She was born Barbara Lynn Ozen in Beaumont, Texas, and attended Hebert High School. She played piano as a child, but switched to guitar, which she plays left-handed. Inspired by blues artists Guitar Slim and Jimmy Reed, and pop acts Elvis Presley and Brenda Lee, and winning several local talent shows, she created an all-female band, Bobbie Lynn and Her Idols.
She began performing in local clubs in Texas. Singer Joe Barry saw her and introduced Lynn to producer Huey P. Meaux, who ran SugarHill Recording Studios and several record labels in New Orleans. Her first single, "You'll Lose A Good Thing", co-written by her and Meaux, was recorded at Cosimo Matassa's J&M studio with session musicians including Mac Rebennack (Dr. John). Released by Jamie Records, it was a number 1 US Billboard R&B chart hit and Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit in 1962. The song was later recorded by Aretha Franklin and became a country hit record for Freddy Fender. Lynn also released an album, also titled You'll Lose A Good Thing, which featured ten of her compositions.
Unusually for the time, Lynn was a female African American singer who both wrote most of her own songs and played a lead instrument. Soon Lynn was touring with such soul musicians as Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, James Brown, Al Green, Carla Thomas, Marvin Gaye, Ike and Tina Turner, The Temptations, and B.B. King. She appeared at the Apollo Theater, twice on American Bandstand, and had her song, "Oh Baby (We've Got A Good Thing Goin')" (1964) covered by The Rolling Stones on their album The Rolling Stones Now! (1965). She continued to record for the Jamie label until 1966 and had several more minor hits.
In 1966 she signed to Meaux's Tribe label, and recorded "You Left the Water Running," which was covered by Otis Redding among others. She signed for Atlantic the following year, and recorded another album, Here Is Barbara Lynn, in 1968. She married for the first time at age 28, in 1970 and had three children. This, together with dissatisfaction with poor promotion by the record company, contributed to her decision to largely retire from the music business for most of the 1970s and 1980s. However, while living in Los Angeles, she occasionally appeared at local clubs, and released several singles on Jetstream and other small labels.
In 1984 she toured Japan, and recorded a live album, You Don't Have to Go, which was released later in the US. She resumed her recording career after her husband's death, and returned to Beaumont, Texas, where her mother lived. She also undertook further international tours, to Europe and elsewhere. In 1994, she recorded her first studio album for over twenty years, So Good, and released several more albums for various labels in later years.
She continues to reside in Beaumont, and was given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1999. In 2002, electronic musician Moby sampled Lynn's "I'm A Good Woman" on his album, 18.
Give Me a Beak
Barbara Lynn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is just a break.
And I'm sure that's no mistake
Won't somebody please
Give me a break
Oh yea
All I want, all I want
In this wide world,
And not a lonely girl.
Won't somebody please give me a break.
Everybody told me
That I had talent
And just wait
For your chance will come
But all, all I ever did was waited
But those were the words from everyone
And now I know
Yes I know
My break is here
And I'll just wait
And have no fear
Won't somebody please give me a break
Won't somebody please give me a break
I'm calling on you
Won't somebody please give me a break
I'm down on bended knee
Won't somebody please give me a break
Won't somebody please give me a break.
Barbara Lynn's song "Give Me a Break" is a plea for recognition and a chance to live her dreams. In the first stanza, Barbara expresses her desperation for a break, which she believes is necessary to achieve her ambitions. She is convinced that this opportunity will validate her talent and confirm that she is meant to be somebody, not a "lonely girl." She remains optimistic and hopeful that someone will notice her, which is an essential ingredient in her success story.
In the second stanza, the singer explains how, for a while, everyone around her encouraged her to wait for her big break. But, with time, she realized that time waits for no one, and she needs to take her chance. She concludes the song by reiterating her plea for a break and asking for someone to help her. Her tone is one of need and desperation, which is symbolic of the real-life struggles of young artists trying to make it in the music industry.
The song's message transcends music, and it applies to anyone who is struggling to realize their dreams. Barbara Lynn's voice is powerful, and the simplicity of the lyrics makes it easy to relate to. She is a master of conveying emotions through her music, which is why the song has remained relevant for over half a century.
Line by Line Meaning
All I need, all I need,
Is just a break.
I just need an opportunity to prove myself.
And I'm sure that's no mistake
Won't somebody please
Give me a break
Oh yea
I'm confident that if given a chance, I can show my worth.
All I want, all I want
In this wide world,
Is to be somebody
And not a lonely girl.
I don't want to feel alone and insignificant anymore. I want to make a name for myself.
Everybody told me
That I had talent
And just wait
For your chance will come
People have recognized my potential and have advised me to be patient for an opportunity to arise.
But all, all I ever did was waited
But those were the words from everyone
I have been waiting for a while now, and everyone keeps telling me the same thing.
And now I know
Yes I know
My break is here
And I'll just wait
And have no fear
I have finally realized that my opportunity has arrived and I am ready to seize it without any hesitation or fear.
Won't somebody please give me a break
Won't somebody please give me a break
I'm calling on you
I am pleading for someone to take a chance on me and offer me an opportunity.
Won't somebody please give me a break
I'm down on bended knee
Won't somebody please give me a break
Won't somebody please give me a break.
I am humbly asking for someone to give me a chance and I will be forever grateful for it.
Contributed by Evelyn R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.