Hard To Handle Poem Analysis

Remake Analysis

Music trends change dramatically over the years and that can be witnessed in the song “Hard To Handle” by Otis Redding and in the cover version by The Black Crowes. “Hard To Handle” was first released in 1968 by Otis Redding, Al Bell, and Ailen Jones in their album “The Immortal Otis Redding”. Otis Redding’s version of “Hard To Handle” was listed under the soul genre, but when the Black Crowes revitalized the song 20 years later, it was listed under the rock genre. Releasing the cover in 1990, the band takes a different approach to the tone of the song while still rocking the same lyrics as the original. Originally written in the 1960’s which was a time of war, “Hard To Handle” is a song with lyrics that clearly state a desire

for intimacy and show signs of loneliness.

When the original song by Otis Redding made it’s debut in the 1960’s, it was a time of war filled with loneliness, fear and sadness.

The Cold War and the Vietnam War were the impacted vast majorities of Americans. With soldiers deployed overseas during the Vietnam war, they often experienced loneliness and reminced on good times with the ones they loved. The song discusses how he can can be better partner to a lady than another male. The song is still relevant today because people continue to seek love, confidence, and intimacy. The single is all about how “actions speak louder than words” which is still true today. Men try to compete with other men for women’s attention and time. Men are still very competitive and aggressive when trying to find a woman.

“Hard To Handle” was received well by its audience at the time. It reached number thirty-eight on the Billboard r&b and number fifty-one on the Billboard pop chart. When the song was released it attracted mostly people in their twenties - late thirties because it is a very

sexual song with clear intentions during a time of conserved purity. The song reached people on a personal level because it brought back good memories and made them think about the one they love. The song has a tone of innocence and strong desire for love and was delivered in a calm and pure way. The singer also displays a lack of confidence with soft vocals. It features an upbeat tempo with soft vocals. The beat stops when Otis Redding delivers the main message of the song which to “light a girl's chemicals”, then goes on with a fast paced, joyful saxophone solo, which is repeated a couple times during the course of the song. This “Hard To Handle” features one lead male voice with no back up singers. Otis Redding’s voice is clear, warm, and mid pitched. The male voice is deep, scratchy, and developed which represents masculinity and a man’s comfort. The lyrics feature some slang english, for example “nothin’”, “lovin’”, “throwing’” and “ain’t”. The song features many different instruments with the saxophone taking the lead and a drum set, percussion, and electric guitar following. The instruments faintly create a roots urban soul rhythm that is upbeat, tuneful, and catchy. The vocals are very heartfelt, sincere and gentle compared to the more intimate lyrics like “I forgot some good old lovin’ and I got some in store when I get to throwin’ it on you, you got to come back for more”. Together, the instruments and the vocals create a perfect balance that combines the properties of rock and roll, funk, and soul which ends up creating a very unique sound.

The remake of “Hard To Handle” by The Black Crowes was released in 1990 in their debut album “Shake Your Moneymaker”.

The 1990’s were a time of prosperity and confidence for the United States. The Cold War has just ended which helped Americans gain their confidence and established a peice of mind. Next came the launch of Hubble Space Telescope which also added to Americans confidence boost. The main audience for The Black Crowes were teengers and people all the way into their late twenties. The remake became the best known cover by The Black Crowes, reaching number on the billboard album rock tracks and number twenty-six on the billboard top one hundred. The remake became exceeded the recognition far beyond the original song written by Otis Redding. The tone of the remake possesses a tone of confidence and excitement. The Black Crowes establish this tone by creating a very loud and upbeat rhythm with very loud and “punkish”

vocals.

The lyrics of the remake version were delivered in a very sharp and confident way. The song starts out with a very fast paced beat and it progresses to get louder. The cover version features on lead vocalist like Otis. The male vocalist displays a loud, young. noisy and excited voice. The song clearly displays the rock and roll along with punk influences with the instruments that are used. The electric guitar, electric bass, and the percussion are empowering in this version, with distinctive sounds of a saxophone. The vocalist displays a no shame attitude and a lot of confidence. The single is still relevant today because the desire for intimacy and a satisfactory time is still wanted by Americans.

The Otis Redding original and The Black Crowes cover are dramatically different when it comes to the tone of the vocalist. Otis displays a gentle, sincere, and heartfelt voice with an innocent message. He displays this by using a slower tempo and a more developed and warm voice. While The Black Crowes display a powerful, confident, and no shame attitude that is supported by the young, loud, unclear, and sharp voice of the singer. The instruments and the rhythm of the song which is noisy, fast paced, and upbeat also contribute to the sinful and dirty meaning this version displays. There is a significant amount of change between the original “Hard To Handle” and the remake version. The most significant change happens to be the meaning of the song. Otis Redding displays a innocent, heartfelt, and sincere desire for a good time and intimacy with girl he loves while The Black Crowes establish a confident, no shame, sinful and powerful need for intimacy with no intention of love or sincere feelings towards a girl

other than to use her so she can provide him with a good time.