Try a Little Tenderness by Otis Redding is featured in Funeral, the twenty first episode of Season Two. Mercedes sings the song in an audition for a star position at Nationals. Though she obviously does well, Jesse says that she is lazy because of her lack of choreography, and when asked how much she practiced this song, Mercedes tells him that she feels the music on the spot instead.
Lyrics
Mercedes:
Oh, she may get weary
Them young girls, they do get weary
Wearing that same old shaggy dress, yeah
But when she gets weary
Try a little tenderness
Oh-may may mmm
You know she's waiting
Just anticipating
The thing that you'll never never never never possess, yeah yeah
But while she's 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 yeah
It makes it easier, easier to bear, yeah yeah yeah
You won't regret it, no
Young girls, they don't forget it
Love is their whole happiness, yeah yeah yeah yeah
But it's all so easy
All you gotta do is try
Try a little tenderness, yeah
All you gotta do is man, hold her where you want her
Squeeze her, don't tease her, never leave her
Get to her, got to try
Try a little tenderness, ooh yeah
You got to know how to love her, man
Get to her
You've got to
Squeeze her, don't tease her, never leave
You've got to hold her and rub her softly
Try a little tenderness, yeah yeah
You've got to rub against her, man
Get to her
Don't bruise her, no no
Please her, don't leave her, squeeze her
oh yeah nah nah nah try
Try a little tenderness, oh yeah yeah, squeeze her
don't tease her, never leave her, try try try yeah,
Tenderness oh yeah, you've got to, you've got to yeah yeah,
Rub her gentle man, don't bruise her no no,
You've got to love her, tease her, squeeze her yeah,
Try a little tenderness.
Reception
Amber Riley's solo performance met with critically acclaimed reviews. Aly Semigran of MTV said Amber Riley "knocked it out of the park" with her cover of Try a Little Tenderness. Rolling Stone's Eric Futterman stated that "Mercedes delivers on her promise to 'wrap this up like a Christmas present'."
Videos
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