See Saw

Album: See Saw (1965)
Charted: 44
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Don Covay has a woman that brings him up one minute and down the next - her love is like a see saw. He knows he loves her, so it's driving him crazy because he doesn't know where he stands.
  • Covay was an American soul singer who recorded for a few different labels in the '60s. He didn't have any huge hits as an artist, but as a songwriter was far more successful - in 1961, Chubby Checker took his song "Pony Time" to #1 in America.

    Covay was signed to Atlantic when he released "See Saw" in 1965. Aretha Franklin was also on the roster and recorded Covay's "Chain Of Fools" in 1967. It was a huge hit for her, so Aretha recorded "See Saw" in 1968. Her version went to #14 in the US.
  • Don Covay wrote "See Saw" in Memphis with the guitarist Steve Cropper, who was part of the house band at Stax Records, where they recorded it. That Stax band was Booker T. & the MG's, which had a hit on their own with "Green Onions" in 1962. Atlantic Records sometimes sent their artists there to record, knowing they would get top-quality work.

    Cropper and Covay also wrote "Sookie Sookie" at these sessions. Covay included that one on his 1966 See Saw album, and Steppenwolf released it as a single two years later.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine Band

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine BandSongwriter Interviews

Harry Wayne Casey tells the stories behind KC and The Sunshine Band hits like "Get Down Tonight," "That's The Way (I Like It)," and "Give It Up."

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And HellSongwriter Interviews

Guitarist Tony Iommi on the "Iron Man" riff, the definitive Black Sabbath song, and how Ozzy and Dio compared as songwriters.