The group was founded as The Roosters by Chattanooga, Tennessee natives Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks, and Arthur Brooks, who moved to Chicago, Illinois and added Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield to their lineup to become Jerry Butler & the Impressions. By 1962, Butler and the Brookses had departed, and after switching to ABC-Paramount Records, Mayfield, Gooden, and new Impression Fred Cash collectively became a top-selling soul act. Mayfield left the group for a solo career in 1970; Leroy Hutson, Ralph Johnson, Reggie Torian, and Nate Evans were among the replacements who joined Gooden and Cash before the group's demise in 1983.
Inductees into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, The Impressions are best known for their 1960s string of hits, many of which were heavily influenced by gospel music and served as inspirational anthems for the Civil Rights Movement.
Personnel:
Jerry Butler (1958 - 1960)
Curtis Mayfield (1958 - 1970)
Sam Gooden (1958 - 1983)
Arthur Brooks (1958 - 1962)
Richard Brooks (1958 - 1962)
Fred Cash (1960 - 1983)
Leroy Hutson (1970 - 1973)
Ralph Johnson (1973 - 1976)
Nate Evans (1976 - 1979)
Reggie Torian (1973 - 1983)
Discography
Albums
1963: The Impressions
1964: Keep on Pushing
1964: The Never Ending Impressions
1965: One by One
1965: People Get Ready
1966: Ridin' High
1967: The Fabulous Impressions
1968: We're a Winner
1968: This Is My Country
1969: The Young Mods' Forgotten Story
1969: The Versatile Impressions
1969: Amen
1970: Check out Your Mind!
1972: Times Have Changed
1973: Preacher Man
1974: Finally Got Myself Together
1974: Three the Hard Way
1975: First Impressions
1975: Sooner or Later
1976: It's About Time
1976: Originals
1976: Loving Power
1979: Come to My Party
1981: Fan the Fire
Gypsy Woman
The Impressions Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Around the campfire light
A lovely woman in motion
With hair as dark as night
Her eyes were like that of a cat in the dark
That hypnotized me with love
She was a gypsy woman,
She was a gypsy woman
She danced around and round to a guitar melody
From the fire her face was all aglow
How she enchanted me
Oh, how I'd like to hold her near
And kiss and forever whisper in her ear
I love you, gypsy woman
I love you, gypsy woman
All through the caravan
She was dancing with all the men
Waiting for the rising sun
Everyone was having fun
I hate to see the lady go
Knowing she'll never know
That I love her, I love her
She was a gypsy woman
A gypsy woman, a gypsy woman, a gypsy woman
The Impressions' song Gypsy Woman is a classic soulful ballad that speaks of a man's enchantment with a mysterious gypsy woman. The song begins by describing the woman's arrival, seemingly out of nowhere, through a caravan. She dances around a campfire to the tune of a guitar melody and the man is captivated by her beauty. The woman's hair is as dark as night and her eyes are described as those of a cat in the dark, which hypnotizes the man with love.
The song's chorus repeats the phrase "She was a gypsy woman", representing the woman's free-spirited and mystical nature. Throughout the song, the man expresses his desire to hold her near, kiss her, and tell her he loves her. However, the woman dances with all the men in the caravan, and the man knows deep down that she will never know of his love for her. The song comes to a bittersweet end, as the man notes how he hates to see her go, but accepts that their paths will never cross again.
Overall, the song speaks to the universal human experience of falling in love with someone unattainable, with whom one can only share a fleeting moment in time. The gypsy woman represents a free-spiritedness that the man finds intriguing and irresistible, but ultimately unattainable.
Line by Line Meaning
From nowhere through a caravan
A woman of mystery appeared out of nowhere as she passed through a group of traveling caravans.
Around the campfire light
The woman was present when the caravan members gathered around their campfire.
A lovely woman in motion
The woman had graceful and captivating movements.
With hair as dark as night
The woman's hair was as dark as the night sky.
Her eyes were like that of a cat in the dark
The woman's eyes shone like that of a cat's eyes in the dark, captivating the person looking into them.
That hypnotized me with love
The person was deeply enamored by the woman, feeling as though they were under a spell of love and attraction.
She was a gypsy woman,
The woman was described as a gypsy, implying she was from a nomadic group of people and had a certain sense of mystery and magic to her.
She danced around and round to a guitar melody
The woman danced to the music being played by a guitar around the campfire.
From the fire her face was all aglow
The light from the fire illuminated the woman's face and made it look radiant.
How she enchanted me
The woman's beauty and captivating movements mesmerized the person telling the story.
Oh, how I'd like to hold her near
The person felt a strong desire to be close to the woman and hold her.
And kiss and forever whisper in her ear
The person wanted to express their love and affection to the woman by whispering sweet nothings in her ear.
I love you, gypsy woman
The person declares their love for the woman, calling her by the term that encapsulates her mysterious nature.
All through the caravan
The woman danced with all the people in the caravan.
She was dancing with all the men
The woman was seen dancing with all the male members of the caravan.
Waiting for the rising sun
The caravan was waiting for the morning sun to rise so they can continue their journey.
Everyone was having fun
The caravan members were enjoying themselves and having a good time.
I hate to see the lady go
The person telling the story feels sadness at the thought of the woman leaving.
Knowing she'll never know
The person is aware that the woman will never know of their feelings or love towards her.
That I love her, I love her
The person reaffirms their love for the woman, knowing that it will remain unrequited.
She was a gypsy woman
The song ends with a repeat of the line that introduced the mysterious woman, emphasizing her captivating and magical nature.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Curtis L Mayfield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Keith Fuqua
on People Get Ready
Amen brothers. Get ready people