What I say es más que un gran tema, más aún que la décima mejor canción de todos los tiempos para el Rolling Stone, es un punto de inflexión en la música, en el Rithm & Blues que seguirían otros grandes de la música como James Brown, Solomon Burke o San Cooke: el Soul. Grabado por Atlantic Records a principios de 1959 en dos partes porque el tema original, surgido de Ray Charles durante una improvisación en un concierto en un club de Milwaukee, era a parecer de los productores de la Atlantic, demasiado largo. En realidad su título correcto es What'd I say, pero Ray Charles prefería usar éste que le damos porque era tal y como sonaba. Cosas de autor.
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
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!
Naw, I got, I uh-uh-uh, I'm changing
Wait a minute, wait a minute, oh hold it! Hold it! Hold it!
Hey ho hey ho hey ho hey
Oh one more time
Say it one more time right now
Say it one more time now
Say it one more time yeah
Say it one more time
Say it one more time yeah
Hey ho hey ho hey ho hey
Ah! Make me feel so good
Make me feel so good now yeah
Woah! Baby
Make me feel so good yeah
Make me feel so good
Make me feel so good yeah
Huh ho huh ho huh ho huh
Awh it's all right
Said that it's all right right now
Said that it's all right
Said that it's all right yeah
Said that it's all right
Said that it's all right
Woah! Shake that thing now
Baby shake that thing now now
Baby shake that thing
Baby shake that thing right now
Baby shake that thing
Baby shake that thing
Woah! I feel all right now yeah
Said I feel all right now
Woooah!
Tell you I feel all right
Said I feel all right
Baby I feel all right