“Feelin’ Alright”: Love & Punctuation Gone Wrong

A universal theme of romantic loss. A two-chord structure with wise, relatable lyrics. A funky, soulful vibe. And an instantly hypnotic keyboard lead-in. Traffic’s 19-year-old Dave Mason gave the world a solid musical gift with his 1968 track “Feelin Alright?”, an ode to squirmy unrequited love on the band’s titular second album. It’s a track with depth and fire, despite Mason’s humble summation: “It’s just a song about a girl. It’s just another relationship gone bad.”

Maybe so, but “Feelin’ Alright?” has built up a global impact over the decades, through Traffic’s original rendition. It caught more fire when Joe Cocker took his own shot at it in 1969. Cocker removed the question mark which distinguished the original, kicked up the funk factor, added the percussive vibraslap to provide that fabulous rolling, clattering sound, and highlighted some of the best backup singers of the era. Joe picked up the tempo, leaned into his soulful rasp, and turned it into an anthem, especially after singing it during his 1969 Woodstock set.

Even though the Traffic tune didn’t scale the Billboard charts (it only made it to #123, while Cocker’s cover made it to #69), it’s still considered an elegant piece of blues with Dave Mason handling the vocals in a more mellow tone as he bemoans his romantic fate:

Seems I’ve got to have a change of scene

Every night I have the strangest dreams

Imprisoned by the way it could have been

Left here on my own or so it seems

I’ve got to leave before I start to scream

Won’t someone lock the door and turn the key…

At this point, the chorus kicks in, as the narrator asks his pained self if he’s “feelin’ alright.” The response? “I’m not feeling too good myself.” The original title was “Not Feelin’ Too Good Myself,” a more straightforward but less captivating name. The original track contains the question mark in its title but after Cocker dropped it, it was used less frequently in subsequent covers.

And there were a lot of those. Over 40 versions of “Feelin’ Alright” have been released over the years; it’s been a frequent musical backdrop in commercials, TV shows, and films. “Feelin’ Alright” has staying power, remaining a beloved rock/blues staple with each generation.

Of those 40+ renditions, here’s a starter list of covers that honor the original while remaining unique to each band’s sensibilities.

Joe Cocker, 1969

The best-known version, perhaps the best-loved and an absolute classic. Cocker opens with the vibraslap, that quirky percussion instrument that thrums its way into our consciousness. And he utilizes three of the greatest backup singers of the time (Merry Clayton, Brenda Holloway, and Patrice Holloway) to rocket the tune into the next dimension.

 

Three Dog Night, 1969

Their combination of stellar harmonies and bluesy grit was put to use on this track from Suitable for Framing.  Chuck Negron’s superb lead vocals and the band’s great instrumentals make this an impassioned, noble rendering.

 

Jackson 5, 1971

A delicious treat of a cover on so many levels. The Jacksons nail the sound and the spirit with a smooth, funk delivery in a slightly higher range on their 1971 LP Goin’ Back to Indiana. For a switch, Marlon Jackson does the lead vocals while the rest of the brothers chime in sequentially.

The Fifth Dimension, 1970

Boy, does The Fifth Dimension deserve a resurgence. Lead singer Billy Davis, Jr.’s vocals are crystalline and masterful. This cover, from their 1970 Portrait album, returns the “?” to the title, utilizes the vibraslap, and highlights their dazzling backup singers. It’s an uptempo, shivery delight.

The Black Crowes, 1995

Lead singer Chris Robinson delivers an awe-inspiring take on “Feelin’ Alright” on the Black Crowes album Vanishing Point. Robinson’s marriage of hard rock and world-weary blues is right on the money. He swaps out the rattle-y vibraslap with a bouquet of maracas for a more subtle effect.

 

Elle King, 2022

The gifted singer/songwriter serves up a unique take on the soundtrack to Dreamworks’ 2022 film, The Bad Guys that leaves us feeling…more than all right. Her vocals evoke a little Janis Joplin, a bit of Amy Winehouse, and her very own no-nonsense brand of charisma.

-Ellen Fagan

Photo: Joe Cocker (Getty Images)