What'd I Say
Ray Charles Lyrics
Hey mama, don't you treat me wrong
Come and love your daddy all night long, all right now
Hey hey
All right
See the girl with the diamond ring
She knows how to shake that thing, all right now, now
Hey hey
Hey hey
I'm gonna send you back to Arkansas, oh yes m'am
You don't do right
Don't do right
Oh, play it boy
When you see me in misery
Come on baby, see about me now, yeah
Hey hey
All right
See the girl with the red dress on
She can do the Birdland all night long, yeah yeah
What'd I say?
All right
Well, tell me what'd I say
Tell me what'd I say right now
Tell me what'd I say
Tell me what'd I say right now
Tell me what'd I say
Tell me what'd I say
And I wanna know
Baby, I wanna know right now
And I wanna know
Baby, I wanna know right now, yeah
And I wanna know
Baby I wanna know, yeah
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ray Charles
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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What'd I Say or "What I Say" is a two-part recording that was released in 1959 by rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. After Charles' run of R&B hits, this song finally broke Charles into mainstream pop and the song itself sparked a new sub-genre of rhythm and blues titled soul, finally putting together all the elements that Charles had been creating since he recorded "I Got a Woman". It was ranked at #10 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Read Full BioWhat'd I Say or "What I Say" is a two-part recording that was released in 1959 by rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. After Charles' run of R&B hits, this song finally broke Charles into mainstream pop and the song itself sparked a new sub-genre of rhythm and blues titled soul, finally putting together all the elements that Charles had been creating since he recorded "I Got a Woman". It was ranked at #10 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
According to Charles, while performing at a Milwaukee nightclub, he had performed the last song of his set, "Night Time Is the Right Time", when he was informed that there was another twelve minutes left in the show. Charles decided to fill the time by performing an impromptu version of the song that would eventually be recorded as What'd I Say. Charles told his backing band and female background singers, the Raelettes, to "just follow me". The song began on a Latin influenced drum beat and a Wurlitzer electric piano riff before Charles improvised his own lyrics to it.
As the band became more comfortable with the piece, Charles and the Raelettes started an impromptu call and response vocalization. Charles later said that the call and response section was "all about the sounds of making love".
Although the song is usually listed as "What'd I Say", Charles always insisted that the name of the song is "What I Say" as heard on the track.
According to Charles, while performing at a Milwaukee nightclub, he had performed the last song of his set, "Night Time Is the Right Time", when he was informed that there was another twelve minutes left in the show. Charles decided to fill the time by performing an impromptu version of the song that would eventually be recorded as What'd I Say. Charles told his backing band and female background singers, the Raelettes, to "just follow me". The song began on a Latin influenced drum beat and a Wurlitzer electric piano riff before Charles improvised his own lyrics to it.
As the band became more comfortable with the piece, Charles and the Raelettes started an impromptu call and response vocalization. Charles later said that the call and response section was "all about the sounds of making love".
Although the song is usually listed as "What'd I Say", Charles always insisted that the name of the song is "What I Say" as heard on the track.
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LISA RAY
See the girl with the diamond ring
She knows how to shake that thing
All right, hey hey, all right
See the girl with the red dress on
She can do the Birdland all night long
All right, hey hey, all right
When you see me in misery
Come on baby, see about me
Now yeah, yeah yeah, all right
Tell your mama, tell your pa
I'm gonna send you back to Arkansas
Oh yes, if you don't do right, if you don't do right
Ahhhh, tell me what'd I say
Tell me what'd I say
Tell me what'd I say
Tell me what'd I say right now
Tell me what'd I say yeah
Tell me what'd I say
And I wanna know
Said I wanna know right now
Woh woh baby said I wanna know yeah
Said I wanna know know
Said I wanna know yeah
Ew (ew) oh (oh) ew (ew) oh (oh) ew (ew) oh (oh) woah
It's all right (baby it's all right)
Baby it's all right (baby it's all right)
Baby it's all right (baby it's all right)
Baby it's all right (baby it's all right)
Baby it's all right (baby it's all right)
Baby it's all right (baby it's all right)
Ew (ew) oh (oh) ew (ew) oh (oh) ew (ew) oh (oh) oh
Baby shake that thing (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing right now (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing (baby shake that thing)
Ew (ew) oh (oh) ew (ew) oh (oh) ew (ew) oh (oh) oh
Baby feel so good (baby feel so good)
Baby feel so good now (baby feel so good)
Baby feel so good (baby feel so good)
Baby feel so good (baby feel so good)
Baby feel so good now (baby feel so good)
Baby feel so good (baby feel so good)
Oh one more time (just one more time)
Wooh, say it one more time yeah (just one more time)
Say it one more time (just one more time)
Say it one more time now (just one more time)
Yes, one more time now (just one more time
Scouser on the Wirral
Written By Ray Charles and recorded on 18 February 1959, released In June 1959 and peaked at #1 on R&B chart and #6 pop. Earning Ray his first gold record.
Covers:
Johnny O’ Keefe (Nov 1959)
Bobby Rydell (Nov 1959)
The Olympics (Apr 1960)
Jack Eubanks (Nov 1960)
Dee Clark (1960)
Cliff Richard (14 Apr 1961)
The Cliffters (22 Sep 1961)
Jerry Lee Lewis (1961)
The Beau-marks (1961)
The chevrons (1961)
Donnie Brooks (1961)
Carroll Brothers (Mar 1962)
Bobby Darin (Mar 1962)
Keeley Smith (Apr 1962)
Teddy Randazzo (May 1962)
Anita Kerr singers (Nov 1962)
Clyde Mcphatter (1962)
The Crickets (1962)
The Spotnicks (1962)
Rod McKuen (1962)
Don Lang (1962)
Tom & Jerry (1962)
Jimmy Justice (1962)
Ray Fowler (1962)
Dick Dale (June 1963)
Trini Lopez (Jun 1963)
Floyd Cramer (Aug 1963)
Elvis Presley Recorded What’d I Say on 30 August 1963 during his Viva Las Vegas Soundtrack session, it was released on 28 April 1964 and peaked at #21 On Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart.
Reid McBride
Charles created this song on stage to fill lime remaining in his contract. No rehersal...all off the cuff. Brilliant !!!
Duke Wolsey
That would make the other musicians greater since they kept time without foreknowledge he possessed. Just saying.
LNSS
@EricTheActor ur 100% incorrect! From every source possible from Ray to his label to his band this was 100% done off the cuff! It’s been verified by those sources that Ray had about 15 mins left of a show & he told his back up singers that he was gonna fool around & follow him. The music to lyrics were created out of thin air! He even played it to test it out on other audiences before recording it cuz the night he created it the crowd went wild & he wanted to make sure it wasn’t a fluke reaction
Michelle Adams
Awesome!! The year I was born! !!!
Chris B
@Furious Sherman to be fair its a 12 bar blues, one of the easiest formulas to follow that every musician knows
John C
W O W
Jim Pickard
The drum part is extraordinary ! Paul McCartney said one of the reasons they wanted Ringo to join the band is because he could play the drum part to this song !
Nicholas Sans Pasty
@Chris B "During his 2015 induction speech for Ringo Starr at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Paul McCartney recalled “What'd I Say” playing a huge part in the “eureka” moment when all the pieces fit and the Beatles found the missing link that made them the “Fab Four”: “Me, John, and George were on the frontline, singing, as we usually were, and now behind us we had this guy that we'd never played with before. And I remember the moment we started playing Ray Charles' 'What'd I Say.' And most of the drummers couldn't nail the drum part — it was a little difficult to do — but Ringo nailed it. Yeah! (Laughs) Ringo nailed it!!! (Applause) Woo! And I remember the moment just standing there and lookin' at John and then lookin' at George, and that was 'the moment.' Y'know, that was the beginning, really, of the Beatles.” "
Chris B
@Jim Pickard 🤣
Jim Pickard
@Chris B That would be because I actually heard Ringo say it in an interview. Of course he could have been lying.