from I AM
Written by Maurice White, David Foster & Allee Willis
“‘Let Your Feelings Show’ was my first attempt to write a real ‘Earth, Wind & Fire’ song. I ‘borrowed’ the key elements from many of their songs to finally arrive at those chords and tempo. Maurice, of course, helped so much [by] adding his wizard touches to make it immediately sound like an Earth, Wind & Fire classic. I also played keyboards on it like I did for all the compositions I co-wrote for them.”
David Foster sent this note about “Let Your Feelings Show,” one of the magnificent album tracks that he co-wrote with the incredible Maurice White (1941-2016) and supreme lyricist Allee Willis (1947-2019). Foster wrote “Let Your Feelings Show” for the super-group’s 1979 double platinum release, I Am. “Let Your Feelings Show” was an energetic funk masterpiece that closed side A of the album, perfectly changing the atmosphere after the sweet, tender sounds of “After The Love Has Gone.” The monster instrumental track was a blaze with smokin’ rhythm guitars, commanding bass, inspiring keyboards, strong percussions, swinging strings and powerful horns. On top of such a funk fest were Earth, Wind & Fire’s trademark vocals flying high with Reese’s handling the lead vocals and Philip Bailey adding his genius acrobatic harmonies to the mix. “Let Your Feelings Show” and the whole I Am album demonstrate, without any doubt, that White and Foster, during that week spent at Maurice’s home in Carmel, co-wrote some glorious stuff that will remain in history books as some of pop music’s finest examples.
Listen
- Lead and Background Vocals: Maurice White & Philip Bailey
- Drums: Fred White
- Bass: Verdine White
- Guitars: Al McKay & Johnny Graham
- Keyboards: David Foster & Larry Dunn
- Percussion: Ralph Johnson & Paulinho Da Costa
- Trumpet: Bobby Bryant, Jerry Hey, Michael Harris, Oscar Brashear, Rahmlee Michael Davis & Steve Madaio
- Saxophone: Andrew Wollfolk, Don Myrick, Fred Jackson Jr., Herman Riley & Jerome Richardson
- Trombone: Benjamin Powell, William Reichenbach, Garnett Brown, George Bohanon, Louis Satterfield & Maurice Spears
- Strings & Horns Arranged by Tom Tom 84
- Produced by Maurice White
Lyrics
Woke up Sunday morning feeling out of tune
Wrapped my eyes around you, love came in the room
Baby, gonna let my feelings show
Everyday, gonna learn to love you more
Laughing into midnight, lover being my guide
We approach the morning feeling good inside
Baby, gonna let my feelings show
Everyday, gonna learn to love you more
Paying dues and changes, living day to day
Love is necessary to help you find the way
Baby, gonna let my feelings show
Everyday
Try not to hide
What you feel deep inside
If you care, you must dare
To be free as the air
Fairy tales and stories that we fail to see
We will tell the story of reality
Baby, gonna let my feelings show
Everyday, gonna learn to love you more
Tingle in our heartbeat, rapture on the cloud
When softer words are spoken, action speaks out loud
Baby, gonna let my feelings show
Everyday
Try not to hide
What you feel deep inside
If you care, you must dare
To be free as the air
Hey hey hey, yea yea yea
Hey hey hey hey, yea yea yea yea
Hey hey hey, yea yea yea
Hey hey hey hey, yea yea yea
Let your feelings show
Everyday you gotta let your feelings show
Let your feelings show
Everyday you gotta let your feelings show
Let your feelings show
Everyday you gotta let your feelings show
Let your feelings show
Everyday you gotta let your feelings show
Let your feelings show
Everyday you gotta let your feelings show
Let your feelings show
Everyday you gotta let your feelings show
…