Try a little tenderness
Redding (Otis) Lyrics
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Them young girls they do get wearied
Wearing that same old shaggy dress, yeah, yeah
But when she gets weary
Try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah
You know she's waiting
Just anticipating
But while she's there waiting
Without them try a little tenderness
That's all you got to do
It's not just sentimental no, no, no
She has her grief and care, yeah, yeah, yeah
But the soft words they are spoke so gentle, yeah
It makes it easier, easier to bear, yeah
You won't regret it no, no
Young girls they don't forget it
Love is their whole happiness, yeah, yeah, yeah
But it's all so easy
All you got to do is try
Try a little tenderness
Yeah
All you got to do is, man, hold her when you wanna
Squeeze her, don't tease her, never leave her
Get to her, got, got, got to try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah
You got to know how to love her, man
Don't be surprised, man
You got to squeeze her, don't tease her, never leave
You got to hold her, brother, something, man
Try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got to grab her gently, man
Don't bruise her, no, no
You got to love her, tease her, don't squeeze her
You got to try, na na na na na
Try, try a little tenderness, yeah
Watch her groove
You got to know what to do, man
Take this advice
You gotta love, squeeze, don't tease
The lyrics in “Try A Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding encourage males to take caution when dealing with a woman's feelings. Although she may seem strong on the outside, women go through many struggles in life, making them weary, and that is something that men need to be considerate of. This is especially true when dating and in relationships. The person you want to give your affection to may seem to have it all together, but inwardly, they are suffering just like everyone else. Instead of ignoring this and trying to force a smile out of them, the song suggests that guys take a gentler, more compassionate approach towards women.
Even though the lyrics mention love throughout the song, it stresses that this message is beyond sentimental. The lyrics reflect how important it is to consider the whole person- beyond just loving a person- to offer comfort to someone who may have been through various trials. The soft words spoken may seem insignificant, but they have a profound impact on the person receiving them. Try a little tenderness, patience, care, and attention, and eventually, you’ll find that the person who seemed so far off is now in your arms, willing to accept your love.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh she may be weary
The girl might be tired and worn out
Them young girls they do get wearied
Young girls tend to get tired easily
Wearing that same old shaggy dress, yeah, yeah
She might be bored with her old clothes
But when she gets weary
But when she becomes tired
Try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah
Show her some care and understanding
You know she's waiting
She is waiting for your attention
Just anticipating
Expecting you to do something
The thing that you'll never, never, never, never possess, yeah, yeah
Something that you can never possess
But while she's there waiting
But while she is waiting there
Without them try a little tenderness
Just show a little care and understanding
That's all you got to do
That is all she needs from you
It's not just sentimental no, no, no
It's not just about being emotional
She has her grief and care, yeah, yeah, yeah
She has her own problems and worries
But the soft words they are spoke so gentle, yeah
Kind and gentle words soothe her pain
It makes it easier, easier to bear, yeah
It makes her problems easier to bear
You won't regret it no, no
You won't regret showing her some kindness
Young girls they don't forget it
Girls remember when someone is kind to them
Love is their whole happiness, yeah, yeah, yeah
Love is everything to them
But it's all so easy
It is all so simple
All you got to do is try
All you have to do is make an effort
All you got to do is, man, hold her when you wanna
Just hold her when you want to
Squeeze her, don't tease her, never leave her
Hug her, don't play games with her, never abandon her
Get to her, got, got, got to try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah
You need to try to understand her and show care and kindness
You got to know how to love her, man
You need to know how to show love and care to her
Don't be surprised, man
Don't act surprised
You got to squeeze her, don't tease her, never leave
You need to hold her tight, not play with her emotions or leave her
You got to hold her, brother, something, man
You need to embrace her, brother
Try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah, yeah
Show some care and kindness
You got to grab her gently, man
Hold her delicately
Don't bruise her, no, no
Don't hurt her or cause harm
You got to love her, tease her, don't squeeze her
You need to show love and affection without being pushy
You got to try, na na na na na
You need to make an attempt
Try, try a little tenderness, yeah
Make an effort to show some care and kindness
Watch her groove
Watch her move to the music
You got to know what to do, man
You need to know how to act
Take this advice
Take some advice
You gotta love, squeeze, don't tease
You need to show love and care, hold her firmly but not hurt her
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Bluewater Music Corp., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, Harry M. Woods
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pricostalmeida
Oh she may be weary
Them young girls they do get wearied
Wearing that same old shaggy dress, yeah, yeah
But when she gets weary
Try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah
You know she's waiting
Just anticipating
The thing that you'll never, never, never, never possess, yeah, yeah
But while she's there waiting
Without them try a little tenderness
That's all you got to do
It's not just sentimental no, no, no
She has her grief and care, yeah, yeah, yeah
But the soft words they are spoke so gentle, yeah
It makes it easier, easier to bear, yeah
You won't regret it no, no
Young girls they don't forget it
Love is their whole happiness, yeah, yeah, yeah
But it's all so easy
All you got to do is try
Try a little tenderness
Yeah
All you got to do is, man, hold her when you wanna
Squeeze her, don't tease her, never leave her
Get to her, got, got, got to try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah
You got to know how to love her, man
Don't be surprised, man
You got to squeeze her, don't tease her, never leave
You got to hold her, brother, something, man
Try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got to grab her gently, man
Don't bruise her, no, no
You got to love her, tease her, don't squeeze her
You got to try, na na na na na
Try, try a little tenderness, yeah
Watch her groove
You got to know what to do, man
Take this advice
You gotta love, squeeze, don't tease
@DBIGDEENO
The fact that this man was 24 years old when he recorded this is mind blowing ... sung with so much soul, conviction and passion man
@ChanellJWilson
It speaks to the time. I can only imagine what his eyes and soul and heart saw. What his spirit endured. All I know is this song speaks to a deep place in my heart always and makes me want to wave my hand...it hits my soul every time.
@janetmccoy2192
Dennis Den Diesel Jackson I didn’t know he was that young.
@Mr41nitro
The man was was born with love, seduction, truth and soul in his voice, unmatched, one of a kind, but thank the Lord he gave us Otis for those few wonderful years.
@MrNostalgiabuff
He was outstanding w so many of his songs Dennis, especially Loving you, Hard to Handle, and others!! 😎
@deniseevans7960
This brother was so young singing like this. Singing like he has been here before. So mature.
He is missed!
@aerixaa
Sounds so soulful, don't you agree?
@nouhchahbouni2780
@aer uh I invented Swag poppin' bottles , puttin' supermodels in the cab
@squealteamvi8487
I see what you did there… 😉💎
@_ahmed2.0
@nouh chahbouni PROOF