Originally recorded by Gene Pitney in 1967 the song reached #5 on the UK singles chart but failed to chart in the USA. The song was subsequently covered by a number of other acts including Cilla Black, Terry Reid and Nick Cave on his 1986 album of cover's Kicking Against the Pricks.
It achieved its greatest success in 1989 when it was covered by Marc Almond. Originally recorded by Almond alone for his 1988 album The Stars We Are, the single version reunited it with its original singer Gene Pitney, their version became a number one single in the UK for four weeks in January 1989. Sales were boosted particularly by the two vocalists' appearance on the Terry Wogan TV show as it was climbing the charts. Pitney's US record company declined to issue the record in America on the grounds that buyers would mistake it for a vocal duet by two gay men, Almond being leather-clad as usual, and Pitney dressed in a white tuxedo.
Something's gotten hold
Marc Almond & Gene Pitney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keeping my soul and my senses apart
Something's gotten into my life
Cutting its way through my dreams like a knife
Turning me up, turning me down
Making me smile, making me frown
In a world that was war
That was peace
With no trouble at all
But then you came my way
And a feeling i know
Shook my heart
And made me want you to stay
All of my nights
And all of my days
I want to tell you now
Something's gotten hold of my hand
Dragging my soul to a beautiful land
Something's invaded my night
Painting my sleep with a colour so bright
Changing the grey, changing the blue
Scarlet for me, scarlet for you
I've got to know if this is the real thing
I've got to know what's making my heart sing, oh yeah
A smile and i am lost for a lifetime
Each minute spent with you is the right time
Every hour (yeah) every day (yeah)
You touch me and my mind goes astray
And baby yeah, and baby yeah
Something's gotten hold of my hand
Dragging my soul to a beautiful land
Something's gotten into my life
Cutting its way through my dreams like a knife
Turning me up, turning me down
Making me smile, making me frown
In a world that was war
I once lived in a time
That was peace
With no trouble at all
But then you, you, you
Came my way
And a feeling i know
Shook my heart
And made me want you to stay
All of my nights
And all of my days
Something's gotten hold of my heart
Keeping my soul and my senses apart
Something's invaded my night
Painting my sleep with a colour so bright
Changing the grey, changing the blue
Scarlet for me, scarlet for you
The lyrics to Marc Almond & Gene Pitney's song "Something's Gotten Hold" describe the overwhelming power of love that has taken over the singer's heart and soul. The song begins with the admission that something has taken hold of the singer's heart and is keeping his soul and senses apart. This suggests that the singer has fallen in love with someone and is feeling disconnected from himself because of it. The second verse reveals that the singer was living in a peaceful world until the person he loves came into his life and shook things up. The chorus repeats the idea that something has taken hold of the singer's heart and soul, and that it has invaded his life, turning him up and down, making him smile and frown. The line "I've got to know if this is the real thing" acknowledges the uncertainty and confusion that often comes with falling in love.
Overall, the lyrics of "Something's Gotten Hold" capture the chaotic and all-consuming nature of falling in love. The song's use of vivid imagery, such as the idea of love cutting through dreams like a knife and painting sleep with bright colors, adds to the intensity of the emotion being expressed.
Line by Line Meaning
Something's gotten hold of my heart
My heart has been seized by an unknown force
Keeping my soul and my senses apart
This force is causing me to feel disconnected in body and mind
Something's gotten into my life
A new influence has entered my life
Cutting its way through my dreams like a knife
This influence is disrupting my dreams and desires
Turning me up, turning me down
My emotions are fluctuating greatly
Making me smile, making me frown
I am experiencing both happiness and sadness because of this influence
In a world that was war
I used to live in a world filled with conflict
I once lived in a time
There was a time when my life was simpler
That was peace
There was no trouble or chaos
With no trouble at all
Everything was easy and smooth
But then you came my way
But then you entered my life
And a feeling i know
I felt a feeling I recognized
Shook my heart
This feeling was powerful and shook my heart
And made me want you to stay
This feeling made me want you in my life forever
All of my nights
Every night of my life
And all of my days
Every day of my life
I want to tell you now
I need to express myself to you
Something's gotten hold of my hand
Now this force is physical and has taken over my hand
Dragging my soul to a beautiful land
This force is pulling me into a beautiful new world
Something's invaded my night
This force is invading even my dreams
Painting my sleep with a colour so bright
This force is adding a bright hue to my dreams
Changing the grey, changing the blue
This force is changing the mundane parts of my life into something more vibrant
Scarlet for me, scarlet for you
This new, colorful world is a beautiful and passionate one
I've got to know if this is the real thing
I need to know if this is true love
I've got to know what's making my heart sing, oh yeah
I need to understand what is causing me to feel love so deeply
A smile and i am lost for a lifetime
A single smile from you can make me feel lost in love forever
Each minute spent with you is the right time
Every moment with you is perfectly timed and spent
Every hour (yeah) every day (yeah)
I want to spend every hour and every day with you
You touch me and my mind goes astray
Your touch takes me away from my everyday reality
And baby yeah, and baby yeah
My love for you is strong and passionate
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROGER FREDERICK COOK, ROGER JOHN REGINALD GREENAWAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@princeofdaftness
25 years ago this week ;o) it was at #1 thank you Marc and thank you unforgettable Gene Pitney
@hbomb1964
princeofdaftness Fantastic song, loved Gene. Unique voice, love Marc too
@giuseppezuppardo645
Steve Hope i
@serjek
No likes yet? 55K views for 5 years? What's wrong with this world?
@susanyates1429
I just love this song
@JackSmash32
scarlet for me and scarlet for you!
@mrkinthdrk325
One of the voices that could keep up with Gene.....so good
@gothiclight7
Magic.
Timeless.
@johnerdmann7797
timeless classic
@helgazubiz1750
Super!