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). |