What'd I Say
Jerry Lee Lewis Lyrics
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Come and love your daddy, all night long
Alright, hehee, huhu, alright
Mm, see the girl with the diamond ring
She knows how to shake that thing
Alright, hehee, huhu, alright
I'm gonna send you back to Arkansas
Huhu hey, honey you don't do right
I say you don't do right
Mmm, alright
See the girl with the red dress on
She'll do the Boogie Woogie all night long
Alright, hehe, huhu, alright
Well, tell me what I say (what'd I say)
Tell me what I say right now (what'd I say)
Honey, what I say (what'd I say)
Baby what I say right now (what'd I say)
Tell me what I say
Tell me what I say
And I wanna know (I wanna know)
I wanna know right now (I wanna know)
I gotta know (I wanna know)
Baby, I wanna know right now (I wanna know)
Baby, I wanna know
Baby, I wanna know
(What'd I say, what'd I say, what'd I say)
The song "What'd I Say" by Jerry Lee Lewis is about a man who wants his woman to love him and be with him all night long. He sings, "Yeah, mama, don't you treat me wrong, come and love your daddy, all night long." The song is lively, and as it progresses, he talks about seeing a girl with a diamond ring and a girl with a red dress on who knows how to boogie woogie all night long. The lyrics are a come-on to the women, trying to persuade them to dance with him and love him for the night.
Then, the song takes a turn where he says, "Tell your mamma, tell your pa I'm gonna send you back to Arkansas," implying that he wants her all to himself and will take her back to her family in Arkansas. He also says, "Honey, you don't do right, I say you don't do right," meaning that she hasn't been treating him right, and he wants her to change. In the end, he repeats "tell me what I say" and "I wanna know" to the beat of the music, showcasing the wild and bold side of rock and roll music.
Overall, "What'd I Say" is a classic rock and roll song about love, dancing, and the wildness that comes with it. It showcases Jerry Lee Lewis's talent as a pianist and his charismatic energy as a performer.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, mama, don't you treat me wrong
Hey there, Mom, please treat me kindly and don't hurt me
Come and love your daddy, all night long
Stay with me and shower me with love tonight
Mm, see the girl with the diamond ring
I see a girl with a diamond ring
She knows how to shake that thing
She's good at dancing provocatively
Mm, Tell your mamma, tell your pa
Tell your parents that
I'm gonna send you back to Arkansas
I'll send you home to Arkansas
Huhu hey, honey you don't do right
Honey, you aren't doing what I want you to do
I say you don't do right
I mean that you aren't doing what I want you to do
Mmm, alright
Okay
See the girl with the red dress on
I see another girl, this one in a red dress
She'll do the Boogie Woogie all night long
She'll dance the Boogie Woogie all night long
Well, tell me what I say (what'd I say)
Now tell me, what am I saying (what do you think)?
Tell me what I say right now (what'd I say)
Tell me what my words mean right now (what do you think)?
Honey, what I say (what'd I say)
Honey, what I'm saying (what is it)?
Baby what I say right now (what'd I say)
Sweetheart, what do I mean when I say this (what do you think)?
Tell me what I say
Please tell me what I'm saying
And I wanna know (I wanna know)
I want to know
I wanna know right now (I wanna know)
I want to know immediately
I gotta know (I wanna know)
I must know
Baby, I wanna know right now (I wanna know)
Honey, I want to know this instant
Baby, I wanna know
Honey, I want to know
(What'd I say, what'd I say, what'd I say)
(What am I saying, what am I saying, what am I saying)
Lyrics © Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ray Charles
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Seven7
Yeah, mama, don't you treat me wrong
Come and love your daddy, all night long
Alright, hehee, huhu, alright
Mm, see the girl with the diamond ring
She knows how to shake that thing
Alright, hehee, huhu, alright
Mm, Tell your mamma, tell your pa
I'm gonna send you back to Arkansas
Huhu hey, honey you don't do right
I say you don't do right
Mmm, alright
See the girl with the red dress on
She'll do the Boogie Woogie all night long
Alright, hehe, huhu, alright
Well, tell me what I say (what'd I say)
Tell me what I say right now (what'd I say)
Honey, what I say (what'd I say)
Baby what I say right now (what'd I say)
Tell me what I say
Tell me what I say
And I wanna know (I wanna know)
I wanna know right now (I wanna know)
I gotta know (I wanna know)
Baby, I wanna know right now (I wanna know)
Baby, I wanna know
Baby, I wanna know
(What'd I say, what'd I say, what'd I say)
Alex Brewer
One of the reasons Rock n Roll will never die. Timeless !
jeanmarie basset
Très juste
Rebl Gamr
i love ray charles and jerry lee............this is just phenomenal
Kelly Draper
Jerry Lee Lewis sings it very well
Lorenzo Moore
I love when they cover each other songs.
sauquoit13456
On this day in 1969 {November 16th} Jerry Lee Lewis performed "What'd I Say" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'... Eight years earlier on April 3rd, 1961 it entered Billboard's Top 100 chart; eventually it peaked at #30 and spent 8 weeks on the Top 100... Of course the original version was by Ray Charles in 1959; it peaked at #6 on the Top 100... Three covered versions have charted; Bobby Darin {#24 in 1962}, Elvis Presley {#21 in 1964}, and Rare Earth {#61 in 1972} RIP Mr Sullivan
DMR
Maravilloso!!!
Jay Cooper
Brother Ray's original version is the Dog's Doodahs, but the song is tailor-made for Jerry Lee and this cracking version runs the original to a short head. I interviewed Jerry Lee for the BBC back in the 1970s, a bit like having an audience with the Pope for a fan like me. He was pissed as a newt - Jerry Lee, not the Pope! - but totally in control and I came out of the hotel room a couple of hours later completely un scathed and without a scratch LOL! A great memory! Sad to hear of his recent passing but, let's face it, he lived far longer than anyone could possibly have predicted and crammed more into his lifetime than most others could do in three or four. "Legend" is an overused term these days but here was a man truly deserving of the title. RIP Jerry Lee and thanks for all the music and memories.
Kevin Hoffman
This was Jerry Lee's Last top 40 hit.
ToasterTwo
It was Top 10 in UK.