In 1966, the band toured the Pacific Northwest without Wheatbread, who was recruited as the house drummer on the television series, Where the Action Is; he later rejoined the line-up. Under manager Dick Badger, the band were renamed The Union Gap in early 1967, and fitted themselves out with Union Army-style Civil War uniforms as a visual gimmick. They then recorded a demo, which was heard by CBS record producer and songwriter Jerry Fuller. Impressed by Puckett's baritone voice and the band's soft rock leanings, Fuller signed them to a recording contract with Columbia Records.
The band recorded their first single, "Woman Woman", a song written by Jim Glaser and Jimmy Payne, in August 1967. It became their first hit, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and being certified as a gold disc. This was followed during the next two years by "Young Girl" (#2), "Lady Willpower" (#2), "Over You" (#7), and "Don't Give In To Him" (#15). All were produced by Fuller, who also wrote "Young Girl," "Lady Willpower," and "Over You". Although the band never had a #1 record in the United States, "Young Girl" reached #1 on the UK singles chart, and #6 when it was reissued in the UK six years later. Controversial at the time and later for its risqué lyrical references to underage romance, Allmusic labeled the groups lyrics "bizarrely pedophilic". "Young Girl" was the second million selling disc for the band, which it reached less than two months after issue; "Lady Willpower" and "Over You" also won gold discs. The band headlined at a White House reception for Prince Charles and at Disneyland in 1968, and were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1969, losing out to José Feliciano.
The band, however, wanted to write and produce its own material, and Puckett resented singing the power ballads written by Fuller. In 1969 Fuller prepared a 40-piece studio orchestra to record a new song he had written, but Puckett and the group refused to record it, the session was canceled, and Fuller never again worked with the group. The band returned to the charts with "This Girl Is a Woman Now," produced by Dick Glasser, but later releases failed to make the Billboard Top 40. Chater and Withem left the band; Bement took over on bass guitar and keyboardist, Barry McCoy, and horn player, Richard Gabriel, were added. In 1970 Puckett began recording as a solo act, but with limited success; the Union Gap remained his live backing band until they were dismissed following an appearance at the 1971 Orange County Fair. Puckett's recording contract was terminated one year later.
In 2009, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
To Love Somebody
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A certain kind of light
That never shone on me
I want my life to be
Lived with you
Lived with you
There's a way
To do each and every little thing
But what does it bring
If I ain't got you
I ain't got you
You don't know what it's like
Baby, you don't know what it's like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you
In my brain
I see your face again
I know my frame of mind
You ain't got to be so blind
And I'm blind
So, so, so very blind
I'm a man
Can't you see what I am?
I live and I breathe for you
But what good does it do
If I ain't got you?
I ain't got you
You don't know what it's like
Baby, you don't know what it's like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
You don't know what it's like
Baby, you don't know what it's like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The song “To Love Somebody” by Gary Puckett and The Union Gap is a heartfelt ode to unrequited love. The lyrics capture the singer’s longing and desire to be with someone who doesn’t feel the same way. The first verse talks about a certain kind of light that has never shone on the singer, highlighting the fact that they’ve never experienced the kind of love they want until they met this person. The chorus, with its repetition of “You don’t know what it’s like, baby…” shows the frustration and hurt the singer feels that their love is not being reciprocated.
The second verse brings in the idea of societal pressure to conform to certain ways of doing things, but questioning what the point of it is if the person they love is not with them. The singer feels like they’re blind to everyone else because all they can see is the object of their affection. The line “I’m a man, can’t you see what I am?” emphasizes the singer’s desperation and willingness to be vulnerable for this person. The repetition and intensity of the chorus toward the end of the song reflect the singer’s anguish over the situation.
Overall, “To Love Somebody” is a poignant and relatable portrayal of unrequited love that showcases the emotional depth of Gary Puckett’s vocals.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a light
There's a certain kind of hopefulness in my life now
A certain kind of light
It's a specific kind of light that brings this hope
That never shone on me
This hope and light has never been present in my life before
I want my life to be
I desire to have a life that
Lived with you
You are the one I want to share my life with
Lived with you
You are the one I want to share my life with
There's a way
People say that there's a certain way
Everybody says
This is something that everyone talks about
To do each and every little thing
To live life
But what does it bring
But what good is it
If I ain't got you
If I don't have you in my life
I ain't got you
I don't have you in my life
You don't know what it's like
You can't understand what it feels like because you haven't experienced it
Baby, you don't know what it's like
I'm calling you 'baby' to emphasize how disconnected you are from this feeling of love
To love somebody
It's a feeling of intense love for someone else
To love somebody
It's a feeling of intense love for someone else
The way I love you
The specific way in which I love you is beyond words
In my brain
In my mind
I see your face again
I can vividly picture your face in my head again
I know my frame of mind
I understand my own thoughts and emotions
You ain't got to be so blind
I'm asking you to be more aware of what's going on between us
And I'm blind
But I also realize that I'm not seeing things so clearly either
So, so, so very blind
I'm extremely unaware
I'm a man
I'm a human being with emotions and needs
Can't you see what I am?
Can't you recognize what kind of person I am?
I live and I breathe for you
You are the reason why I'm alive and well
But what good does it do
But I'm not sure that this is really benefiting us both
If I ain't got you?
If I don't have you in my life?
I ain't got you
I don't have you in my life
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
I'm repeating 'no' for emphasis
You don't know what it's like
You can't understand what it feels like because you haven't experienced it
Baby, you don't know what it's like
I'm calling you 'baby' to emphasize how disconnected you are from this feeling of love
To love somebody
It's a feeling of intense love for someone else
To love somebody
It's a feeling of intense love for someone else
Contributed by Julia S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cheryl Schurlknight
on No One Really Knows
What are the lyrics to Gary’s song... no one really knows?
Louise Reiter
on I'm Just a Man
Get out and stretch your legs...