Woman's Gotta Have It (song)
Woman's Gotta Have It (song)
"Woman's Gotta Have It" is a soulful 1972 song by Bobby Womack. It was written by Darryl Carter, Bobby Womack, and Linda Womack and was recorded at American Sound Studio in Memphis. The song was released as a single from the 1972 album Understanding, with the B-side "(If You Don't Want My Love) Give It Back." It runs about 3 minutes and 30 seconds and was issued on United Artists Records, produced by Bobby Womack. On the charts, it reached number 1 on the R&B chart in the United States and peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Background
The idea for the song came from a marital situation where a wife was considering leaving an unresponsive husband. Darryl Carter and Linda Womack originally wrote it with Jackie Wilson in mind.
Wendy Matthews version
Australian singer Wendy Matthews released a cover of the song in January 1991 as the second single from her debut solo album, Émigré. The pop rendition was produced by Ricky Fataar and released on RooArt. It reached number 34 on the ARIA Charts in Australia. The CD/7" single included "Woman's Gotta Have It" (4:21) and "Acid Rain" (3:27); the 12" single featured a Club Mix, "Acid Rain," a Club Dub, and "Token Angels."
Other notable versions
- James Taylor covered the song on his 1976 album In the Pocket; Rolling Stone described this version as listless, while Record World praised Taylor’s breezy vocal.
- Nona Gaye recorded it for the compilation 1-800-NEW FUNK.
- The Neville Brothers performed it live on their Tipitina’s release (1982).
- Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey covered it on his 2006 album My Book.
- Taylor Hicks included a version on his 2009 album The Distance, with Calvin Richardson.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 20:43 (CET).