What'd I Say
Tony Sheridan & the Beatles Lyrics
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Come and love your daddy all night long
All right, hey, hey, all right now
See the girl with the diamond ring
She knows how to shake that thing
All right, hey, hey, mmm, all right now
Make me feel so good, make me feel so good right now
Make me feel so good, make me feel so good right now
Make me feel so good, make me feel so good
Mmm, see the girl with the red dress on
She can do the dog all night long
All right, hmm what'd I say, tell me what'd I say
Tell me what'd I say, tell me what'd I say right now
Tell me what'd I say, tell me what'd I say right now
Tell me what'd I say, tell me what'd I say
Ahhh, ohh, ahhh, ohh, ahhh, ohh, ohh
It's all right, it's all right right now
Baby, it's all right, baby, it's all right right now
Baby, it's all right, oh yeah!
Baby shake that thing, baby shake that thing right now
Baby shake that thing, baby shake that thing right now
Baby shake that thing, well I feel all right
The lyrics to Tony Sheridan's song "What'd I Say" are all about having a good time and shaking that "thing!" The song's narrator is asking his "mama" to come love him all night long and encouraging everyone to see the girl with the diamond ring who knows how to shake her "thing" in order to feel good.
The song's repeated refrain of "tell me what'd I say" serves as a sort of call and response with the listener. It's as if the singer is saying, "I know I'm not making sense, but who cares? Let's just have some fun!"
The other women mentioned in the song, including the one in the red dress who knows how to do "the dog" all night long, are also celebrated for their moves and the way they make the singer feel good.
Overall, "What'd I Say" is a celebration of dancing, feeling good, and having a good time. It's an infectious, upbeat song that emphasizes rhythm and groove over deep meaning or complex lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey mama, don't you treat me wrong
Addressing his mother, the singer requests her not to behave badly towards him
Come and love your daddy all night long
He wants his mother to love and care for him throughout the night
All right, hey, hey, all right now
Affirmative response to himself, he feels okay
See the girl with the diamond ring
The girl he is referring to has a diamond ring
She knows how to shake that thing
The girl is adept at shaking her body to music
All right, hey, hey, mmm, all right now
Reaffirming that he is feeling good and enjoying the music
Ahhh, ohh, ahhh, ohh, ahhh, ohh, ohh
The sounds made before introducing the next set of lyrics
Make me feel so good, make me feel so good right now
He wants the music to intensify and keep him feeling good
Mmm, see the girl with the red dress on
He is referring to another girl wearing a red dress
She can do the dog all night long
The girl can dance 'the dog' move all night long
All right, hmm what'd I say, tell me what'd I say
The singer sings to the audience, challenging them to reveal what he has sung
Tell me what'd I say, tell me what'd I say right now
The singer is requesting the audience to respond to his question immediately
Ahhh, ohh, ahhh, ohh, ahhh, ohh, ohh
The sounds made before introducing the next set of lyrics
It's all right, it's all right right now
He confirms that everything is okay at the moment
Baby, it's all right, baby, it's all right right now
He calls out to his singing partner 'baby' to reassure them they are doing great
Baby, it's all right, oh yeah!
He reaffirms that everything is fine with excitement in his tone
Baby shake that thing, baby shake that thing right now
He is encouraging his partner to shake her body and dance to the music
Baby shake that thing, baby shake that thing right now
He reiterates his desire for his partner to dance to the beat
Baby shake that thing, well I feel all right
He confirms that he is feeling good with his partner's dancing and the music
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ray Charles
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind