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.
You Must Believe Me
Don Covay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No matter what the people might say
You must believe me
Darling it just didn't happen that way
No, no it just didn't happen that way
You come home
With something on your mind
Why are you crying
I said be serious
No time for fun
You`re tryin` to tell me
Something that I've done
The things you heard
Couldn't be denied
But before your opinion
Listen to my side
You must believe me
No matter what the people might say
You must believe me
Darling it just didn't happen that way
No, no it just didn't happen that way
Oh oh
Oh oh
You come home
With something on your mind
Tell me darling
Why are you crying
I said be serious
No time for fun
You`re tryin` to tell me
Something that I've done
The things you heard
Couldn't be denied
But before your opinion
Listen to my side
You must believe me
No matter what the people might say
You must believe me
You must believe me
You must believe me
The lyrics to Don Covay's song "You Must Believe Me" speak of a situation where the singer is being accused of doing something wrong or hurtful. The opening lines urge the listener to believe the singer, regardless of what other people might be saying. The singer insists that what is being alleged did not happen the way it is being portrayed or reported. The repetition of the refrain, "You must believe me," underscores his plea.
The verses reveal that the singer's significant other is upset or angry with him and is trying to confront him about something. He asks her to be serious and not to make light of the situation. She accuses him of doing something heinous, something that other people have been talking about. Although he acknowledges that the stories are circulating, he insists that they do not reflect the truth of the situation. He urges her to listen to his side of the story before passing judgment.
While the lyrics of the song do not provide specific details about what the singer is being accused of, the message is universal. It speaks to the importance of having trust and faith in a relationship, and the need to give your partner the benefit of the doubt, especially when there are rumors and gossip swirling around. Ultimately, the song is about the power of communication, and the need to listen to both sides of a story before jumping to conclusions.
Line by Line Meaning
You must believe me
Please have faith in what I am saying
No matter what the people might say
Regardless of what others are saying
You must believe me
Please have faith in what I am saying
Darling it just didn't happen that way
My actions were not as they seem
No, no it just didn't happen that way
You have the wrong impression of what occurred
You come home
Upon your arrival
With something on your mind
You seem to be deep in thought
Tell me darling
Please confide in me
Why are you crying
What has caused your tears to flow
I said be serious
I require honesty and sincerity
No time for fun
This is a serious matter that demands full attention
You're tryin' to tell me
You are attempting to communicate
Something that I've done
That I am the cause of your distress
The things you heard
The rumors you've heard
Couldn't be denied
Unfortunately, they are true
But before your opinion
Please hear my explanation
Listen to my side
Allow me to give my account of what happened
You must believe me
Please have faith in what I am saying
No matter what the people might say
Regardless of what others are saying
You must believe me
Please have faith in what I am saying
You must believe me
Please have faith in what I am saying
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CURTIS MAYFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
forum2287
@SteffanLlwyd there is a double album available on CD called "Mercy!/See Saw" that has the original version of this song and lots of other early great ones. it's on amazon and probably other places too