Tell It Like It Is is a co-written track, with Mick Ronson, echoes the 1960 Shakin' All Over hit by Johnny Kidd & the Pirates and is an up-tempo rocker. Kidd was one of the few British artists to have worldwide success in the pre-Beatle period. With a paucity of lyrics the song is held together by rocking musically. It sounds like it has a nod to T-Rex's Get It On which had paid homage to Chuck Berry's Little Queenie. In short, a tribute to class rock 'n' roll and rock forebears.
There is a live version from 1989.
Also recorded at The Cabaret, San Jose CA 16th December 1989 and is on Missing In Action.
Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_It_On_(T._Rex_song)
Tell It Like It Is
(Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson)
Do you remember truth-you used to tell it everyday
Oh what a feelin'-there was nuthin' in the way
I won't get excited- if you don't slash your wrists
oh oh oh-something is gravely amiss
You gotta tell it like it is
Whats the matter baby- cat got your tongue?
You bin creepin' 'round the alleyways-all night long
You can't hide a secret-more than a week
oh oh oh- we gotta get to the bottom of this
You gotta tell it like it is
Hangin' on a corner- of the danger zone
Just another nightmare- let me take you home
C'mon baby, c'mon baby
You've gotta tell it like it is...
Tell It Like It Is (Mick borrowing the Get It On riff)
Tell It Like It Is | 4:23 | Originally released on YUI Orta. |
Tell It Like It Is (live 16th December 1989) | 6:26 | This live version (recorded at the Cabaret, San Jose CA) was released on Missing In Action (not on the box set). |