7/19/2016 , , , , ,
Ray Charles - I Got A Woman
Ray Charles - I Got A Woman

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Ray Charles - I Got A Woman Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: The Collection
Released: 1954

I Got A Woman Lyrics




I Got A Woman
  • This is a re-worked, secular version of a Gospel song called "My Jesus Is All the World to Me." It was the first hit song to use secular lyrics in a Gospel style. Some people consider this fusion of R&B, Gospel and Jazz was the first ever Soul record.
  • Ray Charles wrote this with his bandleader Renald Richard after hearing a spiritual on the radio while his band was on the road.
  • The mix of Gospel in Blues on this track was shocking in some circles, but also made the song accessible to a wider audience. The decision to mix styles happened organically. "I was just being myself," Charles said. "Of course it created a lot of static from a lot of people. But then, on the other hand, it was a hit. It was a hit in the black community and the white community."
  • In this song, Charles sings about a very supportive woman who helps him out in many ways. In 2005, Kanye West based sampled this for his #1 hit "Gold Digger." West's song, however, is about a girl who is after a guy for his money. There's a bit of a disconnect, as West used Charles' line "She gives me money, when I'm in need."
  • In 1962, the Philadelphia Jazz organist Jimmy McGriff recorded an instrumental version of this song that charted at #20 in the US. Known for his unique organ sound and Gospel influence, McGriff was a popular performer on the R&B club circuit until his retirement in 2007. He died at age 72 on May 25, 2008 of complications from multiple sclerosis. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)