James and the Drifters is an original folk rock band from Huntington and Ft… Read Full Bio ↴James and the Drifters is an original folk rock band from Huntington and Ft Wayne, IN. In 2010 three local singer songwriters, Tyler Gault, Kyle Jackson, and Brent Chamberlin decided to combine efforts and form one group with their music. Two weeks later they hit the studio and recorded a 23 song album. Its been all organic grassroots growth since then. In late 2010 the band grew to include James Freehauf, Matthew Klaffke, and Taylor Zeman, all really good friends of Tyler, Brent, and Kyles. James and the Drifters derives most of its inspiration, lyrics, and music from the hope of the gospels and southern gothic novels. We hope you enjoy the music.

I've Got A Friend
James and the Drifters Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, the boardwalk's deserted
There's nobody down by the shore
And the Ferris wheel ride isn't turning around anymore
The heat wave and the crowds are just old news
But I've still got some sand in my shoes
(Sand in my shoes)
Brings mem'ries of the salty air
(Sand in my shoes)

Whoa the blanket that we used to share
How we fell in love down by the sea
Comes back to me (back to me, back to me) with the sand in my shoes
Whoa, oh
When the water was cold
You would tremble and hold me so tight
And we'd sit on the beach just to wait for the stars to come out at night
The heat wave and the crowds are just old news
But I've still got some sand in my shoes
(Sand in my shoes)
Oh, brings mem'ries of the salty air
(Sand in my shoes)
Whoa the blanket that we used to share
How we fell in love down by the sea
Comes back to me (back to me, back to me) with the sand in my shoes
(Sand in my shoes)
Whoa
(Sand in my shoes)
Whoa, la, la, la, la, uh-whoa
(Sand in my shoes)

Whoa-uh-oh-oh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to James and the Drifters' song "I've Got A Friend" tell a story of nostalgia and memories of a romantic relationship that took place by the sea. The boardwalk is deserted, the Ferris wheel has stopped turning, and the crowds and heat wave are a thing of the past – but the singer still has sand in their shoes that brings back memories of the relationship that blossomed by the salty air. The lyrics speak of the comfort and warmth of being held tight when the water was cold, and the time spent waiting for the stars to come out at night. The sand in their shoes is a powerful symbol of the memories that linger, reminding them of the time they fell in love by the sea.

The song conveys a sense of longing and emotional attachment to a past that cannot be relived. The singer is left with the memories and the sand in their shoes, which evoke the feelings of nostalgia and a reminder of a love that once was. The use of imagery and the nostalgic tone of the lyrics create a mood that is both wistful and melancholic, and the repetition of "Sand in my shoes" serves as a reminder of the unshakeable memories that remain.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh, the boardwalk's deserted
The boardwalk is empty and there is no one around.

There's nobody down by the shore
There are no people at the beach.

And the Ferris wheel ride isn't turning around anymore
The Ferris wheel is not in operation anymore.

The heat wave and the crowds are just old news
The hot weather and large groups of people have been present for some time.

But I've still got some sand in my shoes
There is still some sand in the shoes.

(Sand in my shoes)
The sand in the shoes is a reminder of the beach and times spent there.

Brings mem'ries of the salty air
The sand in the shoes reminds the singer of the salty air by the beach.

Whoa the blanket that we used to share
The sand in the shoes reminds the singer of the blanket they shared with someone by the beach.

How we fell in love down by the sea
The singer remembers how they fell in love while by the sea.

Comes back to me (back to me, back to me) with the sand in my shoes
The memories of love by the sea come back to the singer when they feel the sand in their shoes.

When the water was cold
The water was cold during a previous visit to the beach.

You would tremble and hold me so tight
Someone held the singer tightly when they were cold by the water.

And we'd sit on the beach just to wait for the stars to come out at night
The singer and someone else spent time on the beach waiting for stars to appear at night.

Whoa, oh
An expression of excitement or emotion at the singer's memories.

Whoa, la, la, la, la, uh-whoa
An expression of excitement or emotion at the singer's memories.

(Sand in my shoes)
The sand in the shoes is still a reminder of the beach and love by the sea.

Whoa-uh-oh-oh
An expression of excitement or emotion at the singer's memories.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CARLIN AMERICA INC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ARTHUR RESNICK, KENNY YOUNG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Chenedra Caldwell

3y↑14

Oh wow!!! I've been meaning to look this up since I seen the movie Ray when Della B told him it was sacrilegious

Kristal Fawx

Ditto....I've watched this movie several times and FINALLY took the time to look up this reference.

11patience

3y↑3

Same. I just watched Ray again and that's why I'm here.

Terri Z.

3y↑1

Same lol I was wondering what she meant and couldn’t find a similar clip anywhere lol

Susan Henderson

6y↑3

Of course, "I Got A Woman" was covered by Elvis, but I didn't realize that Peter, Paul & Mary also covered it....although their version is decidedly folky and takes after the lyrics of the Southern Tones. It's titled "King of Names." Thanks for posting. Let me know what you think of the other versions. Catchy tune no matter what the lyrics or rhythm.

bluenote824 jones

Great group

computerjantje

I love Ray Charles singing but this song I like the Elvis versions live the best.

vanessa lol

Wooooow this insane!

Rafael Alvitres

2y↑2

Elvis did a super fantastic version of this one.

BlackFlagsNRoses

Everyone sees the obvious use by Ray Charles, but Sam Cooke also used it for Ain’t That Good News? Soul came from gospel singers going into secular music

dave g

.... alongside Kanye West “golddigger”????

Mary Wealth

4y↑6

I love Ray, but that's not just inspiration; it's plagiarism. The original writer(s) should have been credited for the music he stole. When Weird Al writes a parody (which "I Got A Woman" essentially is), Al gives credit to the composer of the melody.
Of course, I still prefer Ray's version over the original in the same way I prefer the redone versions of those songs Led Zeppelin stole. (Actually, I kinda prefer Elvis and The Beatles' versions of "I Got A Woman".)

jabron james

2y↑1

@Mary Wealth i dont consider what ray did as a bad thing. im betting most of my favorite tracks at any given moment have been ripped off by something else. that being said, i admire your self-awareness and clarity of argument. cheers to u mary

Random Anton

@Mary Wealth you're awesome

Omar Haro

No, he desecrated the gospel of it. That's worse.

Mary Wealth

@Cerebrally Upside Down
What you're talking about pertains to sound recordings, NOT musical compositions. And even with regard to that, sound recordings gained FEDERAL protection in 1972, but were still protected by STATE laws before that. According to the Ohio State University website, musical compositions have been protected under federal copyright law for some time, having been added to the list of protectable works when the copyright law was revised in 1831, more than a century before Ray Charles stole the music of "I Got A Woman". If musical compositions weren't legally protected from plagiarism before the 1970s, then there wouldn't have been so many music plagiarism lawsuits in the
sixties.
But even if there were no law to say you can't steal an apple pie off of someone's window sill, taking one would STILL be stealing.

Cerebrally Upside Down

3y↑1

I'm surprised nobody has brought this up already, but music copyright law didn't exist in America until the 1970s. So what Ray Charles has done here is not unique. The "very standard and necessary act of properly crediting the original authorship" was neither standard nor necessary in 1955. Imposing contemporary legalism onto music culture of the early 20th century is, at least in my opinion, reductive. And sort of misses the woods for the trees on an entire era of art.

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