3:15
single, 1968
Written by Zelma Redding, Otis Redding, Joe Rock
A deeply soulful R&B about that most common of subjects: the jilted lover. "I know you said he was just a friend / But I saw him kiss you again and again." What elevates this song beyond heartbreak cliché is the sheer emotional authority of the performance. Released after Redding's death, the song showcases his incredible vocal power, his voice moving from wounded restraint to ragged pleading without ever losing control. I believe that Steve Cropper is playing electric guitar with Booker T. on the keyboards. The horns and backing vocals maintain the dignity of Memphis soul, but Redding increasingly sounds as if he's barely holding himself together, especially when he mutters "rough dreams" and "bad dreams" beneath the refrain. It's the sound of a man trying to sing himself through betrayal.