What You're Doin' to Me

Album: Dig In Deep (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Bonnie Raitt sings here about the excitement of unexpected, late-life love. "'What You're Doin' To Me' is about having kinda given up on love and then when you least expect it, somebody comes in and blows the lid off it," she explained to TeamRock. "And that's very real, especially at this time of my life, and this age, with relationships that get stale."
  • The song's rollicking gospel groove is one of several penned by Raitt with her live audience in mind for Dig In Deep. "I was really wanting to play certain grooves that I wasn't playing live," she explained, "so I custom-wrote the songs so I could add them to the set."

    "One is that gospel song [What You're Doin' To Me]. I love playing piano – I don't do it that often – and I wanted to write a song that would really let the band kick it," Raitt continued "That was very deliberate. So I worked really hard. Y'know, I hadn't written in a long time and each one of those grooves and topics are things I wanted to cover."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Songs Discussed in Movies

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.