How ‘What’d I Say’ by Ray Charles Became a Defining Anthem of Rhythm and Blues

Did You Know?

Certainly! “What’d I Say” is a famous rhythm and blues song by the American musician Ray Charles. It was written and recorded by Ray Charles in 1958 and released as a single in 1959. The song became one of Ray Charles’ signature tracks and is considered a pivotal moment in the evolution of rhythm and blues and rock and roll music.

Here’s some information about the song:

Title: What’d I Say Artist: Ray Charles Release Date: 1959 Genre: Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Roll Length: Approximately 6 minutes

Notable Features:

1. Catchy Call and Response: “What’d I Say” is known for its infectious call and response structure. Ray Charles’ call is met with a spirited response from his backup singers, creating an energetic and engaging atmosphere in the song.
2. Improvised Origin: The song’s creation is often cited as a spontaneous moment during a live performance. Ray Charles and his band were performing at a concert when they ran out of planned material. To keep the audience entertained, Charles began improvising “What’d I Say” on the spot.
3. Iconic Piano Riff: The song features an iconic, repetitive piano riff that drives the rhythm of the track. Ray Charles’ virtuoso piano skills shine in this song.
4. Lyrics: The lyrics of “What’d I Say” are suggestive and playful, with themes of desire and longing. The call and response structure between Charles and the background singers adds a flirtatious and sensuous quality to the song.

Impact: “What’d I Say” had a significant impact on the music industry and played a pivotal role in the development of rock and roll and rhythm and blues. It became a massive hit, reaching the top of the R&B chart and crossing over to the pop charts. The song’s fusion of gospel, rhythm and blues, and rock elements marked a shift in popular music and influenced many artists who followed. It’s also considered one of the early instances of soul music, a genre that Ray Charles would later help pioneer.

Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say” remains an enduring classic and a testament to his musical genius and innovation. It has been covered and sampled by countless artists and continues to be celebrated for its timeless appeal.

Video

Lyrics

“What’d I Say (Parts 1 & 2)”

Hey mama, don’t you treat me wrong
Come and love your daddy all night long
All right now, hey hey, all right
See the girl with the diamond ring
She knows how to shake that thing
All right now now now, hey hey, hey hey
Tell your mama, tell your pa
I’m gonna send you back to Arkansas
Oh yes, ma’m, you don’t do right, don’t do right
Aw, play it boy
When you see me in misery
Come on baby, see about me
Now yeah, all right, all right, aw play it, boy
When you see me in misery
Come on baby, see about me
Now yeah, hey hey, all right
See the girl with the red dress on
She can do the Birdland all night long

Yeah yeah, what’d I say, all right
Well, tell me what’d I say, yeah
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 yeah

And I wanna know
Baby I wanna know right now
And-a I wanna know
And I wanna know right now yeah
And-a I wanna know
Said I wanna know yeah

[Spoken:] Hey, don’t quit now! (c’mon honey)
Naw, I got, I uh-uh-uh, I’m changing (stop! stop! we’ll do it again)
Wait a minute, wait a minute, oh hold it! Hold it! Hold it!
Hey (hey) ho (ho) hey (hey) ho (ho) hey (hey) ho (ho) hey
Oh one more time (just one more time)
Say it one more time right now (just one more time)
Say it one more time now (just one more time)
Say it one more time yeah (just one more time)
Say it one more time (just one more time)
Say it one more time yeah (just one more time)

Hey (hey) ho (ho) hey (hey) ho (ho) hey (hey) ho (ho) hey
Ah! Make me feel so good (make me feel so good)
Make me feel so good now yeah (make me feel so good)
Woah! Baby (make me feel so good)
Make me feel so good yeah (make me feel so good)
Make me feel so good (make me feel so good)
Make me feel so good yeah (make me feel so good)
Huh (huh) ho (ho) huh (huh) ho (ho) huh (huh) ho (ho) huh
Awh it’s all right (baby it’s all right)
Said that it’s all right right now (baby it’s all right)
Said that it’s all right (baby it’s all right)
Said that it’s all right yeah (baby it’s all right)
Said that it’s all right (baby it’s all right)
Said that it’s all right (baby it’s all right)

Woah! Shake that thing now (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing now now (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing right now (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing (baby shake that thing)
Woah! I feel all right now yeah (make me feel all right)
Said I feel all right now (make me feel all right)
Woooah! (make me feel all right)
Tell you I feel all right (make me feel all right)
Said I feel all right (make me feel all right)
Baby I feel all right (make me feel all right)