Good Lovin'
Olympics Lyrics

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Well I was feelin' so bad
So I asked my family doctor 'bout what I had
I said now doc (doctor)
Mister MD (doctor)
Oh can you tell me (doctor)
What's ailing in me (doctor)

Chorus

He said yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
All you need
All you really need
Is good lovin'
Gotta have lovin'
Good lovin'
Everybody gotta have lovin'
Good lovin'
Gimme, gimme some lovin'
Good lovin'

So come on baby, well squeeze me tight
Don't you want your daddy to feel alright
Well I said now baby (baby)
Well it's for sure (baby)
I got the fever (baby)
And you got the cure (baby)

[chorus]

Overall Meaning

In Olympics The's song Good Lovin', the singer is feeling unwell and seeks the advice of his doctor. He asks the doctor to tell him what is ailing him and the doctor replies that all he needs is good loving. The chorus of the song emphasizes this message, repeating that everyone needs good loving and that it can cure whatever ails them.

The song is a classic example of the "love as medicine" trope in music, where love is seen as the solution to all of life's problems, including illness and heartbreak. The lyrics are upbeat and catchy, with a driving rhythm that encourages the listener to move their feet and dance along.

It is interesting to note that the song was originally written and performed by R&B group The Olympics in 1965. However, it was later covered by several other artists, including The Young Rascals and Grateful Dead. The Young Rascals' version became a top 10 hit in the US in 1966, while the Grateful Dead frequently played the song in their live shows.

Line by Line Meaning

Well I was feelin' so bad
I was in a bad state of mind and feeling unwell

So I asked my family doctor 'bout what I had
I consulted my family doctor to inquire about my ailment

I said now doc (doctor)
I addressed my doctor with respect by acknowledging their title

Mister MD (doctor)
I referred to my doctor by their official title, Medical Doctor (MD)

Oh can you tell me (doctor)
I requested the doctor to provide me with information about my condition

What's ailing in me (doctor)
I asked the doctor to explain what is causing my illness

He said yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The doctor responded affirmatively and enthusiastically

All you need
The doctor emphasized that I only require one thing

All you really need
The doctor reiterated that this one thing is all I require

Is good lovin'
The doctor prescribed love as the remedy for my ailment

Gotta have lovin'
The doctor stressed the importance of love in one's life

Everybody gotta have lovin'
The doctor stated that everyone needs love

Good lovin'
The doctor specifically recommended good, positive love

Gimme, gimme some lovin'
I requested more love from the doctor

So come on baby, well squeeze me tight
I urged my partner to embrace me tightly

Don't you want your daddy to feel alright
I asked my partner if they wanted me to feel better

Well I said now baby (baby)
I addressed my partner affectionately and with familiarity

Well it's for sure (baby)
I acknowledged the certainty of the situation

I got the fever (baby)
I informed my partner that I was suffering from a fever

And you got the cure (baby)
I suggested that my partner's love could cure my fever

[chorus]
The chorus repeats the doctor's prescription of love as the cure for all ailments

Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Arthur Resnick, Rudolph Clark

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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01I Paid for the Party3:05

02Finger Poppin'2:47

03I'm The Lover Man

04A Fool for a Fool2:36

05I Wanna Thank You

06Heart Full of Love2:04

07Tell Her I'm Not Home3:52

08Rainin' In My Heart2:13

09I Want To Be Loved3:28

10Good Lovin'2:30

PT2M30S

Olympics

11(I'll Do Anything) Just To Be With You2:15

12Somebody (Somewhere) Needs Me2:36

13Your Search Is Over2:10

14There's Something On Your Mind (Part 1)2:20

15Soul Jerk (Parts 1 & 2)4:54

16Lock Me In Your Heart2:05

17Something's Burnin'2:43

18We Go Together2:22

19Can't Win2:16

20Don't Come A-Knockin'3:14

21Why Do You Want To Hurt The One That Loves You2:34

22You're Such A Sweet Thing2:27

23I Couldn't Stand It2:18

24Stay With Me3:29

25But It's Alright2:45

26Don't Hold On To Someone (Who Don't Love You)2:23

27If I Told You Once (I Told You A Million Times)3:00

28We Need To Be Loved2:14

29Ain't That Terrible2:28

30A Change Is Gonna Come3:35

31Hypnotized2:38

32Don't Play With My Heart3:12

33God Bless My Girl (But Don't Forget About Me)2:45

34Heart Be Still

35You Don't Know Nothing About Love3:56

36That Old Time Feeling2:36

37I Can't Stand It

38Who Would Want Me Now2:48

39What Have I Done (To Make You Mad)2:16

40Good Day Sunshine2:40

41Give My Love A Try

42Down But Not Out3:02

43Somebody In The World For You2:50

44Roll With The Punches2:22

45Get In The Groove2:22

46If That Guy Walks Out Of My Life2:40

47Too Late2:23

48Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)

49What Can I Do (Without You)3:05

50You're Absolutely Right2:18

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Comments from YouTube:

Tom Perry

1y↑10

I’m here because I just read Dino Danelli of the Rascals passed away, and the obituary mentioned that Danelli heard the original version of Good Lovin’ by the Olympics in a record shop and brought it to the Rascals. So I had to find the Olympics’ recording. I’m glad I did. Great song and I love their singing.

Gary Goldie

3y↑5

My most favorite version! Loved the Olympics!

sauquoit13456

7y↑5

On this day in 1965 {April 24th} the Olympics performed "Good Lovin'" on the Los Angeles-based syndicated television program 'Shivaree'...
The very next day, April 25th, the song entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #91; three weeks later it would peak at #81 {for 2 weeks} and it spent 5 weeks on the Top 100...
Between 1958 and 1966 the Olympics had fourteen Top 100 record; with one reaching the Top 10, "Western Movies", it peaked at #8 {for 1 week} on September 15th, 1958...
And on April 24th, 1966, exactly one year later to day the Olympics appeared on 'Shivaree", the Young Rascals covered version of "Good Lovin'" peaked at #1 {for 1 week} on the Top 100...

jjrwass

thanks

bouzoukiman5000

I wonder if they made any money😮

SoulLegendsRadio

11y↑7

each to their own but this has depth and soul and the best imo

Titanic Discussions

12y↑5

AWESOME!!! THANKS SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS!!!

trfesok

10y↑9

Actually, this is the 2nd version. The first was by a guy who called himself "Lemme B. Good". It came out just before this one. I have these 2, the Rascals, & 3 by the Grateful Dead in my Rascals playlist. Thanks for the upload!

DEFCON 4

1y↑1

Great info; thanks.

calleaeste junior

6y↑4

Combine the Olympics vocals with the Rascals instrumental backing and you'd have a killer classic.

Eddie Harper

3y↑13

I never understand why comparisons cause divisiveness. Olympics vs Rascals. Dionne vs Luther (A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME). Whitney vs Dolly (I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU). Why not just enjoy their efforts and move forward?

DEFCON 4

Great comment. Every great violinist has played the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, or the Beethoven Concerto. I think it's a tribute to the writers of a great song to have so many like and play it.

bouzoukiman5000

Yes! It's the musician who gets the most joy out of playing someone's song and they want the listener to feel the same

Steveo Musicman

8y↑4

awesome version and chart By Dr. Garry(foot doctor) Sherman!

belisario guerra

9y↑2

Original: Lemme B. Good ( U.S. ) - Good lovin' ( Rudy Clark - Arthur Resnick ) ( 3/1965 ). Covers: The Olympics ( U.S. ) - Good lovin' ( 4/1965 ). The Young Rascals ( U.S. ) - Good lovin' ( recorded: 1/2/1966, released: 21/2/1966 ). The Ventures ( U.S.. ) - Good lovin' ( 6/1966 ). Los Yaki ( México ) - Tú y yo ( 1966 ). Los Ovnis ( México ) - Tú y yo ( 1966 ). Los Sparks ( México ) - Necesito amor ( 196? ). Los Drag's ( Perú ) - Good loving ( ¿ 1966 o 1967 ? ). Los Yetis ( Colombia ) -. Good loving ( 1968 ). Grateful Dead ( U.S. ) - Good lovin' ( 1977 ).

frankie hunter

belisario guerra Thanks for so many facts.

belisario guerra

+frankie hunter Thank you very much !. You are welcome !

Mike M.

+belisario guerra Grateful Dead 1977

belisario guerra

Thanks a lot Mike M. !

deadbass36

@Mike M. Grateful Dead's first official release of the song was on 1978's Shakedown Street, sung by Bob Weir. Pigpen sang it originally, until his death, and there are live recordings of him singing it going as far back as May 1966

3 More Replies...

joe mcmillan

9y↑6

Like with anything and everything else, it's ok to enjoy without having to pick favorites.

GL AnnapolisTeam

8y↑1

Amen Joe! Both versions are quite good! I even saw Ima Sumac sing this on TV one time. Insane version!!

U.J, Kamar

10y↑2

To be fair, please watch the Olympics' performance of this on "Shindig" (featuring Billy Preston). I think this is the version that the Rascals patterned theirs after. Other good covers of this song are by The Elgins and by Gilberto Cruz y su Sextet, who really bring out the Latin elements of the song. I have to hand it to the Rascals though - their energy, their ferver and their performance are top notch, though I like them all! (This version could have done without the Tujuana Brass though!)

hwgray

4y↑1

"This version could have done without the Tujuana Brass though!" Really? Why?

densely

The guitar break in the version by Bryan Poole and the Tremoloes is taken straight from "La Bamba". There's a Grateful Dead version of "Good Lovin'" on YouTube in which Jerry Garcia sings several verses of La Bamba. And then David Lindley and El Rayo X played "Twist and Shout" set to the music of "La Bamba", but that's another story...

Steveo Musicman

8y↑1

awesome version and chart By Dr. Garry(foot doctor) Sherman! published by Bobby Darin

youthones

10y↑4

Have to say for me this is head and shoulders above The Rascals version; just because the Rascals' version has a faster tempo doesn't make it spicier. This has a nice Latin feel to it, a solid rhythm and nicer arrangement. Then again, music is very personal; I shouldn't say "better" or "worse" - just different. I remember buying this in April, 1965, exactly a year before The Rascals' version came out.

JoggingOnTheMoon

10y↑2

in general, i'm actually a huge rascals fan, but i completely agree with you. and despite it's popularity, i always found the rascals' version of 'good lovin' to be one of their weakest recordings (especially when you stack it against something like 'i ain't gonna eat out my heart anymore' - that's the side of the rascals i like to hear.) it's not a bad version by any means - it's certainly energetic, but it definitely always felt like it lacked something that this version seems to have in spades. can't quite put my finger on what it is, but this dude's singing straight from the gut - and i dig it.

Sid Arthur

Awesome!

George Rigberg

40w

When the Grateful Dead started covering this tune folks said, they're covering a Rascals song. They were quick to correct that it was an Olympics song!

Samson

10y↑1

Both version are great. The rascals just spiced it up

Glicksman1

5y↑1

Very good,, but they adopted the Rascals' beat and feel later on after the Rascals had a #1 with it.

MIKECNW

9y↑2

Definitely like this version better than The Rascals.

Wonder if The Gratefull Dead had this version in mind when they did their own version?

BobbyDelRiv

10y↑4

Better version

Ricky Morrell

5y↑1

The Who's version I personally think pips this and the Rascals, Daltrey at his best

Jeff318

5y↑1

Must find The Who!

densely

4y↑1

The Rascals win for their amazing intensity.

Kirsten Noel Vaccaro

9y↑4

I Love The Rascals Version Better!

Jeff318

Both are good. Rascals have more energy.

411Rocco

10y↑3

This original version pre-dated the Rascals version by about 2 years. The Rascals copied this.

MrLee

The Rascals covered it. They did not as you say "copied" it.

MrLee

5y↑1

Also this is not the original version.

Larry Nash

2y↑1

Like the Young Rascals version better

Kirsten Noel Vaccaro

3y↑3

I Like The Rascals Version Better!

Richard Smith

8y↑4

much better than the Rascals

David mas

7y↑4

Yeah, I like it better than the Rascals and I was nuts over their version. It seems whenever whites do a cover of an original, it fails! And I'm white!

Carl Contrera

In this case, you're right, and like you, I Iove the Rascals version as well. But I'll take The Beatle's version of You Really Got a Hold on Me or Rod Stewart's take on Twistin' the Night Away over the respective originals any day..but that's just me..and i'm white, too

luis grant

7y↑1

Have to disagree with you on this one The remake by The Diamonds Little Darlin' was way superior to the original

luis grant

forgot to name the original by The Gladiolas

Rabbi Ingber

this wasn't really a cover record-came out a year before the rascals. they have changed the definition of "cover". a true cover was pat boone releasing "aint it a shame" just after fats domino,RIP, let loose with his classic.

dojmike

The Olympics were not bad; however, Felix from the Rascals used a Hammond B-3 Organ which makes any song light years better! The Rascals made this song the number one anthem for high energy Rock 'N Roll for all of history.

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