Bronx native Angela Bofill sang with Ricardo Morrero & the Group and the Da… Read Full Bio ↴Bronx native Angela Bofill sang with Ricardo Morrero & the Group and the Dance Theater of Harlem chorus before her 1978 debut. With her strong, distinctive alto, she has carved a niche as an outstanding interpreter of soul ballads. Between 1978 and 1984, Bofill had consistent success on the R&B charts, with six albums making the Top 40 (five of which made the Top 100 on the pop charts as well), including two, Angel of the Night (1979) and Too Tough (1983), that made the Top Ten. During this period, she also placed seven singles in the R&B Top 40, with "Too Tough" making the Top Ten. Bofill's career cooled off after 1984, but she returned to the R&B charts with Intuition (1988), I Wanna Love Somebody (1993), and Love in Slow Motion (1996). ~ Bil Carpenter, All Music Guide

Born and raised in New York City by her Cuban father and Puerto Rican mother, this Latin bombshell was exposed to a variety of musical styles, from Motown to Aretha Franklin to Tito Puente and Celia Cruz. Says Angela, “Growing up in Harlem, if you didn’t have the latest James Brown or a Supremes forty-five single, you weren’t hip. We always had Latin music playing in the house as my parents were great music lovers. In fact my father used to sit in and sing with the great Cuban bandleader, Machito.”

By the age of eighteen, Angie was an accomplished singer and songwriter, jamming with the likes of Cannonball Adderley, Herbie Hancock, Nat Adderley Jr and Dizzy Gillespie to name a few. She was a featured soloist with the Dance Theater of Harlem, majored in theater at the University of Hartford and majored in voice at the Hartt College of Music. Angela also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music where she was classically trained in opera.

Angela’s solo recording career began in 1978 with her self-titled album, Angie. The hits This Time I’ll Be Sweeter and Under The Moon and Over the Sky began the career of a young woman whose unique blend of jazz and R&B established her as one of the top vocalists in both the pop and jazz world. Signed to GRP records, she released her sophomore recording titled, Angel of the Night. With hits like I Try and the title track, both her albums were simultaneously topping the pop, jazz and R&B charts in 1979 for months. Angela’s recording career was solidified.

After suffering a massive stroke in 2006, Angie has been recuperating in her California home. She can move one leg with the help of a brace, but still can't move her left arm.

On July 10, 2007 Bofill suffered yet another massive stroke and according to angelabofill.com was in critical condition. As recently as July 24, 2007 blackamericaweb.com reported that Bofill's entire left side is paralyzed, as it was after her first stroke in early 2006. Family and friends encourage the public to purchase her live CD, for sale on her website.

Because Bofill did not have health insurance, a benefit concert was organized to pay her hospital bills. The show, planned by manager Rich Engel along with NY radio stations Kiss FM and CD 101.9, was held on March 11 at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ. Similar events followed, and other aid was being sought from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.[3] Her album Live in Manila (recorded in 2004) was released during this time. Unfortunately, Bofill suffered another massive stroke in 2007, which required a long period of therapy and has left her speech - and mobility-impaired.

Although unable to sing, in recent years Bofill has returned to the stage (at the suggestion of manager Engel) in The Angela Bofill Experience. The show consists of Bofill recounting her life and career, joined by artists such as Maysa Leak, Phil Perry and Melba Moore performing Bofill's biggest hits and signature songs. In 2012 Bofill was profiled and interviewed for the TVOne Documentary series, Unsung

SomeBody
Angela Bofill Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, oh oh oh

yeah ay ay ay

There's someone on my mind tonight
I don't know where he's coming from
I hope I'm not just making this up

(Huh)

I've got good intuition
Not one for superstition but when
It comes to loving somebody
I'll believe most anything
'Cause I long for my heart to share a love everlasting

I wanna love somebody
I wanna love somebody
Someone to climb to heaven with me

Oh ho, oh, oh

I wanna love somebody
Yes I'm gonna love somebody
Someone who wants to love only me
Oh ho, oh, oh

I'm walking on a thin line
I'm trying to believe that in time
Someone will dream about me all night

They say you just gotta wait
That love come with fate
But I know that there's a star made for everyone
And it's watching over me
If I could only see him, have him, hold him, know him

I wanna love somebody
I wanna love somebody
Someone to climb to heaven with me

Oh,

I wanna love somebody
Yes I wanna love somebody
Someone who wants to love only me

(Loves only me)

Oh,

I wanna know his name
I wanna feel his pain
Cause once I love him it will be forever
And that's the way it could be
And that's the way it should be

Oh,

I wanna love somebody (I wanna love somebody)
I wanna love somebody (oh oh)
Someone to climb to heaven with me

Love only me

I wanna love somebody (I wanna love somebody)
I wanna love somebody

(Oh oh oh)

To heaven with me

Love only me

I wanna love somebody (I wanna love somebody)

I wanna love somebody
'Till the end of time

Overall Meaning

Angela Bofill’s “Somebody” is a song about longing for love and the search for the perfect partner. The opening lines suggest that the singer has someone on their mind, though they don’t know where this person is coming from. They hope they're not just imagining them. The song suggests that the singer has good intuition and is not one for superstition but when it comes to love she will believe most anything. The singer wants to find a partner that they can travel with, climbing all the way to heaven. They hope to find someone who will love only them, and will be with them until the end of time.

The song is about finding the perfect partner and how love is worth waiting for. It is a hopeful piece suggesting that there is someone out there for everyone. The singer’s yearning for a deep and meaningful relationship is apparent in the lyrics. The message is that love is worth waiting for and that true love is everlasting. It is a powerful piece that speaks to anyone who has ever felt alone.

Line by Line Meaning

There's someone on my mind tonight
I am thinking about someone tonight

I don't know where he's coming from
I am not sure where this person comes from

I hope I'm not just making this up
I hope I am not just imagining it

I've got good intuition
I trust my instincts

Not one for superstition but when
Although I am not superstitious, when it comes to love

It comes to loving somebody
When it comes to loving someone

I'll believe most anything
I will believe almost anything

'Cause I long for my heart to share a love everlasting
Because I desire to find lasting love

I wanna love somebody
I want to love someone

Someone to climb to heaven with me
Someone to join me on this journey of life

Yes I'm gonna love somebody
I am going to love someone