Look What They've Done To My Song
Ray Charles Count Basie Orchestra & Count Basie and His Orchestra Lyrics
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How you feeling mama?
Hm-hmm, that's alright
I've got something I want to talk to you about
If you don't mind
And I ain't mad, mama, no, no no no
Wait a minute, listen mama
Look what they done to my song, ma
The only thing I could do half right and now it's turning out all wrong, mama
Look what they done to my song
Now listen if you please
Wish I could find a good book, I'd like to live in the thing now
Wish I could find a good book, now, hey hey hey
If I could find a real good book, you know I,
I'd never have to come out and look
At what they done to my song
Look what they done to my brain, ma
Look what they done to my brain
Oh mama, it's a shame, you won't believe this, but it's true
They picked it like a chicken bone and I'm-ah, just about to go insane mama
Look what they done to my brain
Now girls, if you don't mind, I'd like to hear that some French
Ils ont change ma chanson, ma
(ooh, not bad)
Ils ont change ma chanson
(uh-huh. Let me see here {franglish gibberish})
Ils ont change ma chanson
(My French must be pretty bad, I better do this in English)
Look what they done to my song, ma
Look what they done to my song ma
Put it in a plastic bag and they turned the bag upside down ma
Look what they done to my song
(scat)
Maybe it's alright
Maybe it's OK, I don't know
But I tell ya
If my tears were money, I'd be a millionaire today
You know, the only thing I get to have right, now it's turning out all wrong, mama
You can't believe what they've done to my song ma, that I wrote myself
They put it in a plastic bag and they turned the bag upside down, mama
Lord, if I could find a good book,
I'd never have to come out and look at, uh
What they trying to do to my brain
It's a shame mama, you see they
They done pick it like a chicken bone
And I'm-ah just about to go insane
I'm insane, insane, mama
I'm going crazy, mama, that's what it is
Lord knows I don't care what they done to my song
No, I don't care about that, but see
The main thing, mama
What they trying to do to me
You see, well they stole everything I had, mama
And they made a million with it, and you know that hurts
But oh, I'm gonna keep on working on the building,
Just like you taught me, mama
Whoah, yes I will, yes I will, yeah
The song Look What They've Done is a collaboration between Ray Charles and The Count Basie Orchestra. The lyrics revolve around the singer's lamentation about what has been done to his song. He acknowledges that the only thing he could do half right is now all wrong. He mentions how they've put his brain in a precarious state and it's about to drive him insane. He posits that if he could find a good book to live in, he wouldn't have to come out and see what they've done to his song. He concludes by saying he doesn't care much about what they've done to his song, what he cares about is what they're trying to do to him.
The lyrics of Look What They've Done seem to be a reflection of how artists feel about how their works are often altered, tampered with, and commercialized to the detriment of the artist. It's indicative of the challenges that musicians face in the music industry, where their work is often exploited for profit without regard for the artist's creative vision.
* Ray Charles originally recorded "Look What They've Done" in 1972 for his album "A Message From the People," and later collaborated with The Count Basie Orchestra for a new version in 1974.
* The song was written by Melanie Safka, a singer-songwriter known for hits like "Brand New Key" and "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)."
* The song was a hit in Australia, where it charted at number 14.
* The song was also covered by jazz musician Dave Koz on his 1999 album "The Dance."
* Ray Charles and The Count Basie Orchestra's version was featured in the movie "Steel Magnolias" (1989).
* Despite the song's commercial success, Melanie Safka was critical of Ray Charles' interpretation of the song, stating that his version did not convey the message she intended.
* Safka later added an extra verse to the song in 1998, reflecting on her mixed emotions about how her song had been received and interpreted.
* The song has been covered by several other artists, including Joe Cocker and a reggae version by Judy Mowatt.
* The song features a mix of English and French lyrics, showcasing the diversity of the two cultures.
* The song's upbeat tempo juxtaposes the somber theme, symbolizing how artists often hide their pain and disappointment behind their music.
Chords: G - C - Am - D7
Line by Line Meaning
Hello mama, hello mama it's me
I'm calling you, mom, just to say hi and see how you're doing.
How you feeling mama?
I'm asking if you're feeling well, mom.
Hm-hmm, that's alright
You're saying you're feeling okay, and I'm acknowledging that.
I've got something I want to talk to you about
There's something on my mind that I'd like to discuss with you.
If you don't mind
You're asking if it's okay for me to talk about something.
And I ain't mad, mama, no, no no no
You're assuring your mother that you're not upset about anything.
Wait a minute, listen mama
You're asking your mom to give you a moment to talk to her.
Look what they done to my song, ma
I'm expressing frustration with how someone has changed the song that I wrote.
The only thing I could do half right and now it's turning out all wrong, mama
I'm upset because the only thing I felt good about was writing that song, but now somebody's changed it and it's not right anymore.
Now listen if you please
I'm asking my mom to listen to what I'm saying next.
Wish I could find a good book, I'd like to live in the thing now
I'm saying that I wish I had a good book to read so that I could escape from reality.
If I could find a real good book, you know I, I'd never have to come out and look
I'm saying that if I had a good book, I wouldn't have to deal with what's happening in the real world.
At what they done to my song
I'm reiterating that I'm upset about how someone changed my song.
Look what they done to my brain, ma
I'm expressing frustration with how somebody or something has affected my mind.
Oh mama, it's a shame, you won't believe this, but it's true
I'm saying that it's unfortunate, and that my mother wouldn't believe what's happened to me even though it's true.
They picked it like a chicken bone and I'm-ah, just about to go insane mama
I'm saying that something has been picking at my brain, and I feel like I'm about to lose my mind because of it.
Now girls, if you don't mind, I'd like to hear that some French
I'm asking if it's okay for the girls around me to speak some French.
Look what they done to my song, ma
Again, I'm expressing disappointment with what's been done to my song.
Put it in a plastic bag and they turned the bag upside down ma
I'm saying that somebody has taken my song and messed it up completely.
Maybe it's alright
I'm unsure if it's really okay or not.
Maybe it's OK, I don't know
I'm saying that I'm not sure if it's fine or not.
But I tell ya
Even though I'm not sure, I'm going to tell you something anyway.
If my tears were money, I'd be a millionaire today
I'm saying that I've cried so much that if my tears brought in money, I'd be extremely wealthy by now.
You know, the only thing I get to have right, now it's turning out all wrong, mama
I'm upset because the one thing I felt I did well, writing that song, was taken from me and now it's not good enough anymore.
You can't believe what they've done to my song ma, that I wrote myself
I'm expressing to my mother that she wouldn't believe somebody changed a song I worked hard on.
Lord, if I could find a good book, I'd never have to come out and look at, uh
Again I'm saying if I had a good book, I wouldn't have to deal with reality.
What they trying to do to my brain
I'm questioning what someone is trying to do to my mind.
It's a shame mama, you see they
I'm pointing out to my mom that the situation is unfortunate because somebody is messing with my head.
They done pick it like a chicken bone
I'm saying that somebody has been bothering my brain relentlessly.
And I'm-ah just about to go insane
I'm saying that my frustration has reached an all-time high and that it's affecting my sanity.
Lord knows I don't care what they done to my song
I'm expressing that I don't care what they did to my song because there are bigger problems at the moment.
No, I don't care about that, but see
I don't have it in me to worry about this particular problem right now, but there is something else that is really bothering me.
The main thing, mama
I'm saying this one thing is very important.
What they trying to do to me
I'm saying that someone is trying to hurt me.
You see, well they stole everything I had, mama
Somebody has taken all that I had.
And they made a million with it, and you know that hurts
Somebody has used what they took from me to make money, and that really upsets me.
But oh, I'm gonna keep on working on the building,
Even though someone has taken everything from me, I'm going to keep working hard to get it back.
Just like you taught me, mama
I'm saying that I learned how to work hard because of my mother.
Whoah, yes I will, yes I will, yeah
I'm determined to keep going despite the obstacles.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MELANIE SAFKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@NLTDB3S
Ray Charles is an icon.. Such a great cover artist!!
👍🏻✌🏻🎸🎶🐈😎🙏🏻🎹🎺
@trainliker100
Wikipedia says this is "What have they done to My Song" by "Melanie" and released in 1970. It refers to Ray Charles and others doing it as "Look What They've Done To My Song". However, I just saw a 1967 Carol Burnett show where Ray Charles does this song. I now wonder what about its origin. I do know that Ray Charles was NOT happy with what was actually done with his songs by others.
@guillarmicrock7955
le feeling absolu....
@musiclover9361
A great Brother Ray cover of a Melanie Safka song and Jamie Foxx is the image! Come on!
@JohntheNobleSavage
It's a good song to do a quick step to.
@noahzark6755
What have they done to my song ma? They made an oatmeal commercial of it.
@SValdelis
Crying :D :D :D