Best of Ray Charles

"Love is a special word, and I use it only when I mean it. You say the word too much and it becomes cheap". - Ray Charles

Let me tell you 'bout a girl I know.
She is my baby and she lives next door.
Ev'ry morning 'fore the sun come up,
She brings my coffee in my fav'rite cup.
That's why I know, yes, I know,
Hallelujah, I just love her so.
When I'm in trouble and I have no friends,
I know she'll go with me until the end.
Ev'rybody asks me how I know.
I smile at them and say she told me so.
That's why I know, yes, I know,
Hallelujah, I just love her so.
Now if I call her on the telephone,
And tell her that I'm all alone,

By the time I count from one to four,I hear her on my door.
In the evening when the sun does down,
When there is nobody else around,
She kisses me and she holds me tight.
And tells me "Daddy, ev'ry thing's all right."
That's why I know, yes, I know,
Hallelujah, I just love her so.

"I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood". - Ray Charles

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
Aw, play it boy
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! (c'mon honey)
Naw, I got, I uh-uh-uh, I'm changing (stop! stop! we'll do it again)
Wait a minute, wait a minute, oh hold it! Hold it! Hold it!
Hey (hey) ho (ho) hey (hey) ho (ho) hey (hey) ho (ho) hey
Oh one more time (just one more time)
Say it one more time right now (just one more time)
Say it one more time now (just one more time)
Say it one more time yeah (just one more time)
Say it one more time (just one more time)
Say it one more time yeah (just one more time)

Hey (hey) ho (ho) hey (hey) ho (ho) hey (hey) ho (ho) hey
Ah! Make me feel so good (make me feel so good)
Make me feel so good now yeah (make me feel so good)
Woah! Baby (make me feel so good)
Make me feel so good yeah (make me feel so good)
Make me feel so good (make me feel so good)
Make me feel so good yeah (make me feel so good)
Huh (huh) ho (ho) huh (huh) ho (ho) huh (huh) ho (ho) huh
Awh it's all right (baby it's all right)
Said that it's all right right now (baby it's all right)
Said that it's all right (baby it's all right)
Said that it's all right yeah (baby it's all right)
Said that it's all right (baby it's all right)
Said that it's all right (baby it's all right)

Woah! Shake that thing now (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing now now (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing right now (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing (baby shake that thing)
Baby shake that thing (baby shake that thing)
Woah! I feel all right now yeah (make me feel all right)
Said I feel all right now (make me feel all right)
Woooah! (make me feel all right)
Tell you I feel all right (make me feel all right)
Said I feel all right (make me feel all right)
Baby I feel all right (make me feel all right)

"My version of "Georgia" became the state song of Georgia. That was a big thing for me, man. It really touched me. ..." - Ray Charles

Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind
Talkin' 'bout Georgia
I'm in Georgia
A song of you
Comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines
Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The road leads back to you
Georgia, sweet Georgia, no peace I find
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind
Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The road leads back
It always leads back to you
I'm in Georgia, Georgia, sweet Georgia
No peace, no peace I find
Just this old, sweet song
Keeps Georgia forever on my mind
Just an old sweet, sweet song
Keeps Georgia forever on my mind

"I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great". - Ray Charles

(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.)
(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more.)
What you say?
(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.)
(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more.)

Woah Woman, oh woman, don't treat me so mean,
You're the meanest old woman that I've ever seen.
I guess if you said so
I'd have to pack my things and go. (That's right)

(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.)
(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more.)
What you say?
(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.)
(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more.)

Now baby, listen baby, don't ya treat me this-a way
Cause I'll be back on my feet some day.
(Don't care if you do 'cause it's understood)
(you ain't got no money you just ain't no good.)
Well, I guess if you say so
I'd have to pack my things and go. (That's right)

(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.)
(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more.)
What you say?
(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.)
(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more.)

Well
(don't you come back no more.)
Uh, what you say?
(don't you come back no more.)
I didn't understand you
(don't you come back no more.)
You can't mean that
(don't you come back no more.)
Oh, now baby, please
(don't you come back no more.)
What you tryin' to do to me?
(don't you come back no more.)
Oh, don't treat me like that
(don't you come back no more.)

"Music's been around a long time and there's going to be music long after Ray Charles is dead. I just want to make my mark, leave something musically good"... - Ray Charles

I GOT A WOMAN way over town,
She's good to me, Oh yeah!
Well, I GOT A WOMAN way over town,
She's good to me, Oh yeah!
Now she gives me money when I'm in need, oh, yes indeed,
She's just the kind of friend I need,
I got a woman way over town, She's good to me Oh Yeah!

She saves her loving early in the morning' Just for me, Oh, yeah!
She saves her loving early in the morning' Just for me, Oh yeah!
She saves her loving just for me
She loves me so tenderly
I got a woman way over town,
That's good to me Oh yeah!

She better love me both day and night.
Never grumbles or fusses,
Always treats me right,
Never running in the streets and leaving me alone,
She knows a womens place is right in her home.

I GOT A WOMAN way over town,
She's good to me, Oh yeah!
Say I gotta woman, way over town,
That's good to me, Oh year!
She's my baby, don't you understand.
Yeah! I'm her lover man.

I found a woman way over town,
That's good to me Oh yeah!
Don't you know she's alright.
Don't you know she's alright.
She's alright, she's alright.

"What makes my approach special is that I do different things. I do jazz, blues, country music and so forth. I do them all, like a good utility man". - Ray Charles

"There are many spokes on the wheel of life. First, we're here to explore new possibilities". - Ray Charles

"Affluence separates people. Poverty knits 'em together. You got some sugar and I don't; I borrow some of yours. Next month you might not have ..." - Ray Charles

Genius! - The Ultimate Ray Charles Collection


The definitive Ray Charles collection featuring all original hit recordings and performances and digitally remastered from the original tapes!

Ultimate Hits Collection (2CD)


The man's originality and infectious feeling bleed through on each of these 36 tracks, whether he's transforming "One Mint Julep" or "America the Beautiful" or collaborating (separately) with Willie Nelson and Chaka Khan. - Rickey Wright

Ray!: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack


This feature-length biopic Ray!, the never-before-told musical biographical drama of the late American legend Ray Charles. Featuring a remarkable performance from Jamie Foxx in the central role, Ray! follows the inspiring story of a one-of-a-kind genius.

The Very Best of Ray Charles


Hard as it is to go wrong when shopping for a Brother Ray package, some career-spanning compilations bundle the decades better than others. Count this one, true to its title, among the very best.

The Birth Of Soul : The Complete Atlantic Rhythm & Blues Recordings, 1952-1959


Though this is not the most recent Ray Charles box set collection, it may be the best. That's because it focuses on Ray's great growth in the 1950s, particularly his days with Atlantic Records.

The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show 1969-1971


The Best Of The Johnny Cash Show collects some of the top performances from the man in black's television show. If you're unfamiliar with the show, all you need to know is that it features Cash, his wife June Carter and artists like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitch, George Jones, Neil Young, Creedance Clearwater Revival, Loretta Lynn, Ray Charles and Roy Orbison performing some of their classic hits.