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)".
The Truest Woman In The World
Joe Tex Lyrics
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You know everybody has got a favorite song
They like to hear sung
We know that everybody else
Got a favorite place
They've always dreamed of going
Everybody has got someone they love
So much, they do anything they say
Care so much about
They'd let 'em have their own way
But you see, the trouble is today
Ninety-eight percent of us are
Jealous and 'spicious
And the other two percent of
Us are sneakin' around
Tryin' to find out what's goin' on
Where are you today, listen to me
If you got someone that you love a lot
And that someone leaves you for somebody else
And there's nothin' you can do
In your power to stop
Let me tell you one thing today, children
They didn't belong to you in the first place
Oh no, they didn't
But I'll be able, children
I'm so proud to stand here
Before you and confess today
That I feel that I've got
A woman I can trust
And she's either got to be the
Truest woman in the world
Or the sneakiest, ha ha!
'Cause I tell you what I did
Left home early one morning
About three weeks ago
And when got back home
I checked with the telephone company
To see if any men had called my house
Not a-one
And the only men that had been to my door
Uh, were the milk man and the uh uh, mail man
Now I know what y'all are
Sayin' out there right now
You lookin' at one another sayin' "Well
It coulda been one of them"
But I'mma step ahead of you, children
You see, i'm one of that two percent I
Was talkin' about a while ago
That's still sneakin' around
Tryin' to find out what's goin' on
Tryin' to catch you in somethin'
And listen to me, hoo
So everywhere help me keep my eye
On my baby
The lyrics of Joe Tex's song "The Truest Woman In The World" explore the themes of love, jealousy, suspicion, and trust in relationships. The song begins by acknowledging that everyone has their own favorite song, place, and person they love deeply. However, it points out that in today's world, jealousy and suspicion dominate the majority, while the remaining two percent are sneaky and trying to uncover the truth.
Tex emphasizes that if someone you love deeply chooses to be with someone else, there is nothing you can do to stop it. He advises listeners that if this situation arises, it means that person didn't truly belong to you in the first place. This concept challenges the notion of possession in relationships and encourages acceptance and moving on from heartbreak.
In the following verses, Tex proudly proclaims that he has found a woman whom he can trust. He humorously suggests that she must either be the truest woman in the world or the sneakiest. He then narrates a personal story where he left home early one morning and, upon returning, checked with the telephone company to see if any men had called his house. He discovers that no men have made any calls, and the only visitors were the milkman and the mailman.
Tex playfully addresses any skepticism or doubt from listeners and confidently claims that he is one step ahead. He reveals that he is one of the two percent who are still sneaking around, trying to find out what's going on. This suggests that he is cautious and observant in his relationship, attempting to catch his partner in any potential infidelity. He concludes by asking for support in keeping an eye on his lover, expressing a desire for transparency and fidelity.
Overall, "The Truest Woman In The World" explores the complexities and challenges of love and trust, highlighting the prevalent issues of jealousy and suspicion in relationships. The song portrays the struggle to find genuine trust and the attempt to navigate the uncertainties of love, all with Tex's smooth vocal delivery and playful lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen, children
Pay attention, everyone
You know everybody has got a favorite song
Every person has a song they love the most
They like to hear sung
They enjoy listening to it being performed
We know that everybody else
We understand that all other people
Got a favorite place
Have a special location they dream of
They've always dreamed of going
They have always desired to visit it
Everybody has got someone they love
Everyone has a person they deeply care for
So much, they do anything they say
To the extent that they would do anything they are asked
And everybody's got someone they
And everyone has a person they
Care so much about
Care so deeply about
They'd let 'em have their own way
They would allow them to have things their way
But you see, the trouble is today
However, the problem nowadays is that
Ninety-eight percent of us are
Ninety-eight percent of people are
Jealous and 'spicious
Feeling jealous and suspicious
And the other two percent of
While the remaining two percent
Us are sneakin' around
Are secretly looking around
Tryin' to find out what's goin' on
Attempting to discover what is happening
Where are you today, listen to me
Wherever you are now, pay attention to what I am saying
If you got someone that you love a lot
If you have someone you love deeply
And that someone leaves you for somebody else
And that person abandons you for someone else
And there's nothin' you can do
And there is nothing you can do
In your power to stop
To prevent it from happening
Let me tell you one thing today, children
Allow me to tell you one thing today, everyone
They didn't belong to you in the first place
They were never truly yours from the beginning
Oh no, they didn't
Oh no, they were not
But I'll be able, children
But let me tell you, everyone
I'm so proud to stand here
I take great pride in being here
Before you and confess today
In front of all of you, I confess today
That I feel that I've got
That I believe I have
A woman I can trust
A woman I can rely on
And she's either got to be the
And she must be either the
Truest woman in the world
Most honest woman in the world
Or the sneakiest, ha ha!
Or the most cunning, ha ha!
'Cause I tell you what I did
Because let me tell you what I did
Left home early one morning
I left my home early one morning
About three weeks ago
Approximately three weeks ago
And when got back home
And when I returned home
I checked with the telephone company
I inquired with the telephone company
To see if any men had called my house
To determine if any men had called my residence
Not a-one
Not a single one
And the only men that had been to my door
And the only men who came to my door
Uh, were the milk man and the uh uh, mail man
Um, it was only the milkman and the um um, mailman
Now I know what y'all are
Now I know what all of you are thinking
Sayin' out there right now
Saying out there right now
You lookin' at one another sayin' "Well
You are looking at each other and thinking
It coulda been one of them"
It could have been one of them
But I'mma step ahead of you, children
But I'm one step ahead of you, everyone
You see, i'm one of that two percent I
You see, I am one of those two percent I
Was talkin' about a while ago
I mentioned a while ago
That's still sneakin' around
That is still secretly looking around
Tryin' to find out what's goin' on
Trying to discover what is happening
Tryin' to catch you in somethin'
Trying to catch you doing something
And listen to me, hoo
And listen to me, hoo
So everywhere help me keep my eye
So please assist me in keeping an eye
On my baby
On my loved one
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joseph Arrington
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind