Davis was a member of a local group called the "Six Soul Survivors" around 1966 and later in another group called the "Endless Chain." In 1968 he was a writer for Malaco Records, based at Jackson, MS.
Ilene Berns, widow of Bert Berns, signed Davis to Bang Records in 1969, and in 1970, released a cover of The Jarmels' hit song "A Little Bit of Soap", reaching #52 on the Billboard pop charts. His first album, A Little Bit of Paul Davis, was released in 1970. In 1974 he recorded his third album, Ride 'Em Cowboy, which garnered a Top 40 for the title track. The same song also became a Top-40 country hit for Juice Newton in 1984.
Davis had his first American Top 10 single with the slow ballad "I Go Crazy," which peaked at #7 in 1978. "I Go Crazy" spent 40 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, which at the time set the single-song record for most consecutive weeks on the chart in the rock era. The follow-up, "Sweet Life", did moderately well, peaking at #17. The corresponding album Singer of Songs - Teller of Tales was a modest success, peaking at #82 on the Billboard pop album chart. He was the last artist active on the Bang Records label when it folded in 1981.
After one more album, in 1981 he signed with Arista Records and had two more Top 20 singles, "Cool Night" (which rose to #11) and "'65 Love Affair" (which rose to #6). Davis retired from making records, except for two duet singles that went to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts. The first was in 1986 with Marie Osmond on "You're Still New To Me" while the second was in 1988 was a collaboration with Tanya Tucker and Paul Overstreet on "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love". Davis also wrote "Meet Me in Montana", which Dan Seals and Osmond took to #1 on the Billboard country charts inn 1985.
He survived a shooting in Nashville on July 30, 1986.
Before his death on April 22, 2008 (one day after his 60th birthday), Paul returned to singing and songwriting recording two songs, "You Ain't Sweet Enough," and "Today." He died of a heart attack at Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi.
Medicine Woman
Paul Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't you got something for my head
Can't you make me believe I don't need her
Ain't there some way to make me forget
Oh, medicine woman
You've got to set me free (set me free)
'Cause I don't want to be
Whoa, can't you do something for this heartache
Can't you do something for this mood (whoa-oh-whoa)
I still need her tender lips with every breath I take
So can't you do something for these blues
Oh, medicine woman
You've got to set me free (set me free)
'Cause I don't want to be
Livin' in this misery
Oh, medicine woman
Tell me what's wrong with me
I need a little sympathy
Can't you take away this memory
BRIDGE
Well, you've got to take me home tonight
Make me feel good inside
I'm way too young to die
I'm just too weak to fight
Oh, medicine woman
You've got to set me free
'Cause I don't want to be
Livin' in this misery (whoa)
Oh, medicine woman (medicine woman)
You've got to set me free (set me free)
'Cause I don't want to be (I don't want to be)
Livin' in this misery (whoa)
Medicine woman (medicine woman)
You've got to set me free (whoa-oh-oh))
'Cause I don't want to be (woman)
Livin' in this misery
In the song "Medicine Woman" by Paul Davis, the singer is seeking help from a medicine woman to heal his broken heart. He's asking for a cure for his fever and headache, and he wants to forget his former lover. He's desperately seeking a way to ease his heartache and blues. The chorus is a plea for the medicine woman to set him free from the pain he's feeling, so he can stop living in misery. He's asking for her to take away his memories of his lost love, and he's seeking her sympathy. The bridge is a request for her to take him home and make him feel good inside, as he feels weak and unable to fight anymore.
One interpretation of the song is that it's about addiction or dependence on a person. The singer is seeking a cure for his heartache, but the only thing that can cure it is his former lover's affection. He's looking for a shortcut to heal his wounds, rather than going through the pain of letting go and moving on. The medicine woman represents a metaphorical addiction counselor, who the singer is pleading with to help him overcome his addiction to his lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa, ain't you got something for a fever
Asking if the medicine woman has medicine for his physical fever
Ain't you got something for my head
Asking if the medicine woman has medicine for his headache
Can't you make me believe I don't need her
Asking if the medicine woman can help him forget about his ex-lover
Ain't there some way to make me forget
Asking if the medicine woman can help him forget about his ex-lover
Oh, medicine woman
You've got to set me free (set me free)
'Cause I don't want to be
Livin' in this misery
Asking the medicine woman to help him get over his emotional pain and move on
Whoa, can't you do something for this heartache
Asking if the medicine woman has medicine for his emotional pain
Can't you do something for this mood (whoa-oh-whoa)
Asking if the medicine woman can help him improve his mood
I still need her tender lips with every breath I take
Admitting that he is still attached to his ex-lover
So can't you do something for these blues
Asking if the medicine woman can cure his emotional blues
Tell me what's wrong with me
I need a little sympathy
Can't you take away this memory
Asking the medicine woman to diagnose what's causing his emotional pain and help him forget about his ex-lover
Well, you've got to take me home tonight
Make me feel good inside
I'm way too young to die
I'm just too weak to fight
Asking the medicine woman to provide physical and emotional healing
Medicine woman (medicine woman)
You've got to set me free (whoa-oh-oh))
'Cause I don't want to be (woman)
Livin' in this misery
Reiterating the need for the medicine woman to cure his emotional pain and help him move on
Contributed by Madelyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
chickenwretch
I think the 70s was the decade of melody, nothing today comes close to the intimacy and simplicity of that time.
Ida Porche
awesome
Ida Porche
I believe that
Michael de Gier
How many truly perfect songs are there in the history of pop music? Well, this is one of them. We're talking about Brian Wilson level, about Steely Dan level here. Some songs on this album (and in Davis' career) are much more conventional, but when he wanted he created some sophisticated masterpieces, and here there's so much genius it's haunting. I never get tired of hearing it and its many inventive nuances, from the intro to the verse to the killer chorus with a wonderful tune and superb arrangement
Bob Eveslage
I've been looking for this song for a long time. Great song! This one and I Go Crazy are my favorite Paul Davis songs....although they were all great. RIP, Paul.....
Ida Porche
they were all great
Glenn Waddell
Ed Seay's trombone work adds to this perfect song of heartache
Rita Solis Radius1
What a talent, and so simple !!!
Ida Porche
What a lover
Ida Porche
I know that you're right