Roy Orbison – You Got It

Roy was making a great comeback in the late eighties. He was a member of the hottest band at the time…The Traveling Wilburys. He had just finished a new album called Mystery Girl in November of 1988. He confided in Johnny Cash that he was having chest pains and he would have to have it looked at…he never did. It was so nice hearing Roy on the radio again with You Got It.

The Traveling Wilburys Vol 1 was rising in the charts and he flew to Europe to do a show and came back and did a few more in America. On December 6, 1988, he flew model planes with his kids and after dinner passed away at the age of 52.

It was written during the Christmas season of 1987 and recorded in April of 1988 with Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, and Phil Jones providing the backing track. The song is credited to Orbison, Lynne, and Petty. It’s pretty obvious it was produced by Jeff Lynne. Jeff was a busy man during this time. He would produce George Harrison’s Cloud Nine, Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever, and Orbison’s Mystery Girl.

The track is quite significant to the career of Jeff Lynne as it was his first entry into the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and his only Top 10 Country hit, peaking at #7 in 1989. Jeff’s only other Billboard Hot Country chart entry was the following Roy Orbison single, California Blue, which peaked at #51 later that year.

I remember watching the Traveling Wilburys video “End of the Line”. They made the video after Roy passed away… when his part came up they showed an empty rocking chair with Roy’s picture beside it.

You Got It featured Jeff Lynn, Tom Petty, and Phil Jones.

You Got It was released in 1989 and it peaked at #9 on the Billboard 100, #3 in Canada, #3 in the UK, #7 on the Billboard Country Charts in 1989.

You Got It

Every time I look into your loving eyesI see a love that money just can’t buy

One look from you, I drift awayI pray that you are here to stay

Anything you want, you got itAnything you need, you got itAnything at all, you got it, baby

Every time I hold you I begin to understandEverything about you tells me I’m your man

I live (I live)My life (my life)To be (To be)With you (with you)No one (no one)Can do (can do)The things (the things)You do (you do)

Anything you want, you got itAnything you need, you got itAnything at all, you got it, baby

Anything you want (you got it)Anything you need (you got it)Anything at all

Do-do-do-do-doo (oh)Do-do-do-do-doo (oh, yeah)Do-do-do-do-doo (yeah, yeah, yeah)(You got it)

I’m glad to give my love to youI know you feel the way I do

Anything you want, you got itAnything you need, you got itAnything at all, you got it, baby

Anything you want, you got itAnything you need, you got itAnything at all, you got it, baby

Anything at all (you got it)BabyYou got it

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

43 thoughts on “Roy Orbison – You Got It”

      2. No…who could? No one had a voice like that. I was surprised that other older rockers didn’t do something like this. Fogerty and some others.

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  2. Lynne, and Petty had never recorded with Orbison before, and they didn’t realize how powerful his vocals were. While in Mike Campbell’s garage studio, Roy was practicing his performance, so they set up the microphone levels based on that. When Roy went to record his first take, that maxed out the equipment. 

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  4. Good song, it somehow sounded old and retro yet new too, all at once. Was good that he did have the comeback he did and at least saw a little of it, but what a shame he died so young and before his album really had impacted the charts much.

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    1. I know…like Randy said…he went out on top but it would have been nice for him to enjoy it. This was when Lynne was THE producer…he was everywhere.

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      2. That was a power play by George…George wanted him in and George Martin’s hearing wasn’t like it should have been.

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  6. My favorite Orbison song! As much as I enjoy 12 bar blues, this song has a lot more chords, but it still rocks. I had this in a guitar fake book collection and playing the chords along with the record was the high water mark for me when this was out. Oh yeah, it also has the kind of vocals that put most singers to shame in it.

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  7. It was so great to see Roy making it big back in the 80’s. I am sure a lot of it had to do with association with Petty which gave me him cred with the young kids, but his voice still I am sure didn’t hurt. What a singer.

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    1. The Wiburys helped him and Dylan …Dylan would have survived regardless but yea…those guys helped Orbison and in turn he helped them.

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  8. Mr. Orbison ranks up way way high in my book. This song shows he’s still got it there. Too damned young to die. Think about the Stones still going 30 years beyond 53. So much more music he could have made. I love the way this song is put together. Those running notes in the chorus (or whatever they are called) and the addition of the timpani, adds a lot to it. Can def hear Jeff Lynne influences.

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    1. I love Roy…I know…I wish he would have went to the doctor when he started to have the chest pains…he might still be here. we lost so much with him leaving so early.

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  12. Such a great song, Max. I love the guitar part that seems to be a bit of a nod to “Oh, Pretty Woman”. And, yes, the production definitely has Jeff Lynne written all over it. Speaking of Lynne, looks like his upcoming “Over And Out Tour” is going to be his final run of shows – sigh! Unfortunately, I’ve never seen him live.

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    1. I had tickets to see him last time in 2019 with Dhani Harrison but a Kidney Stone took me out of the running…I would like to see him.

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  13. Never ignore those chest pain signs but it’s easy to do. At least he was dealing with some more success before he passed. This is a great song from a great album. If Roy had lived they would have cleaned up if they went out on the rad thats for sure.

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  15. Pingback: Roy Orbison – You Got It – MobsterTiger

  18. Loved Roy all my life, and so did my whole family, huge fans we were, and my dad could match Roy note for note, flawless. This was a great record, as was the entire album, just wish he could lived long enough to see the love he got in the UK – he was always hugely popular here, including long after the big hits dried up.

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    1. I know…he was on top when he went out but he had so much more to give.
      Over here he was known but not as big until this came out…which is a shame. The UK always treated 50s and early American 60s artist much better.

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  20. I didn’t know about the chest pains comment to Cash. As you alluded Jeff Lynn seemed like an unsung hero amongst all this revival period. In my youth we wore the ELO record to death. ‘You Got’ it is a fantastic song.

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      1. Orbison’s incredible legacy is beyond doubt, but learning what Lynn did in this time is immense. My favourite songs from him are ‘Telephone Line’ and ‘Can’t Get it Out of My Head’, but I’m far from someone well knowledged of his output.

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