Irma Thomas (b. February 18, 1941, Ponchatoula, Louisiana) whose only natio… Read Full Bio ↴Irma Thomas (b. February 18, 1941, Ponchatoula, Louisiana) whose only national chart hit in a 50 year career is 1963's "Wish Someone Would Care", is an enduring, Grammy winning, soul, gospel, rhythm and blues singer from New Orleans. Known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans", she is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but did not tour as relentlessly, and industry support and major commercial success eluded her for decades. Thomas, who once was told by execs at Atlantic in the late 60's that "she just didn't have it anymore", remained undaunted, and continues to perform to a loyal and growing following worldwide. She was finally awarded a Grammy for her 2006 Rounder album " After the Rain", after more than 40 years as singer. She won The Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy again for her 2008 album "Simply Grand".

Releasing her first single in 1959, she struggled to launch her career from segregated New Orleans as a teenage waitress with 4 children in the early 60's. Now, finally undergoing a late career renaissance on the Rounder label, much of her most enduring work was produced in the early 1960's by Allen Toussaint for Minit Records, and she also recorded for other labels including Imperial, Chess, and Atlantic, eventually retiring for a period before reviving her career in earnest in the late 1980's.

Thomas is perhaps best known outside of New Orleans for her recording of "Time Is On My Side," which predated the hit version by the Rolling Stones. Otis Redding's hit "Pain In My Heart" was built on an earlier song, "Ruler of My Heart," recorded by Thomas.

Thomas is still active as a performer, appearing annually at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and various tour dates in the US and Europe. She has reigned as Queen of the Krewe du Vieux for the 1998 New Orleans Mardi Gras season and often headlined at her own club, the Lion's Den, which is now out of business due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Irma Thomas has participated in numerous post-Katrina charity projects including The New Orleans Social Club, and won numerous awards including the Offbeat Magazine Award, Mojo Magazine's Legends award, Big Easy Award, a Family Services Award and many more. In 2009, Scott Billington compiled a Rounder records retrospective "Irma Thomas: A 50th Anniversary Celebration of The Soul Queen of New Orleans: " .

Till I Can't Take It Anymore
Irma Thomas Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Let's not fight it anymore
Unpack your bags and close the door, girl, I'll never leave you
Though you lied right from the starat
I can't convince my foolish heart not to believe you

You've got two good men strung out
And there's not the slightest doubt that other men have loved you before
But you drew your face away

I dream of Heaven and I live in Hell till I can't take it anymore

If I had one ounce of pride
I'd stand up or step aside but I still love you
So I'll accept the crumbs you drop
'Cause I'm a fool and I can't stop or rise above you

Let him speak up for himself
I speak for me and no one else 'cause I'm a beggar knockin' on your door
But you do your thing so well
I dream of Heaven and I live in Hell till I can't take it anymore

I'm too far gone to turn around
And pick myself up off the ground, it's not all over, no
Now one of us must win or lose
No matter which one you may choose, you'll [Incomprehensible]
(You know you will)

While you're makin' up your mind
I'll be prayin all the time, prayin' that you'll never let me go
But you do your thing so well
I dream of Heaven and I live in Hell till I can't take it anymore

You work your thing so well
I dream of Heaven and I live in Hell till I can't take it anymore

Yeah, you do your thing so well
I dream of Heaven and I live in Hell till I can't take it anymore

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Irma Thomas's Till I Can't Take It Anymore speak of a tumultuous relationship between two people who are aware of the pain they are causing each other, yet cannot seem to walk away. The singer implores her partner to stop fighting the inevitable and just stay with her, even though they have both been hurt before. She acknowledges that she is not the only one in his heart, yet she cannot help but hold onto the idea that he might choose her in the end. Despite her love and hope, the drama and heartache of the relationship have left her feeling as though she is living in hell.

The theme of this song is about the struggles that come with loving someone who does not love you back in the same way. The singer seems to have accepted her fate and has no choice but to endure the pain, as it seems she cannot live without him. Even though he has other women in his life, she still wins his heart, and her patience and persistence pay off. The message is one of desperation, hope, and love, where the singer is willing to do anything that it takes to stay with her partner.

Line by Line Meaning

Let's not fight it anymore
Let's stop resisting our love and make things work between us

Unpack your bags and close the door, girl, I'll never leave you
Stay with me, let's work on our relationship together and put the past behind us

Though you lied right from the start
Even though you have been dishonest with me since the beginning of our relationship

I can't convince my foolish heart not to believe you
Despite knowing that you have lied to me, my heart still trusts and believes in you

You've got two good men strung out
You have two men, including me, who are emotionally invested in you

And there's not the slightest doubt that other men have loved you before
It's clear to see that you have had other men in your life who have loved you

But you drew your face away
You seem distant and uninterested in me and our relationship

I dream of Heaven and I live in Hell till I can't take it anymore
I daydream about a happy relationship, but the reality is that I am constantly in emotional pain

If I had one ounce of pride
If I had any self-respect

I'd stand up or step aside but I still love you
I would either demand better treatment or end the relationship, but my love for you keeps me in it

So I'll accept the crumbs you drop
I'll settle for the little affection you give me, even if it's not enough

'Cause I'm a fool and I can't stop or rise above you
I know I'm being foolish, but I can't help myself from staying with you

Let him speak up for himself
Let the other man fight for your affection, I can only speak for myself

I speak for me and no one else 'cause I'm a beggar knockin' on your door
I am fighting for my own love, not anyone else's. I am begging for your affection

But you do your thing so well
You are good at being distant and stringing me along

I dream of Heaven and I live in Hell till I can't take it anymore
I am still stuck in this painful relationship, dreaming of something better

I'm too far gone to turn around
I am too invested and in love with you to walk away now

And pick myself up off the ground, it's not all over, no
I refuse to give up on our relationship, regardless of the difficulties we have faced

Now one of us must win or lose
One of us must come out on top, while the other must suffer the loss

No matter which one you may choose, you'll [Incomprehensible]
Regardless of which man you choose, there will be consequences and sacrifices

While you're makin' up your mind
While you take your time deciding which man to choose

I'll be prayin all the time, prayin' that you'll never let me go
I will be constantly praying that you choose me and never leave me

You work your thing so well
You know how to manipulate me and keep me coming back for more

I dream of Heaven and I live in Hell till I can't take it anymore
My longing for a happy relationship conflicts with the pain of our current one, and I can only take it for so long

Yeah, you do your thing so well
You are very skilled at keeping me emotionally invested in you, even when the relationship is painful

Contributed by William B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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TRACKS

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Jesse Mueller

on These Honey Dos

Irma Thomas - These Honey Dos lyrics

V1/
Honey, do you see
While you're sittin' there
Two good legs, two good arms
Your butt stuck in that chair
It's get me this, reach me that
Fry the bacon, feed the cat
You're still in that chair, that's where yer at

C1/
I tried to satisfy
All your wishes and your wants
Soon these Honey Dos
Gonna turn into Don'ts
So honey you'd better choose
Do you want me, or these Honey Dos?

V2/
Honey, when I'm away
You always got to know
Who I see, what I do
And everywhere I go
And it's, while yer out, here's the list
Drop off that, pick up this
Yer still in that chair, that's where you is

C2/
Please don't make me try
To get away from you
I'm right here for ya, baby
But ya gotta give me somethin' too
Honey you'd better choose
Do you want me, or these Honey Dos?

B/
I'd do most everything
That I ever could do
All the love I got
I only give ta you
Honey, if you knew
A lover from a crutch
You'd know that everything yer doin'
Don't amount ta much

V1/
Honey, do you see
While you're sitting there
With two good legs, and two good arms
And your butt still stuck in that chair
It's get me this, reach me that
Fry the bacon, feed the cat
You're still in that chair, just gettin' fat

C1/
Tried to satisfy
All your wishes and your wants
Soon these Honey Dos
Are gonna turn into Don'ts
So honey you'd better choose
Do you want me, or these Honey Dos?

{Honey you'd better choose
Do you want me, or these Honey Dos?} ( 2x )

Spoken:
Honey do this, honey do that
Reach for this, reach for that
Now where is please?
Where is thank you?
Yer making a very large assumption
And you know what they say about the word assumption
Now you know you king of this castle
(As long as I'm in it)
But you gotta put a little please in there sometimes
And every now 'n' then think of some Honey Don'ts to say
Y'know? You got me
I wouldn't stay here, if I didn't love ya
But every now and then, put in some please and thank yous
Do ya Honey Do?
Turn 'em into Honey Don'ts