Garland was known for his eloquent middle-of-the-road style. A fertile, often moving improvisor, he developed a characteristic block chord sound by combining octaves with a fifth in the middle in the right hand over left-hand comp (accompanying) chords. The style has been much imitated.
I Got It Bad
Red Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me to save my tears
Well I'm so mad about him
I can't live without him
Never treats me sweet and gentle
The way he should
I've got it bad
My poor heart is so sentimental
Not made of wood
I've got it so bad
And that ain't good
But when the fish are jumpin'
And Friday rolls around
My man an' I, we gin some
We pray some, and sin some
He don't love me like I love him
The way he should
I've got it bad
And that ain't good
Yes I've got it bad
And that ain't good
In "I Got It Bad," the singer laments the fact that the man she loves does not treat her as well as he should, yet she cannot help but love him. She acknowledges that others advise her to move on and save her tears, but her passionate devotion to this man cannot be overcome. The singer expresses the depth of her emotions, noting that her "poor heart is so sentimental" and that her love for him is so strong that she cannot live without him, despite his lack of tenderness.
The singer also highlights the complicated nature of their relationship, mentioning that they both "sin some." Although they pray together and seem to find moments of happiness, their love is not enough to overcome the fact that the man does not love her as much as she loves him. The repeated phrase of "I've got it bad and that ain't good" serves to emphasize the sense of desperation and hopelessness that the singer feels.
Line by Line Meaning
Though folks with good intentions
Tell me to save my tears
Well I'm so mad about him
I can't live without him
Even though people tell me to move on, my love for him is so strong that I can't imagine my life without him.
Never treats me sweet and gentle
The way he should
I've got it bad
And that ain't good
He isn't treating me the way I deserve to be treated, yet I still love him deeply and can't get over him.
My poor heart is so sentimental
Not made of wood
I've got it so bad
And that ain't good
I am so emotionally invested in this relationship that I can't help but feel deeply hurt and affected by its ups and downs.
But when the fish are jumpin'
And Friday rolls around
My man an' I, we gin some
We pray some, and sin some
Despite our issues, we still find enjoyment in each other's company and have a playful, lighthearted dynamic.
He don't love me like I love him
The way he should
I've got it bad
And that ain't good
I love him much more than he loves me, and his lack of reciprocation is causing me a lot of pain and heartache.
Yes I've got it bad
And that ain't good
Overall, my feelings for him are so strong that they are causing me a lot of suffering, and I know that this isn't a healthy situation for me to be in.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TimothyGondola
Today's sheet music trivia: In another life, Red Garland also had a career as a _____?
@thevoicesinmyhead1976
Boxer!
@elwoodwarren-kuelgen8874
Librarian
@wuwupiano
Tax accountant
@andrewjfarrington
Ski instructor
@raulosvaldo1
Welding!!!
@Arielclef
I thought Red Garland was gonna play the lick at 0:23 since it's half of the lick haha . Also, I was really surprised that this 7 minute transcription took you a total of 4 hours to make. Astonishing stuff.
@saravanbichi
You've captured Red Garland's nuanced playing in your notation. Congrats!
@peterhunt5890
Beautifully played. Fantastic piano! Thank you
@DeathlyTired
He's come over all Erroll Garner - and it suits him.