Percy Sledge (born 25 November 1940 in Leighton, Alabama; died 14 April 201… Read Full Bio ↴Percy Sledge (born 25 November 1940 in Leighton, Alabama; died 14 April 2015 in Baton Rouge) was an American R&B and soul performer who most notably recorded the single "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966, an international top 40 hit that the RIAA has certified as gold. Having achieved his best successes in the mid-to-late 60s and early 70s with a series of emotional soul songs, in his later years he received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award and was inducted in 2005 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Percy Sledge worked in the fields in Leighton before he worked as an orderly at Colbert County Hospital in Sheffield. By the mid-1960s, Sledge was touring the Southeast with the Esquires Combo on weekends and working at the hospital. A former patient who was a friend of producer Quin Ivy introduced the two, an audition followed, and Sledge was signed to a recording contract.

Sledge's smooth voice was perfect for the series of soul ballads produced by Ivy and Marlin Greene, which rock critic Dave Marsh called "emotional classics for romantics of all ages."

"When a Man Loves a Woman" was the first song recorded under the contract (released in 1966), and it became not only an international hit (it reached #1 in the US) but was also the first gold record released by Atlantic Records. The magnificent soul anthem became the cornerstone of Sledge's career and was followed by "Warm and Tender Love," "Take Time to Know Her," and "Cover Me."

Sledge charted with "I'll Be Your Everything" and "Sunshine" during the 1970s, and has become an international concert favorite throughout the world, especially in the Netherlands, Germany, and on the African continent.

His career enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s when "When a Man Loves a Woman" re-entered the Top 10 in the UK after being used in a Levi's commercial.

Sledge was an inaugural Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award honoree in 1989. In 2005, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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Percy Sledge Lyrics

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When a man loves a woman
Can't keep his mind on nothing else
He'll trade the world
For the good thing he's found
If she's bad he can't see it
She can do no wrong
Turn his back on his best friend
If he put her down

When a man loves a woman
Spend his very last dime
Trying to hold on to what he needs
He'd give up all his comfort
Sleep out in the rain
If she said that's the way it ought to be

Well, this man loves a woman
I gave you everything I had
Trying to hold on to your precious love
Baby, please don't treat me bad

When a man loves a woman
Down deep in his soul
She can bring him such misery
If she plays him for a fool
He's the last one to know
Loving eyes can't ever see

When a man loves a woman
He can do no wrong
He can never own some other girl
Yes when a man loves a woman
I know exactly how he feels
'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're my world

When a man loves a woman

Overall Meaning

Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" is a soulful song that heavily focuses on the powerful impact love can have on an individual's life, although this love is not always reciprocated. The song speaks about how a man deeply in love can hardly concentrate on anything else, as the woman is his sole focus. He is willing to give up everything he has ever known for this love- his possessions, his friends, his comfort, anything. This kind of love is unshakeable. Even if the woman is not perfect, in his loving eyes, she can do no wrong, and he will always stand by her through thick and thin.

Unfortunately, this love can come with a cost. If this love is not returned, the man's world will fall apart. Everything he had built up to keep the woman he loves happy will eventually crumble, and this can leave him in a state of emotional agony. This is especially true if the woman starts playing with the man's emotions- leading him on or cheating on him. Even though it might be obvious to everyone else that he's being taken advantage of, the man is typically the last person to know in these situations.

Overall, the song's lyrics convey the message that love can be beautiful, but it can also be cruel. However, regardless of its outcome, when someone genuinely loves another, they will always cherish those memories.

Line by Line Meaning

When a man loves a woman
The love of a man for a woman is different

Can't keep his mind on nothing else
He is unable to think of anything else except her

He'll trade the world
He will give away anything in exchange for her love

For the good thing he's found
Because he has found something precious

If she's bad he can't see it
He can't accept that she is capable of anything bad

She can do no wrong
He sees no fault in her actions

Turn his back on his best friend
He will let go of anyone for her love

If he put her down
If he ever loses her love

Spend his very last dime
He will use up all his money

Trying to hold on to what he needs
For the sake of what he truly desires

He'd give up all his comfort
He is willing to live in discomfort

Sleep out in the rain
Endure any hardship just to keep her happy

If she said that's the way it ought to be
He will comply with her wishes

Well, this man loves a woman
The singer is in love

I gave you everything I had
The singer is willing to sacrifice everything for her

Trying to hold on to your precious love
He is struggling to keep her love

Baby, please don't treat me bad
He does not want to lose her

Down deep in his soul
Love for her is ingrained in him

She can bring him such misery
She has the power to hurt him

If she plays him for a fool
If she takes advantage of his love

He's the last one to know
Love often makes one blind

Loving eyes can't ever see
Love often blinds one's judgment

He can do no wrong
When he loves her, he sees himself as perfect

He can never own some other girl
He is faithful to only her

Yes when a man loves a woman
This is how men love women

I know exactly how he feels
The singer has experienced this kind of love

'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're my world
She is everything to him

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andrew James Wright, Calvin Houston Lewis

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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