Barbara Mason (born August 9, 1947, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an Am… Read Full Bio ↴Barbara Mason (born August 9, 1947, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American soul[1] singer with several R&B and pop hits in the 1960s and 1970s, best known for her self-written 1965 hit song "Yes, I'm Ready".

Mason initially focused on songwriting when she entered the music industry in her teens. As a performer, though, she had a major hit single with her third release in 1965, "Yes, I'm Ready" (#5 pop, #2 R&B). She had modest success throughout the rest of the decade on the small Arctic label, run by her manager, top Philadelphia disc-jockey, Jimmy Bishop. She reached the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 again in 1965 with "Sad, Sad Girl", and "Oh How It Hurts" in 1967. A two-year stay with National General Records, run by a film production company, produced one album and four singles which failed to find success.[citation needed]

In the 1970s, Mason signed to Buddah Records and toughened her persona, singing about sexual love and infidelity with an uncommon frankness at the time in songs like "Bed and Board", "From His Woman to You", and "Shackin' Up" and would interrupt her singing to deliver straight-talking 'raps' about romance. She also continued to write some of her new material. Curtis Mayfield produced her on a cover version of Mayfield's own "Give Me Your Love", which restored her to the pop Top 40 and R&B Top Ten in 1973; "From His Woman to You" (the response to Shirley Brown's single "Woman to Woman") and "Shackin' Up", produced by former Stax producer Don Davis in Detroit were also solid soul sellers in the mid-1970s.

Mason also sang vocals on the tracks "Sheba Baby," "I'm In Love With You," "A Good Man Is Gone," and "She Did It" on the soundtrack for the 1975 Pam Grier film, Sheba, Baby.[2]

After leaving Buddah Records in 1975 after two top ten R&B hits, she only dented the charts periodically on small labels. They included "I Am Your Woman, She Is Your Wife", which was produced in 1978 by Weldon McDougal who had produced her first major success, "Yes I'm Ready", and later in 1984, "Another Man" on West End Records.

Mason started to concentrate on running her own publishing company in the late 1980s, but continues to perform occasionally. She released a new CD, Feeling Blue, in September 2007. Mason was still performing to sold-out audiences in 2016. Her most recent show was at the Terrance Theater in Long Beach, California. Mason was inducted into the Soul Music Hall of Fame on March 1, 2016.

Trouble Child
Barbara Mason Lyrics

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My life is all mixed up
God bless the child
Can't earn a penny for his own cup
Because I'm so untamed (untamed)
And I'm so wild (so wild)
And they call me the trouble child (trouble child)

When I have gone away

They don't worry coz they say
She'll be back someday
Because I'm so bad (so bad)
And I make my family sad (so sad)
And they call me the trouble child (trouble child)

When I have gone away
They don't worry coz they say
She'll be back someday
Because I'm so bad (so bad)
And I make my family sad (so sad)
And they'd name me the trouble child (trouble, trouble child)

Trouble child (trouble, trouble child)
And I'm so wild (trouble, trouble child)
So untamed (trouble, trouble child)
That's my name (trouble, trouble child)
Trouble child (trouble, trouble child)
I'm so wild (trouble, trouble child)

So untamed (trouble, trouble child)
That's my name (trouble, trouble child)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Barbara Mason's song "Trouble Child" speak to the struggles of a person grappling with their identity and the societal pressures placed upon them. The singer of the song is constantly referred to as a "trouble child" and is judged harshly for their inability to conform to societal norms. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration, both with oneself and with others who judge them unfairly.

The opening lines "My life is all mixed up / God bless the child / Can't earn a penny for his own cup" allude to the struggles the singer is facing in their life. They have difficulty supporting themselves financially and seem to be caught in a cycle of misfortune. The repetition of the lines "Because I'm so untamed / And I'm so wild / And they call me the trouble child" is particularly impactful, emphasizing the judgment and stigma attached to not adhering to societal expectations.

In the second verse, the singer reflects on how their family perceives them, noting that they are constantly worrying about whether they will return. This highlights the strain that can exist within familial relationships when a person does not conform to expected norms. The line "And I make my family sad / And they name me the trouble child" is particularly poignant, acknowledging the pain caused by not fitting in.

Overall, the lyrics of "Trouble Child" speak to the struggles of not fitting in and the judgment and stigma attached to those who do not conform to societal norms.

Line by Line Meaning

My life is all mixed up
My life is in chaos and I'm struggling to find direction

God bless the child
May God have mercy on me and guide me towards a better path

Can't earn a penny for his own cup
I am unable to support myself financially

Because I'm so untamed (untamed)
I am uncontrollable and lacking discipline

And I'm so wild (so wild)
I am reckless and unpredictable

And they call me the trouble child (trouble child)
I have gained a reputation as being problematic and difficult to deal with

When I have gone away
When I have left

They don't worry coz they say
My family does not worry about me

She'll be back someday
They expect me to return someday

Because I'm so bad (so bad)
I have made many mistakes and bad choices

And I make my family sad (so sad)
My actions have caused pain to my family