Rita Coolidge (born May 1, 1945, in Lafayette, Tennessee) is an American Si… Read Full Bio ↴Rita Coolidge (born May 1, 1945, in Lafayette, Tennessee) is an American Singer.

Coolidge's early career was as a backing vocalist, for artists such as Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, and Leon Russell. Her performance of "Superstar" on the Cocker/Russell Mad Dogs and Englishmen album helped gain her attention. She became known as "The Delta Lady" and inspired Leon Russell to write a song of the same name for her. It was during this time that she met Kris Kristofferson; the two married in 1973. With him, she recorded several duet albums which sold well, and earned them a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1974 for From the Bottle to the Bottom, and in 1976 for Lover Please.

In 1997, Coolidge was one of the founding members of Walela, a Native American music trio, that also includes Coolidge's sister Priscilla and Priscilla's daughter Laura Satterfield. The trio released albums in 1997 and 2000. Walela means hummingbird in Cherokee.

The Way You Do The Things You Do
Rita Coolidge Lyrics

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You got a smile so bright
You know you could've been a candle
I'm holding you so tight
You know you could've been a handle
The way you swept me off my feet
You know you could've been a broom
The way you smell so sweet
You know you could've been perfume

Well, you could've been anything that you wanted to
And I can tell
The way you do the things you do
(The way you do the things you do)
The way you do the things you do
(The way you do the things you do)

Oh babe, pretty as you are
You know you could've been a flower
If your looks could cause a minute
You know you would've been an hour
The way you stole my heart
You know you could've been a crook
And baby you're so smart
You know you should've been a school book

Well, you could've been anything that you wanted to
And I can tell
The way you do the things you do
(The way you do the things you do)
The way you do the things you do
(The way you do the things you do)

You made my life so rich
You know you could've been some money
And baby you're so sweet
You know you could've been some honey

Well, you could've been anything that you wanted to
And I can tell
The way you do the things you do
(The way you do the things you do)
The way you do the things you do
(The way you do the things you do)
You really swept me off my feet
(The way you do the things you do)
You made my life complete
You made my life so bright
(The way you do the things you do)
You made me feel alright

The way you do the things you do
(The way you do the things you do)

Overall Meaning

In Rita Coolidge's song, "The Way You Do The Things You Do," the singer is expressing how much she admires and adores her lover. She begins by commenting on the brightness of her lover's smile and compares it to that of a candle. She then talks about how tightly she is holding her lover and compares her to a handle, insinuating that she has control over her. The singer then proceeds to talk about how her lover can be compared to different things such as a broom, perfume, flower, hour, crook, school book, money, and honey. With each comparison, the singer is highlighting different characteristics that she finds amazing about her lover.

The song's chorus is a declaration of how the singer feels about her lover. She acknowledges that her lover could have been anything she wanted to be, and it is evident from the way she does the things she does. The way she sweeps her off her feet, makes her feel complete and brightens her life. This chorus is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the importance of these feelings.

Overall, the song is a love letter to the singer's lover, highlighting all the things she adores about her. The comparisons to various objects make the song fun, while the chorus is a declaration of the singer's love.

The Way You Do The Things You DoRita Coolidge Lyrics

The Way You Do The Things You Do
Rita Coolidge Lyrics