I've Been Loving You Too Long

“I've Been Loving You Too Long” (Live version)

'I've Been Loving You Too Long' (1965) is a heart-wrenching soul ballad that became one of Otis Redding’s signature songs. Co-written by Redding and Jerry Butler, its lyrics ('I need you, you need me, even though we're strangers') deliver an urgent plea for love. Redding’s impassioned, gospel-infused delivery turns the simple melody into a raw confession of devotion. The track helped cement Redding's place in soul music, and he even performed it at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival (with a young Jimi Hendrix on guitar), introducing him to rock audiences. Over the years many artists have covered it (from Aretha Franklin to Eric Clapton), but Otis’s original remains a towering example of 60s soul romance.