Born on 27th April 1947 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Peebles was discovered as a talent by Gene "Bowlegs" Miller of Hi Records during a 1968 trip to sit in singing with him at a Memphis, Tennessee, nightclub. A popular local bandleader, Miller was known for also helping other musicians, such as members of the Hi Rhythm Section, get their starts in the Memphis music industry. Peebles soon began writing and singing hits for the label, cowriting with label staff songwriter Don Bryant, whom she married in 1974. Peebles released a number of commercially successful and critically well received albums produced by Willie Mitchell on Hi Records throughout the 1970s, until the rise of disco in the late 1970s took her music out of the limelight. Hi Records was sold in 1977, but Peebles reunited with Willie Mitchell in 1989 to produce her comeback album, Call Me.
99 Lbs
Ann Peebles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In each and every kiss
You wouldn't know what I'm talking about
If you never had lovin' like this
I don't mean to be brash
Tell y'all it's a natural fact
Good things come in small packages
You'll have to agree to that, tell you now, I'm
Ninety-nine pounds of natural-born goodness, y'all
Nintey-nine pounds of soul
Tell you now, I'm ninety-nine pounds of natural-born goodness, y'all
Ninety-nine pounds of soul
Twenty-five pounds of tenderness
In each and every touch
Twenty-five pounds of understanding my man
And I don't want me to worry too much
Twenty-four pounds of something, y'all
That I can't even name
And it all adds up to ninety-nine pounds
Well put-together in a fine wire frame
And I'm ninety-nine pounds of natural born goodness, y'all
Ninety-nine pounds of soul, let me tell you now
I'm ninety-nine pounds of natural born goodness, y'all
Ninety-nine pounds of soul
Ninety-nine, y'all, oh it sure is fine...
Ann Peebles's song "99 Lbs" is a soulful and sexy celebration of the singer's body and what it has to offer. Throughout the song, she describes herself as a compact but powerful force, made up of 25 pounds of pure cane sugar in each kiss, 25 pounds of tenderness in each touch, and 24 pounds of something that she can't even name. All of these elements add up to a well-put-together package of natural-born goodness and soul, totaling 99 lbs.
The lyrics can be interpreted in a few different ways. On one level, they celebrate the physical aspects of the singer's body and how they contribute to her overall appeal. On another level, they suggest that her body is a reflection of her emotional and spiritual depth - her tenderness, understanding, and mysterious "24 pounds." The repeated refrain of "ninety-nine pounds of soul" underscores the idea that there is much more to a person than just their physical appearance, and that the singer's soul is just as important and valuable as her body.
Line by Line Meaning
Twenty-five pounds of pure cane sugar
My kisses are sweet like sugar and full of love
In each and every kiss
Every single kiss I give is like this
You wouldn't know what I'm talking about
You can't understand the feeling of love like mine
If you never had lovin' like this
Unless you have experienced this kind of love before
I don't mean to be brash
I'm not trying to be rude or vulgar
Tell y'all it's a natural fact
I want to inform all of you that this is a true and natural thing
Good things come in small packages
Small things can bring great joy and happiness
You'll have to agree to that, tell you now, I'm
I'm sure you'll all agree with me, and I'm going to tell you why
Ninety-nine pounds of natural-born goodness, y'all
I am a naturally and innately good person, all 99 pounds of me
Twenty-five pounds of tenderness
My touch is gentle and loving, like a feather
In each and every touch
Every time I reach out to touch, it's this way
Twenty-five pounds of understanding my man
I care and understand my man's needs implicitly
And I don't want me to worry too much
I don't want to stress or worry too much about anything
Twenty-four pounds of something, y'all
I have something special that I don't even know how to name
That I can't even name
It's so unique and special that I can't even put a name to it
And it all adds up to ninety-nine pounds
All these qualities together in me add up to 99 pounds
Well put-together in a fine wire frame
My qualities are perfectly fused together in a delicate and attractive body
Ninety-nine pounds of natural born goodness, y'all
I am a pure and good person, all wrapped up in a 99 pound frame
Ninety-nine pounds of soul, let me tell you now
I am full of soul and expressing it through my words right now
Ninety-nine, y'all, oh it sure is fine...
My 99 pounds is just right, and it sure feels good to be me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DONALD BRYANT, DONALD MAURICE BRYANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BeautiesBeholder
love this song...she has an amazing and unique voice!!!!!!
James Mack
Fantastic song ! Superb singer ! Not too many better ! If you like blues, you must just love this series of sounds !
Dreez76
I got her best-of collection. It's sad that it is bloody impossible to get the vinyls.
Amazing music, brilliant voice.
backroom45s
I collect vinyl and have loads of hers. Along with Hi I also have UK London labels. Try looking on ebay ... shit loads 👍✊
Jp5700
Dreez76 It's interesting because she was on the same label as Al Green. Would think there would be more vinyl out there. I guess Hi was probably cranking out All Green and limiting lesser known artists.
Louise Hernan
Love this song!!!
Rianna Ricco
I always thought this was a black crows song...now I know why I like it so much! They cover it well!
yardism
They more than likely covered it because of Humble Pie's version.
WonderBOnTheOne
I've seen her a few times on stage and she is fabulous... No direspect to Paul Young, but before him I loved Graham Parker & the Rumour's version of I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down... But props to Ann Peebles because not only does she sing and belongs to the great in her category, but she also wrote or co-wrote many of her hits... That's no small feat!
James Mack
IT DON'T GET BETTER THAN THIS !!