One of the countriest things Stax ever did, either before or after Al Bell took the company's music in a sweeter direction. Super simple: two guitars (one acoustic), bass, drums, Knight with one of the most basic expressions of one of the most basic soul messages. Someone recently asked about the last time we obsessed over a track enough to play it 10 times in a row. I've played this one eight tonight.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Sunday, 19 August 2007 10:11 (eighteen years ago)
Playing it more again.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 09:04 (eighteen years ago)
I lay awake every night Tryna figure out how to make things right There's got to be a better way, I know To shake this monkey off 'Cause he's makin' me sore
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 09:06 (eighteen years ago)
I love this song, I've played it on jukeboxes so much it's a kind of in-joke among my friends
― Tom D., Tuesday, 21 August 2007 09:06 (eighteen years ago)
I think Chuck Berry's "Memphis" would be a good follow to this on a mix tape.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 09:24 (eighteen years ago)
yup!
― Mark G, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 09:36 (eighteen years ago)
Black Grape did a nice cover of this on their second album...
― henry s, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 13:52 (eighteen years ago)
it's one of my faves. Not really a Stax record; done in Birmingham, Ala., and then leased out to Stax. Classic oddball hit.
― whisperineddhurt, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 14:17 (eighteen years ago)
Ha! That makes a lot of sense.
Then the next year you had "Why Can't We Live Together," which makes this one sound like . . . well, something more normal.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 22:25 (eighteen years ago)
And yeah, I know Timmy Thomas was on Glades, a TK subsidiary, not Stax . . .
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 22:26 (eighteen years ago)
There's got to be a better way, I know To shake this monkey off 'Cause he's makin' me sore
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Saturday, 12 July 2008 07:48 (seventeen years ago)
it is a great song, and so doleful and comic at the same time. "Won't somebody help me please...cause...I've...been...lonely..." I think he made it with like a guitar and a two-by-four.
I heard this NPR interview with Alex Chilton a few years ago and he talked about a Knight tune called "Claim to Fame," which Alex apparently did in his set for a while, and performed for Terri Gross. I'd love to find that Knight record...
― whisperineddhurt, Saturday, 12 July 2008 15:31 (seventeen years ago)