"She's All I Got" is a song written by Gary U.S. Bonds and Jerry Williams, Jr. in which the male narrator pleads to someone else not to take away his lover. It has been recorded by several artists. The first version, released in 1971 by Freddie North, was a Top 40 U.S. pop hit, and a version by Johnny Paycheck was a number 2 U.S. country hit that same year. A second country music version was released on Conway Twitty's 1972 Decca LP I Can't See Me Without You. There was also a version titled "He's All I Got" that was on Tanya Tucker's 1972 album Delta Dawn. Yet another cover titled "Don't Take Her She's All I've Got" was released by Tracy Byrd, whose version reached number 4 on the U.S. and Canadian country singles charts.
Freddie North was the first artist to record the song, doing so on his album Friend. The only single from this album, it peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on Black Singles (now Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs). It was the only chart single of North's career.
Well I say friend don't take her she's all I've got
Please don't take her love away from me
I'm beggin' you friend don't take her she's all I've got
She's everything in life I'll ever need
She is life when I wanna live she's everything to me in life that life can give
She's my water when I need to drink
She's the first thought in my mind each time I try to think
Let me tell you now friend...
She's my fingers when I want to feel
She's the only thing in life to me that's really real
She is love she's all the love I know
She could kiss the ground in the wintertime and make the flower grow