Songs usually have a shelf life. They hit the charts, they get played at a few weddings, and then they fade into the background noise of "oldies" radio. But the I'll take care of you song is different. It’s a shapeshifter. Written by Brook Benton in the late 1950s, it has somehow managed to reinvent itself every twenty years like a musical chameleon. Most people think they know who wrote it, but depending on how old you are, you’re probably thinking of a completely different artist.
Bobby "Blue" Bland made it a blues standard. Gil Scott-Heron turned it into a haunting, minimalist poem. Drake and Rihanna turned it into a global club anthem. It’s rare to see a piece of music survive three distinct genres without losing its soul.
Honestly, the song’s staying power comes from its simplicity. It’s a promise. "I've loved and lost the same as you." Everyone has felt that. It isn't just a love song; it’s a song about shared trauma and the recovery that comes after it.
The Original Soul: Brook Benton and Bobby Bland
In 1959, Brook Benton was a songwriting powerhouse. He wrote the track, but it was Bobby "Blue" Bland who truly breathed life into it in 1960. You have to understand the context of the early 60s music scene. R&B was transitioning from the jump-blues of the 40s into something more polished and emotionally vulnerable.
Bland’s version is heavy. It features that signature "Bland squall"—that raspy, throat-tearing growl he’d use to punctuate a line. When he sings "I'll take care of you," it doesn't sound like a lighthearted romantic gesture. It sounds like a lifeline thrown to someone who is drowning.
Why the 1960 version hit so hard
The production was lush but the vocal was raw. You had these soaring strings and a steady, walking bassline that felt like a heartbeat. It reached number two on the R&B charts, solidifying Bland as the "Lion of the Blues." For decades, this was the definitive version. It was the blueprint. If you were a lounge singer or a blues guitarist in the 60s or 70s, you had to know how to play the I'll take care of you song. It was a rite of passage.
The Gil Scott-Heron Renaissance
Fast forward to 2010. Gil Scott-Heron—the man often called the "Godfather of Rap"—was coming off a long hiatus and a very public struggle with addiction. He released an album called I’m New Here.
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His cover of "I'll Take Care of You" was jarring. Gone were the big band strings. Gone was the bravado. In its place was a cracked, aging voice accompanied by a dark, electronic beat produced by Richard Russell. It sounded like it was recorded in a basement at 3:00 AM.
This version changed everything. It took the song out of the "classic blues" category and moved it into the world of indie and experimental music. It felt dangerous and fragile at the same time. Scott-Heron wasn't just singing a cover; he was pleading. It’s a masterclass in how to reinterpret a song by stripping it down to its skeleton.
Jamie xx and the Drake Effect
Here is where the song’s timeline gets really interesting. Jamie xx, the producer behind The xx, decided to remix the entire Gil Scott-Heron album. He took that raw, skeletal vocal and layered it over a pulsing, steel-drum-inflected dance track.
Suddenly, a song written in 1959 was playing in the coolest clubs in London.
Then Drake heard it.
In 2011, Drake was working on Take Care. He and producer 40 sampled the Jamie xx remix (which sampled Gil Scott-Heron, who covered Bobby Bland, who was singing Brook Benton). This layered history is what gives "Take Care" its depth. When Rihanna comes in on the chorus, singing those legendary lines, she’s carrying over 50 years of musical weight on her shoulders.
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The Impact of "Take Care"
- It turned the song into a multi-platinum pop hit.
- It introduced a whole new generation to the blues without them even realizing it.
- The music video, featuring Drake and Rihanna in a minimalist landscape, became an iconic visual of the 2010s.
Most listeners in 2011 had no idea who Bobby Bland was. But they felt the resonance. That’s the magic of a good sample; it carries the "ghost" of the original recording into a new context.
Why We Can't Stop Covering It
The I'll take care of you song has been covered by everyone from Elvis Costello to Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa. Miley Cyrus even performed a version of it. Why?
Because it’s "actor-proof" music. The lyrics are so universal that you can apply almost any emotion to them. If you’re a blues rock guitarist like Bonamassa, you can lean into the minor-key sorrow and play a five-minute solo that feels earned. If you’re a pop star, you can treat it as a tender ballad.
There’s a technical aspect to its success, too. The melody follows a minor blues progression that is incredibly satisfying to the human ear. It builds tension in the verses and releases it in that soaring, one-line chorus. It’s a perfect loop.
A Masterclass in Songwriting Simplicity
Let's look at the lyrics for a second. There are no fancy metaphors. No complex wordplay.
"You know that I love you, and I'll forgive you."
"I'll take care of you."
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It's direct. In a world of over-produced and over-written pop music, that kind of honesty stands out like a sore thumb. It’s basically a hug set to music.
The Misconceptions
People often get the credits confused. You’ll see YouTube comments arguing about whether it’s a "Drake song" or a "Bobby Bland song." Technically, it’s a Brook Benton song. But in reality, it belongs to whoever is singing it at the moment.
One big mistake people make is thinking the song is about a brand-new relationship. It’s not. If you listen to the lyrics—"I’ve loved and lost the same as you"—it’s clearly about two people who have been through the ringer. It’s a song for adults. It’s for people who have scars.
How to Listen to It Today
If you want to truly appreciate the I'll take care of you song, don't just stick to the version on your favorite playlist. Do a chronological deep dive.
- Start with Bobby Bland. Feel the grit. Notice the horns. This is the foundation.
- Move to Gil Scott-Heron. Listen to the pain in his voice. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s real.
- Listen to the Jamie xx remix. See how he uses silence and space.
- End with Drake and Rihanna. Notice how they took all that history and made it feel modern.
Making the Song Your Own
If you're a musician looking to cover this track, the biggest mistake you can make is trying to sound like Bobby Bland. You can't. Nobody can. Instead, look at what Gil Scott-Heron did. He took his own life experience—his own "loss"—and poured it into the lyrics.
The song requires honesty more than vocal range. You don't need to hit high notes; you just need to mean what you say.
Actionable Takeaways for Music Lovers
- Dig into the samples: Next time you hear a song you love, use a site like WhoSampled to find its roots. You’ll often find a treasure trope of 60s soul.
- Support the legends: If you love Drake’s "Take Care," go buy a Bobby Bland record. The original artists often get overshadowed by the stars who sample them.
- Analyze the lyrics: Try writing down the lyrics to your favorite "simple" song. You’ll find that the most popular songs in history are usually the ones that use the fewest words to say the most.
- Explore the Brook Benton catalog: The man wrote "Rainy Night in Georgia." He’s one of the most underrated architects of American music.
The I'll take care of you song isn't going anywhere. It will probably be sampled again in 2040 by an artist we haven't even heard of yet. And that’s exactly how music is supposed to work. It’s a conversation between the past and the future.
Check out the Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa version if you want to hear what it sounds like when it’s turned into a high-octane blues-rock powerhouse. It’s a completely different vibe, and it proves that this song is virtually indestructible. Regardless of the genre, the message remains: life is hard, but somebody has your back.