Can I Get a Witness

Composers: Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier & Eddie Holland     Original performer: Marvin Gaye (1963)
Recording date: February 1964        Recording location: Regent Sound Studios, London
Producer: Andrew Oldham        Engineer: Bill Farley
Performed onstage: 1963-64

Probable line-up:

Drums: Charlie Watts
Bass: Bill Wyman
Acoustic guitar: Keith Richards
Lead vocal: Mick Jagger
Background vocals: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones & Bill Wyman
Piano: Ian Stewart
Tambourine: Brian Jones
 

Ah listen everybody, especially you girls
Is it right to be left alone when the one you love is never home?
I love too 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?
I want a witness
I want a witness, yeah
Somebody

Is it right to be treated so bad when you've given everything you had?
If I toss in my sleep, it's 'cause I haven't seen my baby all week
Now you chicks do 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, with her on my mind
Just to find her out all night, well I've been crying
But I believe a woman's a man's best friend
I'm going to stick by her until 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?
I want a witness
Witness, witness
Witness, witness

Everybody knows, especially you girls
That a love can be sad but half a love is twice as bad
Now you chicks do all agree that ain't the way love's supposed to be
Let me hear you, let me hear you say "yeah yeah"

 I want a witness
I want a witness
Hey, I want a witness
Somebody

Is it right to be treated so bad when you've given everything you had?
If I toss in my sleep, it's 'cause I haven't seen my baby all week
Now she caused me so much misery, that ain't the way it's supposed to be
Let me hear you, let me hear you say, "yeah yeah"  

I want a witness
I want a witness
I want to be
I want a witness
Witness, witness
I want a witness

 

TrackTalk

Andrew (Oldham) was always pushing us to get us to do Motown things like Can I Get a Witness? And he was right as well; he was more right than we were. And, of course, when Mick and Keith got into writing, the songs came out more like he was looking for. Keith was always more into soul music than me or Charlie, and Mick loved soul performers like Wilson Pickett and James Brown.

- Bill Wyman


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