Ben E. King (born Benjamin Earl Nelson in September 28, 1938 (died of natur… Read Full Bio ↴Ben E. King (born Benjamin Earl Nelson in September 28, 1938 (died of natural causes, aged 76 on April 30, 2015.) in Henderson, North Carolina) was an American soul and pop singer. He is best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a top ten hit in both 1961 and 1986.

In 1958, Ben Nelson joined a doo wop group, The Five Crowns. Later that same year, The Drifters' manager fired the members of the group and replaced them with The Five Crowns, who had performed several engagements with The Drifters. He co-wrote the first hit by the new version of The Drifters, "There Goes My Baby" (1959). He also sang lead, using his birth name, on "Save the Last Dance for Me," a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, "Dance With Me," "This Magic Moment," "I Count the Tears," and other The Drifters hits.

In 1960 he left the group after failing to gain a salary increase and a fairer share of the group's royalties. At this point he assumed the more memorable stage name Ben E. King in preparation for a solo career. Remaining on Atlantic, King scored his first solo hit with the stylish, Latin-tinged ballad "Spanish Harlem" (1961). "Stand by Me" was his next recording. "Stand by Me", written by King along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller was voted one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America. "Stand by Me" and "Spanish Harlem" were named as two of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and were both also given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.

King's records continued to place well on the pop charts until 1963, when British pop bands began to dominate the popular music scene. His hits after 1963 were "What is Soul?" (1967), "Supernatural Thing, part 1" (1975), and the re-issue in 1986 of "Stand by Me" following the song's use as the theme music to the movie of the same name.

Not Now
Ben E. King Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When you start getting doe
Niggas Start treating
You funny yo
And tell you
That you changed
Nah Nigga
You changed
Y'all think that

Cause I got
Y'all got
Not
I worked real hard
For my money
While all y'all just
Sat on your ass
Y'all walk acting like
I owe you half
You lazy motherfuckers
Won't get up
To wipe your own ass
So when it comes to
My money
Damn right I pass
I'm not a John
So I don't buy pussy
If you want me
To make that pussy sing
You gotta pay this king
It's a different type of trick
You paying for this dick
To all my family members
Who I ain't seen in years
Don't start asking
Me for money
Y'all better keep
Saying prayers
And do yourself a favor
Wipe them fake ass tears
Cause I don't care
If you don't know me now
Then don't know me later
When I tried

To get your support
You were nothing but a hater

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ben E. King's song "Not Now" address the issue of how people's attitudes towards you change when you become successful, primarily concerning the issue of money. The lyrics are written in a rap style and deliver a powerful message about how the people in the singer's circle react when they begin seeing money flowing in. The song's title, "Not Now," is a direct response to the people who start to come out of the woodwork and ask for handouts when they hear that the singer is making money.

The lyrics convey a sense of frustration and betrayal from the singer's point of view. The singer has worked hard for their money, while the people around them have done little to help or contribute. As soon as the singer's success becomes apparent, people start to act differently towards them. The singer feels a sense of injustice and anger at being treated differently because they have more money than they used to. The singer highlights the lazy nature of the people around them and how they seem to believe that the singer owes them something because of their friendship or family ties.

Overall, "Not Now" is a powerful song about the issue of how money changes people's attitudes towards you, especially when you gain social or financial success. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration with the people around the singer and a desire to be treated with respect regardless of their bank account.

Line by Line Meaning

When you start getting doe
When you start making money

Niggas Start treating
People start treating

You funny yo
You differently/weirdly

And tell you
They tell

That you changed
That you've changed

Nah Nigga
No, I haven't changed

You changed
You changed

Y'all think that
You think that

Cause I got
Just because I have

Y'all got
You all have

Not
Nothing