Guys, word to the wise: every one of you should own this song. Various people have sang it, but it doesn’t matter which one you download. Just do it.

“Try a Little Tenderness” needs to be in your repertoire of soft jams because first off, the lyrics are amazing and mean something to any woman.  Young, old, in love or heartbroken, happy or sad.  Listen to the lyrics, take a hint or thirty, learn something about how a woman needs to feel.

Second, if you happen to have this on your iTunes and you’re cooking dinner for a chick and it happens to come on? Hold on tight, because homegirl is going to lose her shit. I can’t speak for everyone, but if some dude was in the kitchen making me dinner and then this song came on? Oh honey. It’s O-VAH. Basically you’re saying, “I have great taste in music. And I happen to know exactly what you want, baby.” (Even if you don’t… still a good way to divert attention away from your inability to please a lady.)

So if you haven’t taken my cue and downloaded the song/looked up the lyrics, here they are.

Oh she may be weary
And young girls they do get wearied
Wearing that same old shaggy dress
Yeah yeah
But when she gets weary
Try a little tenderness, yeah yeah
Oh my my, huh

You know she’s waiting
Just anticipating
A thing that she’ll never
Never, never, never, never possess, yeah yeah yeah
But while she’s there waiting
And without them
Try a little tenderness
That’s all you gotta do

It’s not just sentimental, no no no
She has her grief and care
Yeah yeah yeah
But the soft words
They are spoke so gentle, yeah

It makes it easier
Easier to bare, yeah

You won’t regret it, no no
Young girls they don’t forget it
Love is their whole happiness, yeah
But it’s all so easy
All you’ve gotta do is, man
Hold her where you want her
Squeeze her, don’t tease her
Never leave her, get to her
Just try, try a little tenderness, yeah yeah yeah
You got to know how to love her, man
Take this advice, man
You got to squeeze her
Don’t tease her, never leave
You got to hold her
And brother, something else
Try a little tenderness, yeah yeah yeah yeah
You’ve got to tenderness, now, uh
I tell you, don’t lose her, no no
You got to love her, tease her
Don’t leave her
Got to try, now now now
Try, try a little tenderness, yeah
Watch the groove
You got to know what to do, man
Take this advice
You gotta love and squeeze
Don’t tease my baby
Love her, lord…

See, I made it so simple.  I love the Amber Riley (Glee Cast) version of the song, but some other fine versions include:

• Michael Buble (swoon factor goes up about 10,000 notches)
• Chris Brown (he’s got a good voice, yo)
• Otis Redding (the original)
• Michael Bolton (I laugh every time I type his name, but he makes the song SEXY. Even more sexy than it is alone.)

and of course, Frank.  (Sinatra, duh.)

Take your pick gents, and thank me later! At least your girlfriend (or whatever you call her) will.