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)".
You Got What It Takes
Joe Tex Lyrics
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I heard some boys say
They love the way they hypnotize
Oh honey, I don't know
What it is you got
All I know is that you got what it takes
Um, to take what I got
They love your walk
I heard some boys say
Just the other day
They love your sweet baby talk
Oh, I don't know
I can't see what it is you got
All I know is that you got what it takes
Ooh, to take what I got
Hah hah, yeah
Some boys say they love your smile
I heard some boys say
They love the way you just drive 'em wild
Oh, I don't know
I'm tryin' to figure out what it is you got
All I know is that you got what it takes
Ah, to take what I got
Hah hah, you can get anything I got
Flashin' your pretty eyes
You drivin'on to
me, baby
Like a big truck loaded with pies
I don't care much for diamond rings
I don't care much for material things
But when it comes to lovin', honey
You're my queen and I'm your king
Joe Tex's song "You Got What It Takes" highlights the notion of attraction and the mystery of certain qualities that lead people to become infatuated with others. The song introduces the narrative of a man who is confident in himself but still finds himself enthralled by the enigmatic qualities of his love interest. Throughout the song, the singer acknowledges that other men are drawn to her because of her eyes, walk, and smile, but conveys that he is unaware of what it is that makes him so besotted with her. The song portrays the idea that love is not always logical, and that sometimes people are irresistibly drawn to each other despite a lack of clear reasoning.
Joe Tex, born in 1933 in Rogers, Texas, was a singer, songwriter, and producer who blended country music with R&B, producing hits like "Hold What You've Got." "You Got What It Takes" was released in 1960 and became one of his most iconic hits, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Line by Line Meaning
Some boys say they like your eyes
I've heard some guys that they like the way your eyes look
They love the way they hypnotize
They find your eyes so captivating that they feel hypnotized
Oh honey, I don't know
I'm not sure what attracts them to your eyes
What it is you got
I'm trying to figure out what makes you so attractive
All I know is that you got what it takes
But what I do know is that you possess the qualities that make someone attractive
Um, to take what I got
And those qualities are enough to make me interested in you
Oh now some boys say
I've also heard guys say
They love your walk
That they admire the way you walk
Just the other day
It happened recently
They love your sweet baby talk
And they find it charming when you talk sweetly
Oh, I don't know
But I'm not entirely sure what it is about you that makes guys interested
I can't see what it is you got
I can't quite put my finger on what makes you attractive
Ooh, to take what I got
But whatever it is, it's enough to make me want to be with you
Some boys say they love your smile
Other guys have mentioned how much they love your smile
They love the way you just drive 'em wild
They become uncontrollable when they see you smile
I'm tryin' to figure out what it is you got
I'm still trying to understand what it is about you that makes guys crazy
Ah, to take what I got
But no matter what it is, it's enough to make me want you
Hah hah, you can get anything I got
I'm willing to give you anything I have
Flashin' your pretty eyes
Just by looking at me with your beautiful eyes
You drivin' on to
You're already driving me crazy and making me want you even more
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOE TEX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind