Wilson's solo career begin with 1957's "Reet Petite", written by the then unknown Berry Gordy, Jr. and recorded on the Brunswick Records label with whom Wilson would remain throughout his career. He had his first top 40 hit in 1958 with "To Be Loved". At the end of that year he had his first big success with "Lonely Teardrops" that went to #7 on the charts. The song, also written by Berry Gordy, Jr. became his signature tune. That same year saw Wilson release his first LP titled He's So Fine.
Wilson's brand of pop-soul and R&B helped him cross over to the mainstream, having several pop hits. His dynamic stage performances earned him the nickname "Mr. Excitement". His performance of "Lonely Teardrops" on the Ed Sullivan Show is considered one of its classics. In the 1960s, Wilson continued to record singles, many of them operatic, such as "Danny Boy" or "Night", others were up-tempo and exciting, such as "Baby Workout" in 1963. Although married to Frida Hood since 1951, Wilson was a notorious womanizer and was shot and wounded by one of his alleged lovers, Juanita Jones, on February 15 1961 in a jealous rage as he returned to his apartment with another woman, fashion model Harlean Harris, an ex-girlfriend of singer Sam Cooke. As a married man conducting extra-marital affairs, his management decided, as a way not to damage his career, to concoct a story that Jones was an obsessed fan who threatened to shoot herself, and that Wilson's intervention concluded in him being shot. Astonishingly, the story was accepted, and no charges were brought against Juanita Jones. He was divorced from Frida in 1965, and married Harlean Harris from 1967 until his death in 1984.
His career began to suffer in the mid-60s, though he managed a brief revival by collaborating with Carl Davis, a legendary Chicago producer. This resulted in two hits, "Whispers" and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher". The revival was short-lived, though, and Wilson rarely charted in the 1970s. Wilson suffered a massive heart attack while playing a Dick Clark show at the Latin Casino in New Jersey on September 29, 1975, falling head-first to the stage; he was singing "Lonely Teardrops". A comatose Wilson lived in a hospital until his death in 1984 at age 49. His medical costs were paid for by Dick Clark. In 1985, successful soul/funk band The Commodores, recorded "Nightshift" which was a song in memory of Wilson, as well as soul singer Marvin Gaye, who died in the same year as Wilson.
Van Morrison also recorded a tribute song called "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)" on his 1972 hit album Saint Dominic's Preview. This song was later covered by Dexy's Midnight Runners. When the track was performed on the British TV show Top of the Pops, a picture of Wilson was intended to be used in the background - but an intentional joke by the band and the production staff meant that a picture of darts player Jocky Wilson was used instead. Wilson is mentioned in the rap song "thugs mansion" Tupac and Nas. The exact quote is, "Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night, it had me shook Drinkinn peppermint Schnapps, with Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke".
Wilson scored a posthumous hit when "Reet Petite" reached number one in the United Kingdom in 1986. The following year,he also hit the UK charts again with "I Get The Sweetest Feeling"(No.3), and "Higher and Higher"(No.11). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987; that same year, he was portrayed in the Richie Valens biopic La Bamba by Howard Huntsberry.
Wilson is interred in the Westlawn Cemetery in Wayne, Michigan.
I Get The Sweetest Feeling
Jackie Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The better you look baby
The better you look
The more I want you
When you turn on your smile
I feel my heart go wild
I'm like a child with a brand new toy
And I get the
Sweetest feeling
Honey the Sweetest (Sweetest Feeling)
Baby the Sweetest (Sweetest Feeling)
Loving you, ya
The warmer your kiss
The deeper you touch me baby
The deeper your touch
The more you thrill me
It's more than I can stand
Girl, when you hold my hand
I feel so grand
That I could cry
And I get the (Sweetest Feeling)
Moma the sweetest (Sweetest Feeling)
Baby the sweetest (Sweetest Feeling)
Loving you
The greater your love
The stronger you hold me baby
The stronger your hold
The more I need You.
With every passing day
I love you more in every way
I'm in love to stay
And I want to say
I get the (Sweetest Feeling)
Baby the sweetest (Sweetest Feeling)
Honey the sweetest (Sweetest Feeling)
Loving You
Aw (Sweetest Feeling)
Baby the sweetest (Sweetest Feeling)
Sweetest
Feeling
The lyrics of Jackie Wilson's classic hit "I Get The Sweetest Feeling," express the feelings of a person who is deeply in love with someone they consider very beautiful, and this beauty is more apparent the closer he gets to her. He cannot take his eyes off her when she smiles, and he feels like a child with a brand new toy. The song highlights that the more a woman touches him, the deeper he falls in love. He feels grand and overwhelmed with emotions to the point of tears. Every day, his love for her keeps growing stronger and stronger, and he never wants to let her go.
Overall, the song is a love letter to a beautiful woman that the singer can't get enough of. He is captivated by her, and everything about her thrills him.
Line by Line Meaning
The closer you get
As you come closer to me, your beauty becomes more apparent and captivating.
The better you look baby
Your appearance improves as you approach me, making you even more attractive.
The better you look
Seeing you in your improved state of beauty intensifies my desire for you.
The more I want you
I become increasingly passionate about you and crave your love and affection.
When you turn on your smile
Seeing your happy expression fills me with joy and elation.
I feel my heart go wild
My heart races with excitement and love for you.
I'm like a child with a brand new toy
My happiness and enthusiasm for you is as fresh and exciting as a new plaything for a child.
And I get the Sweetest feeling
The overwhelming emotions I feel for you are the most delightful and pleasant sensations.
Honey the Sweetest (Sweetest Feeling)
My love for you is as sweet and enjoyable as honey, the most delicious natural sweetener.
Baby the Sweetest (Sweetest Feeling)
My affection for you is the most enjoyable and satisfying sensation, similar to the joy of an infant.
Loving you, ya
My love for you is unwavering and true.
The warmer your kiss
The more passionate and intense your kiss, the more it affects me emotionally and physically.
The deeper you touch me baby
Your touch evokes strong and profound sensations in me, making me feel secure and loved.
The deeper your touch
The more intense and meaningful your touch, the more it impacts me emotionally and physically.
The more you thrill me
The more you excite and stimulate me, the more passionate my love for you becomes.
It's more than I can stand
My emotions for you are so intense that they overwhelm me, making me feel ecstatic and vulnerable.
Girl, when you hold my hand
Your touch on my hand makes me feel loved and supported.
I feel so grand
I feel important and valued when you are with me.
That I could cry
The joy and happiness I feel is so intense that I could start weeping tears of joy.
The greater your love
The more profound and unconditional your love, the stronger my love for you grows.
The stronger you hold me baby
The more secure and protected I feel when you hug me tightly.
The stronger your hold
The more protected and safe I feel in your embrace.
The more I need You
The more you support and care for me, the more I need you in my life.
With every passing day
As time goes by, my love for you deepens and grows stronger.
I love you more in every way
My affection for you grows in every aspect of my life.
I'm in love to stay
My love for you is enduring and unwavering.
And I want to say
I feel compelled to tell you how much you mean to me.
Aw (Sweetest Feeling)
The joyful and pleasant emotions I feel are indescribable.
Baby the sweetest (Sweetest Feeling)
My love for you is the most enjoyable and satisfying sensation, similar to the joy of an infant.
Sweetest
The intense emotions I feel for you are the most pleasurable and delightful sensations.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALICIA EVELYN, VAN MCCOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@smokinjz
The closer you get
The better you look
baby
The better you look
The more I want you
When you turn on your smile I feel my heart go wild
I'm like a child with a brand-new toy.
And I get the sweetest feeling
Honey
The sweetest - sweetest feeling -
Baby
The sweetest - sweetest feeling - loving you
yeah!
The warmer your kiss
The deeper you touch me
Baby
The deeper your touch
the more you thrill me
It's more than I can stand
Girl
When you hold my hand
I feel so grand that I could cry.
And I get the - sweetest feeling
Mama
The sweetest - sweetest feeling
Baby
The sweetest - sweetest feeling - loving you.
The greater your love
The stronger you hold me
Baby
The stronger your hold
The more I need you.
With ev'ry passing day I love you more in ev'ry way
I'm in love to stay and I wanna say.
I get the - sweetest feeling
Baby
The sweetest - sweetest feeling -
Honey't the sweetest - sweetest feeling - loving you.
@MegaTightMike
My wife walked down the aisle to this at our wedding. Gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it.
@swingwizard
I can imagine...
@sciocezze68
❤
@tonks78
Awww! So romantic! ❤❤❤❤
@shahabhussain5120
Just beautiful to hear that ❤️
@oliclay1348
That made me smile man :)
@irrepressibleme6846
The best male vocalist ever IMO.
His legend lives on in the hearts of thousands of Soul fans.
@__Reena_P
Omg…THE SWEETEST FEELING!❤️
Don’t make songs like this anymore❤️
What being in LOVE is all about!❤️
@leerichard994
This is my true true love if I'm honest.. Of all the songs and all the sounds and all the generations....nothing makes me feel like this song does..a child with a brand new toy was playing as I typed this...says it all..thank you Jackie.,
@lynnecottam1043
I’m so glad I grew up in this era ...beautiful meaningful music ❤️