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."
Satisfaction
The Four Tops Lyrics
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I can't get no satisfaction.
Cause I try and I try and I try and I try.
I can't get no, I can't get no.
When I'm drivin' in my car
And that man comes on the radio
And he's tellin' me more and more
Supposed to fire my imagination.
I can't get no, oh no no no.
Hey hey hey, that's what I say.
I can't get no satisfaction,
I can't get no satisfaction.
Cause I try and I try and I try and I try.
I can't get no, I can't get no.
When I'm watchin' my TV
And that man comes on to tell me
How white my shirts can be.
Well he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke
The same cigarettes as me.
I can't get no, oh no no no.
Hey hey hey, that's what I say.
I can't get no satisfaction,
I can't get no girl with action.
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try.
I can't get no, I can't get no.
When I'm ridin' round the world
And I'm doin' this and I'm signing that
And I'm tryin' to make some girl
Who tells me baby better come back later next week
'cause you see I'm on losing streak.
I can't get no, oh no no no.
Hey hey hey, that's what I say.
I can't get no, I can't get no,
I can't get no satisfaction,
No satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction.
The Four Tops's "Satisfaction" is an iconic song that encapsulates the modern struggle for happiness and the ongoing search for fulfilment. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration and disappointment as the singer realizes that despite his best efforts, he cannot obtain satisfaction. He perceives that the world around him is constantly bombarding him with useless information and impossible standards, and this has left him feeling unfulfilled.
The song is structured around three verses, each describing a different scenario where the singer encounters something that he thinks will bring him satisfaction, only to realize that it does not. The first verse describes the singer driving in his car, hearing the radio play and being told about useless information, which does nothing to fire his imagination. The second verse describes him watching television and being told how white his shirts can be, which he finds unimpressive because the man speaking doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as him. The third verse depicts him travelling around the world, signing autographs and being pursued by women, but he is still unable to find satisfaction because he thinks that he is on a losing streak.
The chorus is the main refrain of the song, and it succinctly captures the singer's exasperation with his inability to find what he is looking for. In the repetition of the phrase "I can't get no satisfaction" lies the mood of the song, conveying the singer's disillusionment with the world and his own inability to find fulfilment.
In conclusion, "Satisfaction" is a timeless song that still resonates today due to its universal themes. Its lyrics express the feeling of dissatisfaction that many people face in their lives and it offers a poignant commentary on modern society and culture.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't get no satisfaction,
I am unable to find contentment or fulfillment,
Cause I try and I try and I try and I try.
Despite my efforts, I am continuously unsuccessful in finding satisfaction.
When I'm drivin' in my car And that man comes on the radio And he's tellin' me more and more About some useless information Supposed to fire my imagination.
While driving, I hear a man on the radio providing me with irrelevant information that holds no value to me.
I can't get no, oh no no no. Hey hey hey, that's what I say.
I express my frustration by repeating that I cannot find satisfaction.
When I'm watchin' my TV And that man comes on to tell me How white my shirts can be. Well he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke The same cigarettes as me.
While watching TV, an advertisement promotes whiter clothes but the spokesperson is not relatable to me since he does not share my smoking habits.
I can't get no girl with action.
I am unable to attract or find a woman who matches my desires.
When I'm ridin' round the world And I'm doin' this and I'm signing that And I'm tryin' to make some girl Who tells me baby better come back later next week 'cause you see I'm on losing streak.
Despite my travels and various activities, I am still unsuccessful in pursuing a woman who is currently unavailable.
No satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction.
It is clear that I cannot find contentment or fulfillment in any aspect of my life.
Lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind