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.
You Really Got a Hold on Me
Percy Sledge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seems that I'm always thinking of you
Though you treat me badly
I love you madly
You really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
You really got a hold on me
Baby, I don't want you but I need you
Don't want to kiss you but I need to
Though you do me wrong now
My love is strong now
You really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
You really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
I love you
And all I want you to do is just
Hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me
I want to leave you, don't want to stay here
Don't want to spend, another day here oh
I want to split now
I can't quit now
You really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
You really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
I love you
And all I want you to do is just
Hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me
You really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
I said, "You really got a hold on me"
(You really got a hold on me)
You know, you really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
Babe, you got really tired of hold on me
(Really got a hold on me)
Really got a hold on me
The lyrics to Percy Sledge's "You Really Got a Hold on Me" describe a complicated and tumultuous love affair. The singer begins by acknowledging that he doesn't like the person he's in love with, but he is unable to stop thinking about them. Even though they treat him badly, he still loves them intensely. He is trapped in their hold and cannot break free.
As the song continues, the singer admits that he doesn't want the person he loves, but he needs them. He doesn't even want to kiss them, but he still feels a strong attachment to them. Even though they do him wrong, his love for them grows even stronger.
The chorus repeats the idea that the person has a powerful hold over the singer. He loves them and just wants them to hold him. Despite his desire to leave and his inability to quit the person he's in love with, he is still deeply under their spell.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of helplessness and obsession. The singer is unable to control his feelings and remains trapped in a love affair that he knows is not good for him.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't like you but I love you
I have mixed feelings for you, even though I don't exactly like you, I love you.
Seems that I'm always thinking of you
I can't help but think about you all the time.
Though you treat me badly
Even though you don't treat me well.
I love you madly
I love you passionately, regardless of how you treat me.
You really got a hold on me
You have a strong influence on me and I can't seem to shake it.
Baby, I don't want you but I need you
Although I don't want to be with you, I can't help but feel like I need you in my life.
Don't want to kiss you but I need to
I don't want to be physical with you, but something about you draws me in.
Though you do me wrong now
Even though you treat me poorly at the moment.
My love is strong now
My feelings for you continue to grow stronger.
And all I want you to do is just Hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me
I just want to be close to you and feel your embrace.
I want to leave you, don't want to stay here
I have the desire to leave you and this situation behind.
Don't want to spend, another day here oh
I don't want to continue being in this situation any longer.
I want to split now
I want to end things between us.
I can't quit now
But for some reason, I can't seem to walk away from you.
I said, "You really got a hold on me"
As I said before, you have a strong influence on me and I can't seem to let go.
Babe, you got really tired of hold on me
My dear, your hold on me has become exhausting, but I still can't break free.
Really got a hold on me
You continue to have a huge impact on my life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: William Robinson Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@FelicityGemini
This song is so amazing. The lyrics. Unrequited love is such a heart break 💔
@daladyj707
He did a great job with this version of the Smokey classic. Another R&B legend gone to soul heaven. RIP Mr. Sledge!
@JackparksMillion
L
@nelsonlugo45
2021. I'm 70 and this is still my favorite version
@bobtimlin3378
My fave as well.
@dennislawless3563
Beautiful song
@davidaldridge5716
Hard to pick….eenie meenie miney moe between this one and the original
Not gonna lie Zoe Deschanel’s version is good if not great. Kinda has a different vibe…haunting or something.
@JRMagro
Its my gfs fav too. She's 21. Crazy how good music surpasses the generation gap.
@keithjeffrey4316
What a song!!! If you ever been in love but couldn't leave...This song just hits different...
@helenarobillard7666
When I first heard him simg I was hooked. I love his voice. I bought all his albums.