Formed in 1963 in Birmingham after the Welsh guitarist Spencer Davis encountered vocalist and organist Steve Winwood (then aged 14 and still at school), and his bass playing brother Muff Winwood performing at a pub, the Golden Eagle, as the Muff Woody Jazz Band. He recruited them and Pete York on drums to form the Rhythm and Blues Quartette, which performed regularly in the city. In 1964, they signed their first recording contract after Chris Blackwell of Island Records saw them at an appearance in a local club; Blackwell also became their producer.
The group's first professional recording was a cover version of Dimples, but they came to success at the end of 1965 with Keep on Running, the group's first number one single. In 1966 they followed this with Somebody Help Me and When I Come Home. For the German market the group released "Det war in Schöneberg, im Monat Mai" and "Mädel ruck ruck ruck an meine grüne Seite" (the first is from a 1913 Berlin operetta, the second is a Swabian traditional) as a tribute single for that audience, Spencer Davis having studied in West Berlin in the early 1960s.
By the end of 1966 and the beginning of 1967, the group released two more hits, Gimme Some Lovin' (which was re-released in a live, nine-minute version by Steve Winwood's Traffic in 1971) and I'm A Man. These tracks proved to be their two best-known successes, especially in the U.S.
In 1967, Winwood left to form Traffic; his brother Muff moved into the music industry as A&R man at Island Records. In a so-called joint venture, the soundtrack to the film Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush featured both the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic.
Despite the Winwoods' departure, the Spencer Davis Group continued performing and released more singles, though not repeating earlier successes. These included Time Seller in July 1967; the b-side, Don't Want You No More, also received radio airplay.
This was followed by "Mr. Second-Class" in late 1967, which was heavily played on Radio Caroline (at that time one of the two remaining pirate radio ships off the British coast) and the group's last minor hit, "After Tea", in 1968. The latter song was released at the same time by the German band The Rattles, providing competition that led finally to a temporary stop to all activities of the band. Davis continued working, however, producing some jazz-oriented albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Although short-lived, The Spencer Davis Group - particularly its incarnation with Steve Winwood - was influential, with many of the band's songs covered by other artists over the years. Notable among these are Chicago's 1969 version of "I'm a Man," The Allman Brothers Band's 1969 take of "Don't Want You No More," Three Dog Night's 1970 recording of "Can't Get Enough of It," and The Blues Brothers' 1980 recording of "Gimme Some Lovin'."
Strong Love
The Spencer Davis Group Lyrics
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And I can't get no sleep
Strong love is what you've got
And I can't find no key
I can hardly sleep at night
It makes me toss and turn
It's a fire in my heart
And I just let it burn
Strong love is what you've got
And I can hardly eat
Strong love is what you've got
And there is no retreat
I try to swallow, baby
It just won't go down
Got my head a spinnin', darlin'
It's goin' round and round
Goin' round.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I know your love is real
Show me how you feel
Oh yeah, Oh yeah
Strong love is what you've got
And I can't get no sleep
Strong love is what you've got
And I can't find no key
I can hardly sleep at night
It makes me toss and turn
It's a fire in my heart
And I'm gonna let it burn
Let it burn.
The lyrics to The Spencer Davis Group's song Strong Love convey the intense and consuming nature of love. The singer is unable to sleep or eat because of the strong hold that love has over them. It's described as a fire in their heart that they just let burn, unable to resist its pull. The repetition of the phrase "strong love is what you've got" emphasizes the overwhelming power of this emotion.
The lyrics also convey a sense of desperation and a longing to be shown the reality of the other person's love. The lines "I know your love is real, show me how you feel" suggest that the singer wants tangible proof of the depth of their partner's emotions.
Through strong and vivid imagery of a burning fire, spinning head and sleepless nights, the song Strong Love conveys the all-consuming and powerful nature of love, which can be both exhilarating and overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
Strong love is what you've got
The love you possess is potent and influential.
And I can't get no sleep
Your love is so powerful that I'm unable to rest properly.
Strong love is what you've got
The love you possess is formidable and intense.
And I can't find no key
Your love is so potent that it has me searching for a way to unlock it.
I can hardly sleep at night
The potency of your love has me losing my ability to slumber at night.
It makes me toss and turn
Your love has me restless and unsettled.
It's a fire in my heart
Your love has ignited a burning passion within me.
And I just let it burn
I am allowing this fire of passion to consume me.
Strong love is what you've got
Your love is so intense and significant.
And I can hardly eat
Your love has me losing my appetite.
Strong love is what you've got
Your love is so dominant and commanding.
And there is no retreat
Your love has left me with no option but to surrender to it completely.
I try to swallow, baby
I attempt to eat despite having no appetite for food.
It just won't go down
Food seems unappetizing and unappealing due to the intensity of your love.
Got my head a spinnin', darlin'
Your love is affecting my ability to think straight.
It's goin' round and round
The intensity of your love is causing confusion and disorientation within me.
I know your love is real
I understand that your love is genuine and authentic.
Show me how you feel
Prove to me that your love is authentic and real.
Oh yeah, Oh yeah
An expression of confirmation and agreement.
And I can't get no sleep
Your love keeps me awake and restless.
Strong love is what you've got
Your love is weighty and significant.
And I can't find no key
Your love is complex and challenging to understand.
I can hardly sleep at night
The intensity of your love is robbing me of my rest at night.
It makes me toss and turn
I'm restless and agitated due to the potency of your love.
It's a fire in my heart
Your love has sparked a burning passion within me.
And I'm gonna let it burn
I am willing to let this fire within me blaze without stifling it.
Let it burn.
A declaration of allowing the fire of passion to overwhelm and consume completely.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON ROBEY, EDWARD SILVERS, MARY M. BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind