He gained success in the 1960s and 1970s with his brand of Southern soul, which mixed the styles of country, gospel and rhythm and blues.
Born in Rogers, Texas, in 1935 (often misreported as 1933) and raised in Baytown, TX, Tex's career started after he was signed to King Records in 1955 following four wins at the Apollo Theater. Between that year and 1964, however, Tex struggled to find hits and by the time he finally recorded his first hit, "Hold What You've Got", in 1964, he had recorded thirty prior singles that were deemed failures on the charts. Tex went on to have three million-selling hits, "Hold What You've Got" (1965), "Skinny Legs and All" (1967) and "I Gotcha" (1972).
Tex's style of speaking over the background of his music helped to make him one of the predecessors of the modern style of rap music.
Joe Tex with the raspy voice & charm of a southern preacher and the linguistic skills of a true street hustler made a string of funky chart topping hits and occasional raps with moral themes. His peak as a hitmaker occured in the mid & late 60's, but extended into the 70's disco era.
Tex's last name was Arrington. He later changed it to Hazziez after conversion to Islam but his stage name was Joe Tex, for Texas, the state he was born & later died in.
His breakthrough 1965 song "Hold What You've Got" topped both the Pop and R&B charts. In 1966 he released "I Believe I'm Gonna Make It", which was the first major pop record associated with the Vietnam War. His style was usually more light hearted fare, like "S.Y.S.L.J.F.M. (The Letter Song)" and his biggest hit "Skinny Legs And All".
His last major record was 1972's funky jam "I Gotcha", a #1 song that would not have been out of place on a James Brown record of that era. It was after this release that he converted to Islam. After the death of Elijah Mohamed in 1975, Joe Tex received the blessing and approval of the Nation of Islam to begin recording and performing again. His career resurgence came as the disco years were in full swing. His late career comeback song was "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)".
Buying a Book
Joe Tex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I walked over to him and pulled him off on the side
And I said, pops, what are you trying to prove?
I said, I've seen you out here every night this week
With a different young girl wrapped around your arm
I said, you can't keep this pace up, uh
Because these young girls
Huh, oh
He said, son, sit down here
Lemme tell ya something
He said, all my life I've worked hard, huh
And I've saved up me a little money
He said, but just about the time I got me a nest egg saved
I became a widow man
He says, and I'm 72 going on 73 years old
And don't have too many more years to live
Hah, he said, I know that I should be ashamed of myself
Ha, but he said
Young girls is my weakness
Oh yes, they are, huh
He said, so would you please
Leave this old gray-haired man alone
Mind your business
Heh heh
Let me and this young girl
Have us a little bit of fun, huh
That's when I looked at him and I said
I said, all right, pops, you got her
But listen, ha ha ha ha, here's all you're doing
Oh yes, oh yes, oh, you just
Buying buyin' a book
That's what I said to him
I said, listen to this, here's all you're doing
(Buying a book for some young man)
That's what you're doing, heh
To read
But don't do it
(Don't do it)
Don't do it
(Don't do it)
Oh, don't do it!
(Don't do it!)
Send that young girl on home
Mmm mmm mmm
Then there was this middle-aged woman whose name I dare not call
Simply because you out there listening
Just might know who this woman is
But I can tell you this much
The woman lives right here in your town
I know you didn't know that, did you, huh
I saw this woman with this young man
In the broaden day time the other day
I say, miss lady, you oughta be ashamed of yourself
Ridin' around with this young man all hugged up like this here, heh huh
She said, son, oh son, you're dippin' in my business
But if you want to know why I fool with this young man
I'll tell you
She said, I was married to a man 40 years older than I was
Says, for a long time I was true and faithful to that one man
Says, and last year he died and willed me a whole lotta money
And I know that that young man sittin' in my car
Just wants me for my money, uh huh
She said, but if that's what it takes to keep the young, fine thing
Oh ho, he can get every single dime
Because it ain't nothin' an old man can do for me
But show me which way a young man went, hah hah
Oh Lord, oh, oh
Here's what I said, huh
I said, you're just
Buying
That's all you're doin'
(Buying a book)
That's what I told her, huh
Listen, miss lady, here's all you're doin', uh
(Buying a book for some young girl)
You oughta quit it, huh
To read
(Don't do it)
I said, that's your car, drive him home
Give him all your money!
I'm sorry I dipped in your business
I won't do it no more
No
The lyrics of Joe Tex's song Buying a Book reveal the stories of an old man and a middle-aged woman who are both involved with much younger partners. In the first verse, the singer confronts the old man and questions his actions, who admits that young girls are his weakness and asks to be left alone to have fun with his current partner. The singer then warns him that all he is doing is "buying a book," meaning that he is essentially paying for the young girl's interest in him.
In the second verse, the singer confronts a middle-aged woman who is with a younger man and accuses her of being ashamed of herself for being seen with him. The woman defends herself by revealing that she was previously married to an older man and inherited his wealth upon his death. She acknowledges that the young man is only interested in her money, but she is willing to give him everything she has to keep herself feeling youthful and alive.
The song's lyrics highlight how societal expectations and norms can cause people to engage in relationships solely for appearances or material gain. It also emphasizes the desperation and loneliness that can come with aging, especially when societal norms dictate that youthful companionship is sought after.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw this old man with this young girl the other night
The singer saw an elderly man with a young woman and approached him to ask about his behavior.
And I said, pops, what are you trying to prove?
The singer asked the old man why he was parading around with young women.
Because these young girls, they'll certainly get you down
The singer warned the old man that his behavior would eventually lead to negative consequences.
He said, all my life I've worked hard, and I've saved up me a little money
The old man explained that he had worked hard all his life and had saved some money.
He said, but just about the time I got me a nest egg saved, I became a widow man
The old man's wife passed away just as he had saved enough money to retire.
Young girls is my weakness
The old man admitted that he had a weakness for young women.
That's when I looked at him and I said, here's all you're doing, buying buyin' a book
The singer told the old man that he was essentially buying a young woman for companionship.
Then there was this middle-aged woman whose name I dare not call
The artist saw a middle-aged woman with a young man and decided not to reveal her name.
Simply because you out there listening, just might know who this woman is
The artist chose not to name the woman out of consideration for the listener who may know her.
But if you want to know why I fool with this young man, I'll tell you
The middle-aged woman explained her reasons for being with a young man.
And I know that that young man sittin' in my car just wants me for my money
The woman was aware that the young man was only interested in her wealth.
I said, you're just buying, that's all you're doin'
The artist told the woman that she was essentially buying the young man's affection.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TEX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ethel Stevens Love
What a great classic this is.......
James Hooks
Love this and all of his songs
Kristal Price
classic song great story teller
Jevezy
The Great Joe Tex.
Linda A Montgomery
I love this song...
Ethel Stevens Love
+Linda A Montgomery Hi, I like this song also.........I have the greatest hit "CD" with this song on it......
Richsean Hawkes
my generation knows nothing about good music
Nikolai
somebody can put the lyrics here? i don't understand very much, but reading i do
Ethel Stevens Love
Great classic......