part of the time, suggesting that he's ready for a relationship that is more stable and consistent. He's tired of the emotional rollercoaster and wants to get off.
In "See Saw," Covay provides a commentary on the fickle nature of love and relationships. It's a common theme in soul music, and the seesaw metaphor is a clever way of expressing it. The song has a catchy, upbeat rhythm that makes it sound more optimistic than it really is. Listeners who pay attention to the lyrics might recognize the underlying sadness of the song, as Covay seems to be crying out for a more stable and reliable kind of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes you love me like a good woman oughta
At times you treat me with love and care, as any good partner should.
Sometimes you hurt me so bad, my tears run like water
Other times, however, you cause me such pain that my eyes cannot help but cry.
Sometimes you get me out, yeah, right before your friends now
Occasionally, you take me out with your friends, showing me off to them and making me feel important.
Then you kiss on me baby, tell me you love me again, yeah
Afterwards, you shower me with affection, kissing me and saying how much you love me.
Your love is like seesaw
Your affection for me is similar to the movement of a seesaw.
Sometimes you tell me I'm your sweet candy man
On certain occasions, you call me your sweet lover and make me feel desired.
Then sometimes, baby, I just never know where I stand
Yet there are other times when I am unsure of my place in your life and what you want from me.
You lift me up when I'm on the ground
You can bring me out of a low point, making me feel better about myself and our relationship.
Soon as I get up, child, you send me tumbling down
But just as quickly, you can bring me back down and make me question us all over again.
When I'm, kissing you and I like it
While I am enjoying our kisses and affectionate moments,
And ask you to kiss me again
I may ask for more of these instances,
You change just like the wind
yet you can quickly change your demeanor or feelings, like the wind changes direction at a moment's notice.
Never know baby,
I can never truly know,
Sometimes you love me, sometimes you
when it comes to your love for me, it can be inconsistent.
Baby I don't need no talking of love
I do not need mere words to prove your love, but rather actions and consistency.
I want someone to love me all the time, right now
I desire a partner who can love me consistently, without the rapid fluctuations in emotion that you display.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Don Covay, Steve Cropper
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MusicLoverPearson
R.I.P Don Covay thank you for giving us so many great soul classic when the music was real and it meant something unlike the junk that's out today.
@nilasanders9467
Oh amen! So talented.
@epod34able
Wow what talent - Also wrote Chain of Fools for Aretha and Pony Time for Chubby Checker. This man was a contender!
@AllBobsAllTheTime
Don Covay is one of rock'n'roll's many forgotten heroes.
@Bowser1948
not by me
@peterrussell830
This great track came to mind today, last heard December 1965. Great memory of great music.
@Muziekgenot
This is the kinda music that makes you happy! Only 705 people listened to this timeless gem? It's a shame.
@donaldb.3102
Oh that Bass! It don't get any better.
@bugsbaggins6710
unfortunately i didn't hear of Don's music until the day he passed, but i can't get enough. Its the good stuff.
RIP Don Covay
@dvlady51
To my dad who I lost August 14, 2014. He loved this song. RIP Dad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!