That's All You Gotta Do

Album: Brenda Lee (1960)
Charted: 6
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this rockabilly hit, written by Jerry Reed, Brenda Lee is trying to hook her crush by promising to be there for him any time he's feeling low. Lee was just 15 years old when she recorded the tune and had never even gone on a date, let alone loved and squeezed and tried to please some lonesome dude.

    Decca Records was keenly aware of the singer's age and the label was not looking to promote her as a sex symbol. They thought the uptempo bop, in the vein of her previous hit, "Sweet Nothin's," was more appropriate than the mature heartache ballad "I'm Sorry," which was relegated to the B-side of "That's All You Gotta Do." But the single's fate was in the hands of radio DJs, who decided to spin "I'm Sorry" first and gave Lee her first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The flipside also fared well, peaking at #6 and also going to #19 on the R&B chart.
  • Reed became famous for songs like "Guitar Man," "A Thing Called Love," and "When You're Hot, You're Hot," and his appearances in the Smokey And The Bandit films - but none of that had happened yet when he wrote "That's All You Gotta Do." He was still serving in the US Army when he met Lee while she was on a layover in Atlanta. Lee recalled in her 2002 autobiography, Little Miss Dynamite: The Life And Times Of Brenda Lee:

    "He was in his Army uniform and introduced himself to me. Jerry said he was a writer and told me he had a song he thought I could really sing well. I said, 'Well, great, send it to me.' He did, and that's how I came to record 'That's All You Gotta Do.' Upon his discharge, he moved directly to Nashville to embark on his own hit-making career."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Dwight Twilley

Dwight TwilleySongwriter Interviews

Since his debut single "I'm On Fire" in 1975, Dwight has been providing Spinal-Tap moments and misadventure.

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

Adam Young of Owl City

Adam Young of Owl CitySongwriter Interviews

Is Owl City on a quest for another hit like "Fireflies?" Adam answers that question and explains the influences behind many others.