I've Got My Mind Set On You
James Ray Lyrics


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I've got my mind set on you
I've got my mind set on you
I've got my mind set on you
I know what I've got to do

It's gonna take money
Whole lotta spending money
It's gonna take hard earned money
To do it up right, child

It's gonna take time
Whole lot of precious time
It's gonna take patience and time, oh
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it
To do it, oh, yeah

Everywhere I go, you know
Bad luck follows me
Every time I've fallen in love
You know I'm left in misery

This time I really feel
I feel that it's really real
I feel if I put my mind to it
I feel that I really could do it

I've got my mind set on you
I've got my mind set on you
I've got my mind set on you
I know what I've got to do

It's gonna take money
Whole lotta spending money
It's gonna take hard earned money
To do it up right, child

It's gonna take time
A whole lot of precious time
It's gonna take patience and time, oh
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it

I've got my mind set on you
I know what I've got to do

It's gonna take money (it's gonna take money)
Whole lotta spending money (a whole lotta spending money)
It's gonna take hard earned money (a whole lotta hard earned cash)
To do it up right, child (to do it up right, child)

It's gonna take time (it's gonna take time)
whole lot of precious time (a whole lotta precious time)
It's gonna take patience and time (a whole lotta patience and time), oh
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it
To do it, oh, yeah

Everywhere I go, you know
Bad luck follows me
Every time I fall in love
I'm left in misery

This time I really feel
I feel that it's really real
I feel if I put my mind to it
I feel that I really could do it

It's gonna take money (it's gonna take money)
Whole lotta spending money (a whole lotta spending money)
It's gonna take hard earned money (a whole lotta hard earned cash)
To do it up right, child (to do it up right, child)

It's gonna take time (it's gonna take time)
whole lot of precious time (a whole lotta precious time)
It's gonna take patience and time (a whole lotta patience and time), oh
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it




To do it, oh, yeah
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it

Overall Meaning

The song 'I've Got My Mind Set On You' by James Ray is about a person who has their sights set on a particular love interest. They know what they have to do to win over the person, but they acknowledge that it's going to take a lot of effort and resources to make it happen. The singer recognizes that they've had bad luck in love before and have been left in misery, but this time they feel that it's different--that the love they feel is real and they're willing to put in the time, effort, and money to make it work.


The repeated lines 'I've got my mind set on you' emphasize the singer's determination to make this love interest theirs. They acknowledge that it's going to be a difficult journey, but they're willing to do what it takes to make it work. The repeated reference to the need for money and time reflects the reality that love often takes a lot of investment and sacrifice.


Overall, the song is about persistence and determination in the face of obstacles. The singer is willing to do whatever it takes to make a real connection with their love interest and believes that their efforts will ultimately pay off.


Line by Line Meaning

I've got my mind set on you
I am fully focused on you


I know what I've got to do
I am aware of what actions I must take


It's gonna take money
Money is necessary for this endeavor


Whole lotta spending money
A significant amount of money needs to be spent


It's gonna take hard earned money
Money that has been worked hard for is required


To do it up right, child
To do it properly and completely


It's gonna take time
Time is necessary for this endeavor


Whole lot of precious time
A significant amount of valuable time is needed


It's gonna take patience and time, oh
Both patience and time are required


To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it
Repeated emphasis on the need for action and effort


Everywhere I go, you know
No matter where I go


Bad luck follows me
I inevitably encounter misfortune


Every time I've fallen in love
Each time I have experienced love


You know I'm left in misery
I am left in a state of suffering


This time I really feel
This time, I strongly believe


I feel that it's really real
I sense that this is truly genuine


I feel if I put my mind to it
I am confident in my ability to accomplish the task at hand




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Rudy Clark

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@Wolfhoundersful

I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you
I know what I got to do

It's gonna take money
Whole lotta spending money
It's gonna take hard money
To do it up right, child

It's gonna take time
A whole lot of precious time
It's gonna take patience and time, oh
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it
To do it, oh yeah

Everywhere I go, you know
Bad luck follows me
Every time I've fallen in love
You know I'm left in misery

This time I really feel
I feel that it's really real
I feel if I put my mind to it
I feel that I really could do it

I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you
I know what I got to do

It's gonna take money
Whole lotta spending money
It's gonna take hard money
To do it up right, child

It's gonna take time
A whole lot of precious time
It's gonna take patience and time, oh
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it

I got my mind set on you
I know what I got to do

It's gonna take money
Whole lotta spending money
It's gonna take hard money
To do it up right, child

It's gonna take time
A whole lot of precious time
It's gonna take patience and time, oh
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it
To do it, oh yeah

Everywhere I go you know
Bad luck follows me
Every time I fall in love
I'm left in misery

This time I really feel
I feel that it's really real
I feel if I put my mind to it
I feel that I really could do it

It's gonna take money
Whole lotta spending money
It's gonna take hard money
To do it up right, child

It's gonna take time
A whole lot of precious time
It's gonna take patience and time, oh
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it
To do it, oh yeah
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it



@tanakaken4204

Rudy Clark (born Rudolph Clark, 1935) is an American songwriter about whom little biographical information seems to be known. Supposedly a former mail carrier hailing from New York City, he was most active from the early 1960s through the early 1970s.

Career[edit]
Clark wrote songs for James Ray (and indeed may have discovered the singer), including Ray's moody 1962 R&B and regional pop hit "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody", later a hit for Freddie and the Dreamers, as well as "Got My Mind Set On You", which became a No. 1 US and No. 2 UK hit for George Harrison in 1987. Few people know "Got My Mind Set On You" was a No. 1 hit in 18 countries in the same year. Clark was a close friend of Bobby Darin, who owned TM Music/Trio, the music company that employed Clark. Clark and Darin collaborated on several hits including "Do the Monkey."

Clark then wrote the Top Ten soul classic "It's in His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)", recorded by Betty Everett in 1964, which would be frequently revisited by other artists (most notably in the version that became a worldwide hit for Cher in 1991) in subsequent years. Clark co-wrote "Good Lovin'", recorded by The Olympics in 1965 and then remade as a #1 hit by The Young Rascals the following year. Other Clark compositions include "If You Got to Make a Fool of Somebody", recorded by Barbara Mason, and "Fool, Fool, Fool", recorded in 1964 by Little Joey & the Flips and then covered by Roosevelt Grier, the A-Cads, and Ray Brown & The Whispers, with the last two representations reaching #1 in South Africa and Australia respectively. His song "Waddle, Waddle" featured in the film "Hairspray".

Clark was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for his lead contribution in writing the 1972 Top Five hit "Everybody Plays the Fool" by The Main Ingredient. Beyond pop hits, Clark wrote several songs for the early 1970s Harlem Globetrotters cartoon series.

Besides being heard on oldies radio, Clark's material has also found its way to the Broadway theatre, making reference to André DeShields' Haarlem Nocturne (1984) and Marion J. Caffey's Street Corner Symphony (1997).



All comments from YouTube:

@LightSnowOvernight

I'm an old, long-time Beatles fan, but confess that I didn't know George didn't write this

@TheRunner75

+LightSnowOvernight Me too... Just discovered this today ;-)

@moe3655

LightSnowOvernight p

@e.o.1991

thats a bit disappointing but still a pretty good cover

@bremCZ

Wasn't written by James Ray either.

@joellebrodeur1015

I grew up thinking George wrote it when he was a Beatle but never recorded it with them. Damn, I feel stupid. George's version is tighter and seems he discarded some verses.

64 More Replies...

@hendommead6923

I love both versions. This has the oldies feel to it and then George's is awesome!
Ray's vocal is best, but Harrison's arrangement is superior.

@patchesandshadow8558

I love both versions of this song they're both perfect to be honest

@HaackSpeed

I agree--they're just both awesome

@kenrutherford1109

IMHO George Harrison's version is better

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