Born Peter Nitollano, of African-American/Filipino parents, Joe Bataan grew up in Spanish Harlem, where he ran with Puerto Rican gangs and absorbed R&B, Afro-Cuban and Afro-Rican musical influences. His music career followed a pair of stints in Coxsackie State Prison. Self taught on the piano, he organized his first band in 1965 and scored his first recording success in 1967 with "Gypsy Woman" on Fania Records, . The tune was a hit with the New York Latin market despite the English lyrics sung by Joe, and exemplified the nascent Latin Soul sound. In early anticipation of the disco formula, "Gypsy Woman" created dance energy by alternating what was fundamentally a pop-soul tune with a break featuring double timed hand claps, . Joe would take this tendency even further on his influential Salsoul, which fused funk and latin influences in slick yet soulful orchestrations. Salsoul remains influential as a rare groove cult item, but pointed to the future at the time of its release. The LP embodied the artist's highly deliberate and culturally aware musical concept. Bataan theorized the '70s next big thing as a hybrid: an Afro Cuban rhythm section playing Brazilian influenced patterns over orchestral funk. In many ways, his vision was on the money, though most of the money would go to others, and mainstream stardom would elude him. He did, however, get in on the ground floor of the new trend as an early hit maker. His biggest commercial move was a Salsoul production released under the Epic umbrella, and promoted to the new disco market as Afrofilipino, which included 1975's "The Bottle", a much anthologized classic that drives an R&B horn arrangment with a relentless piano montuno.
Always in touch with the street, Joe Bataan picked up on rap very early in the game. His minor rap hit, "Rap-O, Clap-O" was a bit more successful in Europe than in the States, and is remembered as rap's debut in the European market. Nevertheless, his legacy remains his gritty and realistic Latin soul lyrics, his self identification as an "Ordinary Guy", and his highly personal and prophetic merger of Latin and soul influences.
It's A Good Feeling
Joe Bataan Lyrics
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Everybody is doing it. In Vietnam too
It's a good good feeling
When you're down and ought to know
That someone's standing back
Say baby give it up and try again
You could make it if you try
Someone to encourage you
When you let you turn around
To take your hand and understand
That when it's up it's up
And when it's down it's down
To know your baby's love is true
That's the feeling i've got for you
It's a good good feeling
That I feel inside
It's a good good feeling
Much too good to hide
When you're far away from someone
And you're feeling lonely
To know that person's feelings
Is just as lonely for you only
You know your lonely is out of share
But someone you have done
You've got to share everything
'Cause what's yours is theirs
What's theirs is yours
Little things are meaning a lot
For you is the feeling that I've got
It's a good good feeling
That I feel inside
It's a good good feeling
Much too good to hide
When your problems get solved
There's no way that you can't see
I hope that I can do it for you
Just the way I would be done it for me
I rescue you from whatever
Put the tear in your eyes
'Cause anything I'd ask for you
What you can to do?
What you can to try?
I want you to know my love is true
And that's the feeling I've got for you
It's a good good feeling
That I feel inside
It's a good good feeling
Much too good to hide
The song "It's A Good Feeling" by Joe Bataan is a catchy tune about the power of encouragement and love. The repeated line, "Everybody is doing it," suggests that feeling good and staying motivated is something that everyone strives for, no matter where they are in the world. The reference to Vietnam in the second line suggests that even in times of war and uncertainty, people seek comfort in positive emotions.
The lyrics suggest that when you're feeling down, having someone in your corner can make all the difference. The lines "That someone's standing back / Say baby give it up and try again / You could make it if you try" convey the idea that having someone believe in you and encourage you to keep going can give you the strength to overcome obstacles. The lyrics also emphasize the importance of reciprocity in a relationship, with lines like "You've got to share everything / 'Cause what's yours is theirs / What's theirs is yours."
Overall, "It's A Good Feeling" is a song about the power of positivity, love, and support. It suggests that we all have the ability to lift each other up and make a difference in each other's lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody is doing it. That's right!
Everyone is enjoying this good feeling
It's a good good feeling
This feeling is positive and uplifting
When you're down and ought to know
When you're feeling down and need to be reminded
That someone's standing back
That there is someone who supports you
Say baby give it up and try again
Encourage you to keep trying
You could make it if you try
You have the potential to succeed
To take your hand and understand
To empathize and offer support
That when it's up it's up
When things are going well, they're really going well
And when it's down it's down
When things are bad, they're really bad
To know your baby's love is true
To have confidence in your partner's love
That's the feeling i've got for you
That's the positive feeling I have towards you
Much too good to hide
This feeling is too positive to keep to myself
When you're far away from someone
When you're physically distant from someone
And you're feeling lonely
And you're experiencing feelings of isolation
To know that person's feelings
To understand that the other person is also feeling lonely
Is just as lonely for you only
Realizing that the other person's loneliness affects you too
You know your lonely is out of share
You realize that your loneliness is shared with another person
But someone you have done
You have someone to share your loneliness with
You've got to share everything
You need to be open and honest with each other
'Cause what's yours is theirs
Because in a relationship, what belongs to one person also belongs to the other
What's theirs is yours
What belongs to your partner also belongs to you
Little things are meaning a lot
Small gestures matter
For you is the feeling that I've got
This is the positive feeling I have towards you
When your problems get solved
When you find solutions to your problems
There's no way that you can't see
You become more positive and optimistic
I hope that I can do it for you
I want to help you in the same way
Just the way I would be done it for me
In the way that I would want someone to help me
I rescue you from whatever
I will help you overcome any obstacles
Put the tear in your eyes
Dry your tears
'Cause anything I'd ask for you
Because I will do anything to help you
What you can to do?
What can you do to help yourself?
What you can to try?
What can you do to make an effort?
I want you to know my love is true
I want you to understand that my love for you is genuine
Contributed by Abigail H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.