Thursday, 6 January 2011

Don Johnson: "Tell It Like It Is" (1989)




"Tell It Like It Is" is a song written by George Davis and Lee Diamond. It was first recorded by Aaron Neville, who released the song as a single in 1966. It was issued at the end of the year on the Par-Lo label and became a hit, peaking at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and at number one on the U.S. R&B chart in early 1967.

In 2004, it was ranked #381 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Tracy Chapman and Lightnin' Hopkins composed songs with the same name not to be confused with Davis and Diamond's version discussed here.

In 1989 actor Don Johnson recorded a version of the song on his album Let It Roll, which was successful in the Region at Germany. The cover was able to continue in some countries in the success of Johnson's debut single Heartbeat.


- Lyrics:

Say it say it say it Tell it like it is
Say it say it say it Tell it like it is
What breaks your heart
What keeps you awake at night
What makes you want to breakdown and cry
But say you'll never turn your back
Say you'll never harden to the world
Say you'll never try to still the rhythms in your breast
Say you'll never look at the evil among us and try to forget
Say you'll tell it like it is
Say it say it say it so everyone can hear
Say it say it say it tell it like it is
What breaks your hear
What keeps you awake at night
How your anger and grief
Make you want to cry out
And tell it like it is
But say you'll never close your eyes
Or pretend that it's a rosy world
Say you'll never try to paint
What is rotten with a sugarcoat
Say you'll talk about the horrors you've seen and the torment you know
And tell it like it is

Say it say it say it
So no one can forget
Say it say it say it Tell it like it is
What breaks your heart
What keeps you awake at night
What makes you want to break the ties that silence and bind
And tell it like it is
Say you'll never cover your ears and close your mouth
And live in a silent world
Say you'll only run as far or as fast as you need to be secure
Say that then you'll tell the truth
When a lie could cross your lips
And tell it like it is

Say it say it say it - Say it say it say it
Say it say it say it - Say it say it say it
Say it say it say it - Say it say it say it
Say it say it say it - Say it say it say it



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