Katie Webster (born Kathryn Jewel Thorne, 11 January 1936 – 5 September 199… Read Full Bio ↴Katie Webster (born Kathryn Jewel Thorne, 11 January 1936 – 5 September 1999) was an American boogie-woogie pianist. Her place of birth is listed as Houston, Texas.

She is acknowledged as one of the most important blues artists of her generation.

Webster was initially best known as a session musician behind Louisiana musicians on the Excello and Goldband record labels, such as Lightnin' Slim and Lonesome Sundown. She also played piano with Otis Redding in the 1960s, but after his death, went into semi-retirement. During her career, she was duet partner to many stars, among them B. B. King, Robert Cray and Rockin' Sidney. Her long professional relationship with the Alligator Records label is also worthy of noting.

In the 1980s, she was repeatedly booked for European tours and recorded albums for the German record label, Ornament Records. She cut You Know That's Right with the band Hot Links, and the album that established her in the United States; The Swamp Boogie Queen with guest spots by Bonnie Raitt and Robert Cray. She performed at both the San Francisco Blues Festival and Long Beach Blues Festival.

Webster suffered a stroke in 1993 while touring Greece and returned to performing the following year. She died from heart failure in League City, Texas, in September 1999.

Try a Little Tenderness
Katie Webster Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh she may be weary
Them young girls they do get wearied
Wearing that same old miniskirt dress
But when she gets weary
You try a little tenderness

Oh man that
Un hunh

I know shes waiting
Just anticipating
The thing that you'll never never possess
No no no
But while she there waiting

Try just a little bit of tenderness
That's all you got to do
Now it might be a little bit sentimental no
But she has her greavs and care
But the soft words they are spoke so gentle
Yeah yeah yeah
And it makes it easier to bear
Oh she wont regret it

No no
Them young girls they don't forget it
Love is their whole happiness
Yeah yeah yeah
But its all so easy
All you got to do is try
Try a little tenderness
Yeah
Damn that hart (hard?)

All you got to do is know how to love her
You've got to
Hold her
Squeeze her
Never leave her
Now get to her
Got got got to try a little tenderness
Yeah yeah
Lord have mercy now

All you got to do is take my advice
You've got to hold her
Don't squeeze her
Never leave her
You've got to hold her
And never
So you got to try a little tenderness
A little tenderness
A little tenderness
A little tenderness

You've got to
Got to got to
You've gotta hold her
Don't squeeze her
Never leaver her
You got
Got got got to
Now now now
Got got got to

Try a little tenderness
Ye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Katie Webster's song Try a Little Tenderness are about a man advising another man on how to treat his woman. The song emphasizes the importance of tenderness and patience in a relationship. The first verse reveals that the woman may be tired of the same old dress and her weariness can be an invitation for her partner to be more understanding and gentle. The second verse highlights the woman's anticipation and shows that although the man may never possess her entirely, he can make her happy by demonstrating tenderness. The bridge reassures the man that tenderness is crucial in winning her over and that her love and happiness is dependent on it.

The song is built on the foundations of softness and love, indicating the significance of patience and tenderness in a relationship. It is an acknowledgment of the fact that women are not objects to be possessed, but should be treated with respect and tenderness. It's a reminder that it is these small gestures that make a woman feel loved and cherished; holding, squeezing, and never leaving her can make all the difference. Overall, the song is a timeless anthem on how to nurture a lasting relationship built on these qualities.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh she may be weary
The girl may be tired after wearing the same clothes and keeping the same image over time.

Them young girls they do get wearied
Young girls can get tired due to the societal pressure of always being on point and pleasing.

Wearing that same old miniskirt dress
The girl is wearing the same outfit she thinks is suitable and that people around her expect her to look desirable in.

But when she gets weary
When she gets tired of meeting social expectations and being on point all the time.

You try a little tenderness
Try to be compassionate and understanding towards her needs and feelings.

Oh man that
An expression of surprise towards the girl's state of mind.

Un hunh
Another expression of agreement and shock at the same time.

I know shes waiting
The girl is anticipating some form of affection and understanding.

Just anticipating
She is waiting and hoping with expectation.

The thing that you'll never never possess
The girl does not believe that someone can ever really own or possess her completely, no matter how hard he tries.

No no no
A repetition of the former notion that the girl cannot be possessed.

But while she there waiting
While waiting, she is still hoping for someone to treat her with kindness and care.

Try just a little bit of tenderness
Showing her some kindness and sensitivity can make a huge difference and lift her spirits.

That's all you got to do
It does not take much effort to show her care and understanding.

Now it might be a little bit sentimental no
Being caring and understanding might seem a bit odd or cheesy.

But she has her greavs and care
The girl has her own emotional struggles and problems to worry about.

But the soft words they are spoke so gentle
Speaking softly and with care can help ease her emotional struggles and pain.

Yeah yeah yeah
An expression of agreement and affirmation.

And it makes it easier to bear
Being understanding and empathetic can help ease her pain and problems.

Oh she wont regret it
The girl will appreciate and be grateful for the person's kindness towards her.

Them young girls they don't forget it
Young girls always remember and appreciate someone showing them genuine care and understanding.

Love is their whole happiness
Love and understanding are what girls need to be happy.

But its all so easy
It does not take much to show care and understanding towards someone.

All you got to do is try
All it takes is an effort to show someone you care and understand their struggles.

Try a little tenderness
Showing genuine care and understanding towards someone can make all the difference.

Yeah
An expression of agreement.

Damn that hart (hard?)
An expression of frustration or difficulty that comes with understanding someone's emotional struggles.

All you got to do is know how to love her
Knowing how to treat someone with love and care can make all the difference.

You've got to
An expression of need to treat someone with empathy and care.

Hold her
Giving someone a hug or holding them can be a form of care and understanding.

Squeeze her
Showing physical affection such as a hug can convey care and understanding.

Never leave her
Be there for someone in their time of need and stay with them until they are feeling better.

Now get to her
Approach and talk to her in a caring, gentle manner.

Got got got to try a little tenderness
It is important to show kindness and understanding towards someone who is going through emotional struggles.

Yeah yeah
An expression of agreement and affirmation.

Lord have mercy now
An expression of helplessness in the face of someone's emotional struggles and pain.

All you got to do is take my advice
The singer is offering advice on how to be understanding towards someone.

You've got to hold her
Giving someone a hug or holding them can convey care and understanding.

Don't squeeze her
Showing physical affection must be done in a gentle and understanding way, respecting the person's boundaries and comfort level.

Never leave her
Be there for someone in their time of need and stay with them until they are feeling better.

You've got to hold her
Giving someone a hug or holding them can convey care and understanding.

And never
An emphasis on the importance of always being there for someone in their struggles and not abandoning them when they need you.

So you got to try a little tenderness
It is important to show care and understanding towards someone even when it seems hard to do so.

A little tenderness
Small gestures of care and understanding can make all the difference for someone going through emotional struggles.

You've got to
An expression of need to treat someone with empathy and care.

Got to got to
It is important to make the effort to understand and help someone in their struggles.

You've gotta hold her
Giving someone a hug or holding them can convey care and understanding.

Don't squeeze her
Showing physical affection must be done in a gentle and understanding way, respecting the person's boundaries and comfort level.

Never leaver her
Be there for someone in their time of need and stay with them until they are feeling better.

You got
An emphasis on the importance of being understanding and caring towards someone's emotional struggles.

Got got got to
A repetition of the importance of showing care and understanding.

Now now now
An emphasis to make the effort and not wait to show care and understanding.

Got got got to
A repeated emphasis to make the effort to be understanding and caring.

Try a little tenderness
Small gestures of care and understanding can make all the difference for someone going through emotional struggles.

Ye
An expression of agreement and affirmation.

Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, Harry M. Woods

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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