We tell you about the song "You Got It" performed by Roy Orbison

“You Got It” is a composition by American artist Roy Orbison, released in 1989. Its release took place after the musician’s death, the cause of which was a heart attack. The creators of the song were Orbison himself, as well as his colleagues from the Traveling Wilburys, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty.

The History of the Creation and Meaning of the Song You Got It Performed by Roy Orbison

Tom shares one story: Before starting work on “You Got It,” he invited everyone else outside to check out his brand new Corvette. Trying to lower the hood of the car turned out to be a real challenge – the three musicians could not cope with this task. Finally, after much effort, they managed to open the hood, and that same day they began writing a song inspired by Roy’s idea. Tom Petty recalls:

“Jeff lived nearby, and one day the phone rang, and it was him, and he said, ‘Roy Orbison is calling, he needs your help writing a song.’ I drove right over, I had a new Corvette, and we went over to Jeff and Roy’s. We went out to look at the car, and we tried to put the hood down. We were musicians, not mechanics, and we just didn’t know how to do it. [Laughs] I remember Roy literally sticking his head under the hood, trying to figure out how to get it up. And that’s the day we wrote ‘You Got It.’ [Sings, “Whatever you want, you’ll get it…”] Yeah, that was our first day together.”

Tom Petty shared his memories:

“It was an incredible thrill to write a song with [Roy Orbison]. When he came to work on the album that Jeff was producing, they called me. That’s when I met Roy Orbison, and literally that day we started writing a song that became known as ‘You Got It.’”

Tom Petty recalled:

“The next period, spanning several weeks, was spent, I suppose, mostly in informal conversation… You know, it coincided with the Christmas holidays, and we were just getting together, playing guitars. At one point, Jeff brought Roy Orbison over. And literally the day we met, the three of us wrote a song.”

Jeff composed the song on a small Casio keyboard, while Roy and Tom contributed acoustic guitars. The catchy intro/chorus was formed first, and then the verses were added. Notably, despite Jeff's claim that Roy came up with the idea for the track, "Jeff Lynne" is listed first among the songwriters, indicating his primary contribution to the song.

Jeff shares a funny recollection of the first take. He and Roy had never worked together in the studio before, so during Roy's rehearsal, they adjusted the microphone levels based on his performance. However, when Roy went to record the first take, no one expected how loudly he would sing - his first attempt "overloaded" the equipment. Realizing this, the levels were adjusted after the first recording, and the song was completed in just two more takes. Then they added the backing vocals and the recording was finished. Jeff Lynne:

“I remember when I got the chance to write a song with him. We came up with the lyrics and went into the studio to record them. I used to think that Roy must have sung really loudly. I soon got the chance to find out that he did it a thousand times louder than I thought! All the vocals were recorded in two or three takes.”

When it comes to the meaning of “You Got It,” the lyrics are a simple love story, where the singer is convinced that they are destined to be together and is willing to do literally “whatever she wants” for his beloved. Even though Roy Orbison became famous for songs with a hint of loneliness and sentimentality, the lyrics of “You Got It” radiate optimism, and the only hint of sadness can be found in the line “I pray that you stay here.”

However, many critics perceive the hero of the work as a man trying to hold on to his beloved. Even Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records and the man who played a decisive role in the beginning of Roy's career in the 1950s, characterizes the song in this way. However, if you think about the lyrics, this image turns out to be inappropriate: the singer clearly understands and is sure that he and his beloved truly love each other deeply.

Roy Kelton Orbison Jr., the singer's son, said:

“'You Got It' is so gripping that it almost seems unfair to the listener. It's like one continuous refrain. You can tell from the confidence in his voice how deep Roy's love was. These are the words of a man who promises worlds and can give them. This is Roy's heartfelt serenade to his love, Barbara Orbison.”

The song reached number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contemporary chart, returning Roy Orbison to the top ten after a 25-year absence. “You Got It” also reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and entered the top five in ten other countries.