Video hit Tesla

Tesla - What You Give

Tesla is an American rock band formed in Sacramento, California in late 1982. They have sold 14 million albums in the United States.

In late 1982, bassist Brian Wheat (age 20) and guitarist Frank Hannon (age 15) formed City Kidd, a band that then spent time gigging at Sacramento's defunct Oasis Ballroom.

They also began working with American rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose towards writing hard rock hit singles, reasoning "We wanted to get signed, and we thought the way to do that was to write a hit single”. New producers and managers turned the group towards radio pop rock and, to come up with the appropriate material, band manager Steve Clausman hired Grammy award winner Duane Hitchings, who provided the music to Rod Stewart songs such as Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? and Infatuation. A representative from Geffen Records then saw where the City Kidd band was headed and let them know that he would only sign them if they "[wrote] from the gut and not from formulas”. By 1986, the band had again changed its direction under a new name, Tesla.

The band City Kidd and was renamed Tesla during the recording of their first album, 1986's Mechanical Resonance, on the advice of their manager that City Kidd was not a great name (in addition, there was already another band going by that name).

The band derived their name, certain album and song titles, and some song content from events relating to inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla.

The band's original lineup consisted of lead vocalist Jeff Keith, guitarists Frank Hannon and Tommy Skeoch, bassist Brian Wheat, and drummer Troy Luccketta.

The lyrics:

Who's the one that makes you happy?

Or maybe, who's the one always on your mind?

And who is the reason you're livin' for?

Who's the reason for your smile?

I feel so lonely, yet I know I'm not the only one

To ever feel this way.

I love ya so much that I think I'm goin' insane.

I'm goin' crazy, outta my head.

Goin' crazy, outta my head.

Can't think about nothin' but your good, good love,

And what you give.

Now, ev'ry one needs somebody.

And you know, ev'rybody needs someone.

Well, and a-yes it's true!

Ev'rybody needs a special kind of love,

And you're the only one I'm thinkin' of.

You mean the world to me.

You are my only!

I feel so lonely, yet I know I'm not the only one

To carry on this way.

I love ya so much I lose track-a time,

Lose track of the days.

I'm goin' outta my head,

Goin' crazy, outta my head.

Can't think about a-nothin' but your good, good love,

And what you give.

It's not whatcha got, it's a-what you give.

It ain't the life you choose, it's the life you live.

It's only what you give, only what you give, only what you give,

It's not whatcha got, a-but the life you live.

It's the life you live.

[Spoken:] Play it pretty for the world.

You're the one that makes me happy. Oh yeah baby.

And you're the one always on my mind. And a-yes it's true.

You are my reason, my one and only that I've been livin' for

Why can't forever be forever and nothin' more. (To Chorus)

It's not whatcha got, it's a-what you give.

It ain't the life you choose, it's the life you live.

No, no, no, no, no!

It's not whatcha got, it's a-what you give.

And it ain't what it's not, but a-what it is!

Only what you give, only what you give. It's only what you give.

It's not whatcha got, a-but a-what you give.

It's not whatcha got, it's a-what you give. A-what you give woman.

It ain't the life you choose, it's the life you live.

It's only what you give, only what you give, only what you give,

It's not whatcha got, but a-what you give.

It's only what you give. Only what you give. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Only what you give. Only what you give.

Only what you give, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Is that good enough for the girls we run around with?

I do believe so. Ooh, ooh, uh-huh.

Only what you give, what you give. Only what you give.

Only what you give.