Reed was born on the 20th March 1937 in Atlanta, Georgia, the second child of Robert and Cynthia Hubbard. Reed's parents separated four months after his birth, and he and his sister spent seven years in foster homes or orphanages. Reed was reunited with his mother and stepfather in 1944.
By high school (O'Keefe High School, Atlanta, Georgia) Reed was already writing and singing music, having picked up the guitar as a child. At the age of eighteen he was signed by publisher and record producer Bill Lowery to make his first record, "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creeks Don't Rise". At Capitol Records, he recorded both country and rockabilly singles with little success, until label mate Gene Vincent covered his "Crazy Legs" in 1958. By 1958, Lowery signed Reed to his National Recording Corporation, and he recorded for NRC as both artist and as a member of the staff band, which included other NRC artists Joe South and Ray Stevens.
Reed married Priscilla Mitchell in 1959. They have two daughters, Charlotte Elaine Reed Stewart, and Seidina Ann Reed Hinesley.
After a two-year stint in the military, Reed moved to Nashville in 1961 to continue his songwriting career, which had continued to gather steam while he was in the armed forces, thanks to Brenda Lee's 1960 cover of his "That's All You Got to Do". He also became a popular session and tour guitarist. In 1962, he scored some success with the singles "Goodnight Irene" and "Hully Gully Guitar", which found their way to Chet Atkins, who produced Reed's 1965 "If I Don't Live Up to It".
In 1967 Reed had his first chart hit with "Guitar Man", which Elvis Presley soon covered. Presley had gone to Nashville to record in 1967, and one of the songs he was working on was "Guitar Man," which Reed had written and recorded. Jarvis hired Reed to play on the session. Reed also played the guitar for Presley's "Too Much Monkey Business" (1968), recorded at the same session. After Presley recorded another of Reed's songs, "U.S. Male", the songwriter recorded an Elvis tribute, "Tupelo Mississippi Flash", which became his first top-twenty hit.
After releasing the 1970 crossover hit "Amos Moses", a hybrid of rock, country, and Cajun styles, which reached number eight on the U.S. pop charts, Reed teamed up with Atkins for the duet LP Me & Jerry. During the 1970 television season, he was a regular on the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, and in 1971 he issued his biggest hit, "When You're Hot, You're Hot", which was also the title track of his first solo album and reached number nine on the pop charts.
A second collaboration with Atkins, Me & Chet, followed in 1972, as did a series of top-forty singles, which alternated between frenetic, straightforward country offerings and more pop-flavoured material. A year later, he scored his second number-one single with "Lord, Mr. Ford" (written by Dick Feller), from the album of the same name.
Reed was featured in animated form in a December 9, 1972 episode of Hanna-Barbera's The New Scooby-Doo Movies, "The Phantom of the Country Music Hall". He sang and played the song "Pretty Mary Sunlite", which is played throughout the episode as Scooby and the gang search for Reed's missing guitar.
In the mid-1970s, Reed's recording career began to take a back seat to his acting aspirations. In 1974, he co-starred with his close friend Burt Reynolds in the film W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings. While he continued to record throughout the decade, his greatest visibility was as a film star, almost always in tandem with headliner Reynolds; after 1976's Gator, Reed appeared in 1978's High Ballin and 1979's Hot Stuff, which won the Best Picture award from the Pawn Shop Association of America. He also co-starred in all three of the Smokey and the Bandit films; the first, which premiered in 1977, landed Reed a number-two hit with the soundtrack's "East Bound and Down".
Reed also hosted a television variety show, filming two episodes of The Jerry Reed Show in 1976. The show featured music performances and interview segments, but did not contain the comedy skits that usually were a part of variety shows of the 1970s. Guests included Tammy Wynette, Ray Stevens, and Burt Reynolds.
Reed died on the 31st August 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee, of complications from emphysema.
Little Things
Jerry Reed Lyrics
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Make me glad I'm in love with you
Little things that you say
Make me glad that I feel this way.
The way you smile, the way you hold my hand
And when I'm down you always understand.
You know I love those little things that I knew
I know there ain't nobody else like you.
No one could do the little things you do.
Little things in my ear that you say
When there's no one near.
Little things that you do
Let me know that your love is true.
When we walk you like to hold my hand
And when we talk you tell me I'm your man.
You know I love those little things that I knew
The little things you whispered in my ear.
I know there ain't nobody else like you.
No one could do the little things you do.
Little things that you do
Make me glad I'm in love with you.
Little things that you say
Make me glad that I feel this way.
When we walk you like to hold my hand
And when we talk you tell me I'm your man.
You know I love those little things that I knew
The little things you whispered in my ear.
I know there ain't nobody else like you.
No one could do the little things you do.
The song "Little Things" by Jerry Reed is a gentle love song that expresses gratitude for the small gestures and actions of a loved one that make the singer feel loved and appreciated. The lyrics describe how the "little things" that the loved one does, such as smiling, holding hands, and saying kind words, bring joy and contentment to the singer's life. The chorus emphasizes how unique and irreplaceable the loved one is, and how their small acts of love and affection set them apart from others. The song is simple yet heartfelt, and effectively conveys the message that it's the small things in a relationship that truly matter.
Throughout the song, Reed uses imagery that's both romantic and down-to-earth. He references the way his partner smiles and holds his hand, evoking a sense of warmth and intimacy. The phrase "whispered in my ear" is repeated several times, creating a sense of closeness and intimacy between the singer and his loved one. The verse that describes walking together underscores the idea that it's the simple, everyday moments that make up a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Little things that you do
The small actions that you carry out
Make me glad I'm in love with you
Bring me great happiness and joy in knowing that I am in love with you
Little things that you say
The small phrases and words that come from your mouth
Make me glad that I feel this way.
Bring me great contentment in knowing that I have these feelings for you
The way you smile, the way you hold my hand
The unique and wonderful manner in which you express affection towards me
And when I'm down you always understand.
You always provide comfort and empathy to me when I am going through difficult times
You know I love those little things that I knew
You are aware that I deeply cherish all these small things that you do
The little things you whispered in my ear.
The quiet and intimate things that you tell me privately
I know there ain't nobody else like you.
I am certain that there is no other person out there who can compare to you
No one could do the little things you do.
No one else possesses the unique qualities and characteristics that make you so special to me
Little things in my ear that you say
The small and sweet sentiments that you share with me when no one else is around
When there's no one near.
During times when we are alone together
Little things that you do
The various ways in which you show your love and affection towards me
Let me know that your love is true.
Assure me that your feelings for me are genuine and sincere
When we walk you like to hold my hand
You display an affectionate gesture by holding my hand when we walk together
And when we talk you tell me I'm your man.
You express your affection towards me by telling me that I am the one you love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOBBY GOLDSBORO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind