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.
YES
Barbara Mason Lyrics
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Yes, I'm ready
Are you ready?
Yes, I'm ready
I don't even know how to love you
Just the way you want me to
But I'm ready (ready)
Yes, I'm ready (ready)
To learn (to learn)
To fall in love
To fall in love
To fall in love with you
I don't even know how to hold your hand
Just to make you understand
But I'm ready (ready)
To learn (to learn)
Yes, I'm ready (ready)
To learn (to learn)
To hold your hand
Make you understand
To hold your hand right now
I don't even know how
To kiss your lips (kiss your lips)
At a moment like this
But I'm going to learn how to do
All the things you want me to
(Are you ready?) Yes, I'm ready
(Are you ready?) Yes, I'm ready
To fall in love
To fall in love
To fall in love right now
(Are you ready?) Yes, I'm ready
(Are you ready?) Yes, I'm ready
(To kiss me?) Yes, I'm ready
(To love me?)
To kiss you, love you, to hug you
Baby, I'm ready
The song "Yes, I'm Ready" by Barbara Mason is a classic love song that speaks to the vulnerability one feels when falling in love. The song begins with a call and response between male and female backup singers, asking if the singer is ready, to which she responds with a confident "yes, I'm ready." Mason then sings about not knowing how to love her partner in the way he wants her to, but being ready and willing to learn. She wants to fall in love with him, and she's willing to put in the effort to do so.
The lyrics continue with Mason expressing her uncertainty about holding her partner's hand and kissing him. But she vows to learn how to do all the things he wants her to, including loving and hugging him. This song is a declaration of vulnerability and willingness to learn, demonstrating the importance of communication and effort in relationships.
Throughout the song, Mason's vocals are subdued, matching the gentle melody and emphasizing the vulnerability and uncertainty she's expressing. The song is a timeless classic that has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Patti LaBelle and The Temptations.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't even know how to love you
I am unsure about how to love you in the way you desire
Just the way you want me to
I'm aware of how important it is to love you the way you wish to be loved
But I'm ready [ready] to learn (to learn)
Despite my lack of experience, I am prepared to put in the work to learn how to love you properly
Yes, I'm ready [ready] to learn (to learn)
I am once again affirming my willingness to learn how to love you
To fall in love, to fall in love, to fall in love with you
I am eager to fall deeply in love with you
I don't even know how to hold your hand
I'm unsure about how to display physical affection to you
Just to make you understand
I want you to realize how much I care for you, even without experience
To hold your hand, make you understand
I am willing to learn how to show you affection in the way you want
To hold your hand right now
I want to start learning how to do things that show my affection for you immediately
I don't even know how to kiss your lips (kiss your lips)
I'm unfamiliar with how to kiss you passionately
At a moment like this
There are moments where I desire to display my passion physically
But I'm going to learn how to do
I am committed to learning how to make out with you
All the things you want me to
I'm willing to learn how to meet your desires in any and every way
(Are you ready?) Yes, I'm ready
I am confirming that I am prepared and willing to learn about what you like in a romantic relationship
To fall in love, to fall in love, to fall in love right now
I want to start falling in love right away and do all the things needed to make that happen
(To kiss me?) Yes, I'm ready
I am willing and ready to kiss you passionately
(To love me?)
I am waiting for and expecting your response
To kiss you, love you, and hug you
I will express my affection to you passionately and lovingly
Baby, I'm ready
I am completely open to being with you fully and unreservedly
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Barbara Mason
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