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Can I Get A Witness
(Brian Holland / Lamont Dozier / Eddie Holland)

Regent Sound Studios, London, UK, February 4, 1964

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals
Keith Richards - acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass, backing vocals
Brian Jones - tambourine, backing vocals
Ian Stewart - piano

Listen everybody, body, especially you girls, girls
It's not right to be left alone, when the one you love is never home
I loved to hard, my friends sometime say, but I believe, I believe
That a woman should be loved that way, but it hurts me so inside
To see you treat me so unkind, somebody, somewhere, tell her it ain't fair

Can I get a witness, can I get a witness, I want a witness, can I get a witness
I want a witness, can I get a witness, somebody, can I get a witness
Is it right to be treated so bad, when you give it everything you had
If I talk in my sleep, ‘cuz I haven't seen my baby all week
Now you chicks, you all agree, this ain't the way it's supposed to be
Let me hear you, let me hear you say: yeah, yeah

Up early in the morning, well they're all in my mind, just to find her out all night
Well, I've been crying, but I believe, a women's a man's best friend
I'm gonna stick by her, 'till the very end, well, she caused me so much misery
I forget how it's supposed to be, somebody, somewhere, tell her it ain't fair
Can I get a witness, can I get a witness, can I get a witness, I want a witness
Can I get a witness, witness, witness, can I get a witness, witness, witness
Can I get a witness, everybody knows, especially you girls, that a love can be sad
But half a love is twice as bad, now you chicks you all agree
That ain't the way love's supposed to be, let me hear ya, let me hear you say:
Yeah, yeah, I want a witness, can I get a witness, I want a witness, can I get a witness
Yeah, I want a witness, I want a witness, somebody, can I get a witness

Is it right to be treated so bad, when you give it everything you had
If I talk, in my sleep, 'cuz I haven't seen my baby all week
Yeah, she caused me so much misery, that ain't the way it's supposed to be
Let me hear ya, let me hear you say: yeah, yeah
I want a witness, can I get a witness, I want a witness, can I get a witness
I wanna be, can I get a witness, I want a witness, can I get a witness
Witness, witness, I want a witness

Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “The Rolling Stones” LP
(Decca LK 4605) UK, April 16, 1964

ORIGINAL rap!!

12 bar piano blues up tempo. Is really boring and repetitive. Always disliked the "Can I get a witness" sung over and over, so not catchy. No interesting guitar or piano bridge to add interest. Do like Keith's back up singing though. I see Brian singing back up too, can't really hear him.

cut the guys a break, Markdog, it's their first album!... actually I think this one of the early tunes where mick's vocals are a weak link.

Uh,Markdog- I wasnt serious!!

I always thought Elwood and Jake could have really done this track justice.

Not bad for the first album - The Stones have always done Motown tunes pretty well.

it's gayer than marvin's version - not that there's anything wrong with that....

Love it - just like every other track on their debut LP

First cut by Marvin Gaye in '63 ...

Also covered by a few other Motowners such as Stevie Wonder ...
Earl Van Dyke ....stomping version by The Supremes 1966 and well
worth the search for funky guitar/horn driven take from Barbara Randolph 1968....



ROCKMAN

Still can't figure out how these funny little white Brits learned how to do this stuff so authentically; I grew up listening to the same stuff (i.e. Mowtown, Stax/Volt, Atlantic/Muscle Schoals, Chicago/delta blues, funk, etc. as well as the Stones and a billion other acts), and it took me til I was in my late 20's to be able to sort of cop the authentic vibe in lots of '60's r n' b (as a drummer).

Not a great track I don't think, but great groovey filler to keep the party going.

I love the innocence and exuberance of the band here. Fits perfectly on their first album, which remains a classic. Yeah, this is not a track I sit around and think about, but it's definitely a promising start for the lads.

Drew

Great track, and Now I've got a witness...

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