Among a number of groups who helped define the Motown Sound of the 1960s, including The Miracles, The Marvelettes, The Temptations and The Supremes, The Four Tops were notable for having Stubbs, a baritone, as their lead singer; most groups of the time were fronted by a tenor. The group was the main male vocal group for the songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, who crafted for the group a stream of popular hit singles, including two #1 hits: "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" and "Reach Out I'll Be There". After Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in 1967, the Four Tops were assigned to a number of producers, primarily Frank Wilson. When Motown left Detroit in 1972 to move to Los Angeles, California, the Tops stayed in Detroit and moved over to ABC Records, where they continued to have charting singles into the late-1970s. Since the 1980s, The Four Tops have recorded for, at various times, Motown, Casablanca Records, and Arista Records.
As an unofficial record, it is believed that The Four Tops were the band to continue performing the longest without a lineup change. Levi Stubbs, Abdul Fakir, Renaldo Benson and Lawrence Payton sang together as the Four Tops from 1954 until 1997, when Lawrence Payton died of cancer. That's an astonishing 43 years without a lineup change. The three surviving members continued to tour as "The Tops."
I Got a Feeling
The Four Tops Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When your in my arms
Oohhh
That feeling, feeling
Got me rockin' and reelin'
Oh, I'm crazy 'bout your love buttercup
Your kind of love, can't get enough
You shake me, break me
Every time your lips meet mine
I feel a pounding, pounding
Ohh I can't stand it, stand it
When you lock me in, your embrace
And breathlessly, you kiss my face
I get a strange sensation
Ohh I can't stand it, stand it
Ohhh, I get a feeling, feeling
Got me rockin' and a reelin'
Oh, I'm crazy 'bout your love buttercup
Your kind of love, can't get enough
You take control
Of my very soul
Every time your close to me
You make me quiver and shake
Ohh I can't stand it, stand it
I touch your lips, your fingertips
I get a loving reaction, soul satisfaction
Darling, you know that
I can't stand it, stand it
Feeling, feeling
And it's got me rockin' and reelin'
Oh, I'm crazy 'bout your love buttercup
Your kind of love, can't get enough
You're earthquakin', soul shakin'
Ever lovin', breath takin'
You're electrifying, ohhh
Soul satisfying
When you walk, in a room
Right away I start to swoon
I'm not sure of what you got
But what it is, I like alot
Ohhh, I get a feeling, feeling
And it's got me rockin' and a reelin'
Oh, I'm crazy 'bout your love buttercup
Your kind of love, can't get enough
Shake me, break me
Every time your lips meet mine
I feel a pounding, pounding
Ohh I can't stand it, stand it
Ohhh, I get a feeling, feeling
Got me rockin' and a reelin'
The Four Tops’ “I Got a Feeling” is an upbeat love song that portrays the intense feelings of love and excitement a person experiences when they are with the one they love. The song’s chorus emphasizes this feeling with the repeated lines “I get a feeling, feeling. Got me rockin’ and a reelin’. Oh, I’m crazy ‘bout your love buttercup. Your kind of love, can’t get enough.”
The lyrics indicate that the love shared between the singer and their significant other is powerful and overwhelming. The first verse mentions how the singer feels when their significant other is in their arms: the feeling is so intense that it rocks and reels them. It is a feeling that they can't get enough of. In the second verse, the singer describes how their partner’s lips have a profound physical and emotional effect on them, making their heart pound and feel out of control. They experience a sense of quivering and shaking, which attests to the euphoric feeling that accompanies the love they share. The final verse mentions that simply being in the same room with their partner makes the singer swoon and feel electrified, echoing the all-consuming nature of their love.
Overall, “I Got a Feeling” is a love song that captures the heady mix of emotions that people experience when they fall in love. The song's lyrics vividly paint a picture of the overwhelming power of love, capturing the sheer pleasure and excitement felt by the singer as a result of their love for their significant other.
Line by Line Meaning
When your in arms, darling
When you are in my embrace, my love
That feeling, feeling
That sensation I experience
Got me rockin' and reelin'
Causing me to move and sway uncontrollably
Oh, I'm crazy 'bout your love buttercup
I am head-over-heels in love with you, my dearest
Your kind of love, can't get enough
I yearn for the way you love me and cannot receive enough of it
You shake me, break me
You have a profound effect on me, causing me to feel both vulnerable and exhilarated
Every time your lips meet mine
Whenever we kiss
I feel a pounding, pounding
My heart races and thuds
Ohh I can't stand it, stand it
It drives me crazy
When you lock me in, your embrace
When you hold me in your arms
And breathlessly, you kiss my face
And you kiss me in a way that takes my breath away
I get a strange sensation
I feel an inexplicable feeling
You take control
You have the power
Of my very soul
Of the deepest part of me
Every time your close to me
Whenever you are near me
You make me quiver and shake
You make me tremble and shake with passion
I touch your lips, your fingertips
I caress your lips and fingers
I get a loving reaction, soul satisfaction
This brings me joy and fulfillment on a soul level
Feeling, feeling
Sensation, sensation
You're earthquakin', soul shakin'
You are powerful and impactful, affecting me deeply
Ever lovin', breath takin'
You are endlessly loving and breathtaking
You're electrifying
You fill me with excitement and energy
Soul satisfying
Bringing deep and profound satisfaction to my soul
When you walk, in a room
Whenever you enter a room
Right away I start to swoon
I feel faint with desire and admiration
I'm not sure of what you got
I do not know the precise quality of your charm
But what it is, I like alot
But whatever it is, I absolutely adore it
Shake me, break me
Overwhelm me and shatter me
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Lamont Dozier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BocaJoe
No words can describe the feeling. I grew up with this music. The lyrics always catch my heart too... What a ride!
Mrs Jones
Tears 😢😢😢 for times that will never return. The Four Tops and The Funk Brothers did the damn thing‼❤🎤🎶🎷🥁🎸
Arista
I love this song it's so before my time but I went downstairs to get breakfast and my mom was playing it and I was hooked ❤️❤️❤️
paul hatton
Motown ruled in the 60's. If this song does not get you on the dance floor, nothing will
Steve Goldberg
for sure!!!!!!
Orazio Raffermati
Still rules now 60 years later
Leon
Thats for sure
dxroadduke
My all-time favorite Four Tops song!
Don Gill
Right.
justme
They were and ARE the Best of Motown!