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 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).
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.
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. 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)".
S.Y.S.L.J.F.M.
Joe Tex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes, they do
Alright
An everybody's got their
Own way of sayin', I love you
Oh, yes they have
The sooner you say it
The softer you whisper it
The better it feels
Just make sure
That when you say it
Be for real
Alright, let me hear you say it, now
S.Y.S.L.J.F.M.
Save your sweet love just for me
D.K.W.I.M.T.M.
You don't know what it means to me
D.E.T.Y.S.L.A
Don't ever take your sweet love away
I.C.L.M.L.T.W.
I can't live my life that way
(Woo-ooo)
Alright
Tell them
Oh, if gramma could see me now
H'uh, H'uh, get on up there, now
Keep that beat goin'
Alright
I love this song, now listen'
Everybody, s'got somebody
They love to talk about
And I've got somebody
Everybody, got their
Own way of unwindin' when they feel down and out
Oh yes, they have
The sooner you unwind
The better it is
The easiest way you do it
The better you feel
Just make sure
That when you do it
Be for real
Alright
Listen
Y.C.C. M.A.O.T
You can call me any old time
T.C.A.H.Y.T.U.
To come and help you to unwind
S.Y.S.L.J.F.M.
Save your sweet love just for me
D.K.W.I.M.T.M.
Don't know what I means to me
Yeah
D.E.T.Y.S.L.A.
Don't ever take your sweet love away
I.C.L.M.L.T.W.
I can't live my life that way
The song S.Y.S.L.J.F.M by Joe Tex talks about the importance of love and the various ways in which people express it. The song starts by acknowledging that everybody has somebody they love and how everyone has their unique way of expressing their love. The chorus encourages the listener to save their sweet love just for the singer, emphasizing the value of committed and authentic love. The verses then delve into the importance of getting rid of stress and spending time unwinding in ways that are true to oneself.
The lyrics emphasize that expressing love is important and should be done authentically and heartfully. It talks about the importance of getting rid of stress and unwinding to live a better life. The song also reminds the listener to not let go of the sweet love they have found in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody has got somebody
It's a fact that everyone has someone in their lives
Yes, they do
Confirming the first line of the song that everybody has got somebody
An everybody's got their
And everyone has their
Own way of sayin', I love you
Distinct way of expressing love for each individual
Oh, yes they have
Confirming that everyone has their own style of expressing love
The sooner you say it
It is wise to communicate your feelings sooner rather than later
The better it is
This will lead to a healthier relationship
The softer you whisper it
Expressing love in a gentle voice is better
The better it feels
It will be more pleasant for the listener
Just make sure
Ensure
That when you say it
That when you express your love
Be for real
Be sincere and truthful about your feelings
S.Y.S.L.J.F.M.
Save Your Sweet Love Just For Me
Save your sweet love just for me
Show your love to me only
D.K.W.I.M.T.M.
Don't Know What It Means To Me
You don't know what it means to me
You cannot possibly understand how much your love means to me
D.E.T.Y.S.L.A
Don't Ever Take Your Sweet Love Away
Don't ever take your sweet love away
Please never stop loving me
I.C.L.M.L.T.W.
I Can't Live My Life That Way
I can't live my life that way
I won't be able to handle it if you leave me
Oh, if gramma could see me now
Expressing happiness and pride in oneself
H'uh, H'uh, get on up there, now
Encouraging people to be cheerful and active
Keep that beat goin'
Umphsizing the importance of the rhythm in the song
I love this song, now listen'
Informing listeners that the singer likes the song and wants them to pay attention
They love to talk about
People enjoy talking about the ones they love
And I've got somebody
The singer also has someone they love
Own way of unwindin' when they feel down and out
People have their unique method of relaxing when they are stressed or depressed
The sooner you unwind
It is better to relax quickly
The better it is
Relaxing as fast as possible is better
The easiest way you do it
The simplest way you unwind
The better you feel
It will help you feel better too
Y.C.C. M.A.O.T
You can call me any old time
You can call me any old time
You can contact me whenever you want
T.C.A.H.Y.T.U.
To come and help you to unwind
To come and help you to unwind
Assuring the loved one that they will help them relax
Yeah
Expressing excitement and enthusiasm
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOE TEX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@knowbodiesfull5768
I listened to this song and was feeling kinda silly. I noticed that there are seven letters in the song title, and also in each of the other abbreviations that Mr. Tex sang, and I made each letter a number on the telephone dial, and I came up with possible phone numbers! (This was long before area codes needed to be dialed.). Just for fun, here are the letters I converted to numbers:
SYSLJFM - 797-5536
DKWIMTM - 359-4686
DETYSLA - 338-9752
ICLMLTW - 425-6589
YCCMAOT - 922-6268
TCAHYTU - 822-4988
Here's my own abbreviation:
LOLIWSF - 565-4973
(Laugh out loud it was so funny!)
@torridscene
Stone cold ROCKIN' Soul cut. Man, what drive. Such a great nod to Wilson Pickett, too. What a great pair-- Joe Tex and Buddy Killen. Thank god for 60s songs like these.
@moe3655
torridscene p
@postatility
This is from a true Golden Era of American music. Thanx to the great viewers and listeners of You Tube,we are reminded of this.THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@mekxxamontana3453
My grandmother put me on this song I was born in the 80
@lillizita
I loved this song when I was a kid. Joe Tex was doing text-speak long before there were cell phones!
@sheilapalmer224
He was a power house
@clevelandgordon4704
Joe Tex..... Pure classic! Great post!
@deejaygps
I love Joe Tex! I have yet to find a song of his that doesn't blow my mind. My favorite album of his has to be "He Who Is Without Funk Cast the FIrst Stone"... CLASSIC. Thanks for sharing this!
@alanwilson8407
Finally, someone who appreciates this great singer who should be in the hall of fame. I live in Cleveland, but I can't attend that place. Next thing you know, Cher will be inducted.
@nickhughes2284
@@alanwilson8407 Yes George Clinton said in an interview that he started it all,,,,he was my big influence. The twat of an interviewer said "what about james brown". George just said "No Joe Tex was the man". Brilint moment