1) Jerry Butler, Jr… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists called Jerry Butler:
1) Jerry Butler, Jr. (born December 8, 1939 in Sunflower, Mississippi) is an American soul singer also known as "The Ice Man" because of his cool demeanour while singing often intensely emotional lyrics.
Butler was dubbed the "Iceman" by a Philadelphia disc jockey while performing in a Philadelphia theater. However, Butler achieved what eluded many earlier Doo Wop groups during the 1950s and 1960s — longevity. Butler’s solo career had a string of hits, including "He Will Break Your Heart," "Moon River," "Make It Easy On Yourself," "Let It Be Me" (the Everly Brothers classic re-done as a duet with Betty Everett), "Brand New Me," "Ain’t Understanding Mellow," (duet with Brenda Lee Eager), and "Never Gonna Give You Up," followed by two hugely successful albums The Iceman Cometh in 1968 and Ice On Ice in 1970. The Iceman Cometh garnered Butler three Grammy nominations. Jerry Butler further made recordings for Philadelphia International Records in the 80's. His most noted song for the label was "Cooling Out"
The Way You Do The Things You Do
Jerry Butler Lyrics
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You know you could've been a candle
I'm holding you so tight
You know you could've been a handle
The way you swept me off my feet
You know you could've been a broom
And girl, you so dull gone sweet
You could've been some kind of perfume
Well, you could've been anything that you wanted to
And I can tell
The way you do the things you do
(The way you do the things you do) oh babe
As pretty as you are
You know you could've been a flower
If good looks was a minute
You know you could've been an hour
The way you stole my heart
You know you could've been a crook
And baby you're so smart
You know you could've been a school book
Well, you could've been anything that you wanted to
And I can tell
The way you do the things you do
(The way you do the things you do) oh babe
You made my life so rich
You know you could've been some money
And baby you're so sweet
You know you could've been some honey
Well, you could've been anything that you wanted to
And I can tell
The way you do the things you do
(The way you do the things you do)
The way you smile so bright
(The way you do the things you do) oh babe
It makes me feel alright
(The way you do the things you do) oh babe
In "The Way You Do The Things You Do," Jerry Butler and Betty Everett sing about a woman who has all the qualities of greatness. The first verse talks about the woman's smile being so bright that it could be a candle. Jerry Butler compares how tightly he is holding the woman to how she could have been a handle. The way she swept him off his feet compared to how she could have been a broom, and Betty Everett's sweetness could have been a type of perfume.
In the second verse, they continue to praise the woman. Betty Everett's physical appearance could have been a flower, and if good looks were a minute, Jerry Butler thinks that she could have been a whole hour. The way she stole his heart could have made her a crook, but instead, she is so intelligent that she could have been a book.
The last verse talks about how the woman has enriched Jerry Butler's life. She could have been some money or honey, but instead, she has made his life so rich. The chorus is a repeated acknowledgment of how great this woman is and how her way of doing things brings joy and happiness to Jerry Butler's life.
Overall, this song celebrates a woman who embodies greatness in every aspect of her life. The lyrics use playful comparisons to emphasize the woman's character traits and personality.
Line by Line Meaning
You got a smile so bright
Your smile is very bright and attractive.
You know you could've been a candle
Your brightness is so exceptional that you could have been a candle.
I'm holding you so tight
I am holding you closely.
You know you could've been a handle
You could be a handle that I can hold tightly.
The way you swept me off my feet
You overwhelmed me emotionally.
You know you could've been a broom
You swept me off my feet like a broom would do.
And girl, you so dull gone sweet
You are so sweet, girl.
You could've been some kind of perfume
You have a captivating scent that could have been used as a perfume.
As pretty as you are
You are very attractive.
You know you could've been a flower
You could be a flower with a great appearance.
If good looks was a minute
In a minute, you can convey your beauty.
You know you could've been an hour
Your beauty is so great that it could be perceived in an hour.
The way you stole my heart
You captured my heart emotionally.
You know you could've been a crook
You could be a crook that has stolen my heart.
And baby you're so smart
You are very intelligent, baby.
You know you could've been a school book
Your wit and expertise in multiple areas could fill a textbook.
You made my life so rich
You enriched my life and made it more fulfilling.
You know you could've been some money
You are so valuable, you could have been money.
And baby you're so sweet
You are sweet, baby.
You know you could've been some honey
You are so sweet that you could have been honey.
The way you smile so bright
Your bright smile is very charming.
It makes me feel alright
It makes me feel good and happy.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Written by: Robert Rogers, William Robinson Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@themightydells
Producer: Calvin Carter
Album: Delicious Together
Background Vocals: The Mighty Dells