She was born in Marlin, Texas, and raised in Dallas. Her flute training included classical and jazz styles in high school. She continued her studies at Texas Southern University and Southern Methodist University. Dizzy Gillespie saw Humphrey play at a talent contest at Southern Methodist, and inspired her to pursue a musical career in New York City. She followed his advice, getting her first big break performing at the Apollo Theatre on Amateur Night. She eventually began playing regularly throughout the city, including a gig with Duke Ellington.
By 1972, she was recording for the Blue Note Jazz label, one of the first female instrumentalists to do so. Humphrey has played with well-known musicians, ranging from Duke Ellington to Lee Morgan. Guitarist George Benson and Humphrey were guest musicians on Humphrey's friend Stevie Wonder's single "Another Star" from his Songs in the Key of Life (1976) album. In 1976, she was named Best Female Instrumentalist by Billboard. In 1994 Humphrey launched her label, Paradise Sounds Records, releasing Passion Flute, which continues to be one of her best-selling recordings.
Bobbi Humphrey has played at the Apollo Theatre, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Russian River Jazz Festival (Northern California), and other venues around the world.
Please Set Me At Ease
Bobbi Humphrey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Set Me Free
Set Me Free
Set me free [x2]
{Chorus:}
Remotivate me
Set me burning
My body is yearning
For a new lease of life
Who had a little fight
Set me free
Remotivate me [x2]
Give me a reason to scream and shout
Give me something to get excited about
When everything is looking dull
I'm sure it isn't impossible to
Set Me free
Remotivate me
Remotivate Me
Set me burning
After years your big freeze
My body is yearning
For a new lease of life
And a little fight
Set me free
Remotivate me [x2]
Set me free [x4]
Remotivate me
Don't think I'm impatient
Because I'm willing to wait
But something must must happen
Before it gets too late
It could be my imagination
What could me more than this love sensation
Set me free
Remotivate me[x2]
Set me free [x4]
[Chorus]
Set me free [x9]
Remotivate me
Set me free
Remotivate me
Set me free
Remotivate me
Now say, babe...
Free me...
These lyrics are about feeling stuck and stagnant in life, wanting to break free from the monotony and find new excitement and motivation. The singer is asking for someone or something to come along and shake things up, to give them a reason to feel alive again. They don't want to just go through the motions anymore, they want to feel passionate and energized. The repeated phrase "set me free" suggests a desire to be liberated from whatever is holding them back, whether it's a personal struggle or external circumstances. The chorus emphasizes the idea of being remotivated, or reinvigorated, as a way to break free from the "big freeze" of their current state.
The lyrics also capture a sense of desperation and urgency - the singer doesn't want to waste any more time feeling stuck or unfulfilled, and they're willing to do whatever it takes to find that new lease on life. They are looking for a reason to scream and shout, to get excited and feel alive again. The final lines of the song, "Free me," suggest that the singer is looking for freedom from not just their current situation, but also from their own stagnation and limitations.
Overall, "Please Set Me At Ease" is a song about the universal desire to break free from routines and find new excitement and purpose in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Remotivate me
I need someone to give me the motivation I require to get back to feeling excited about life and everything it has to offer.
Set me burning
I wish to feel a fiery passion for life again, to have that feeling of being alive down to my core.
After years your big freeze
It has been way too long since I have felt this passion and I'm tired of living in a state of stagnation.
My body is yearning
All aspects of my being crave a revival of liveliness and inspiration.
For a new lease of life
I yearn for a fresh start and new energy to tackle life's challenges.
Who had a little fight
If I had just a little bit of courage, I could break free of my current rut and start experiencing life in a new way.
Give me a reason to scream and shout
I need something that can excite me to the point where I feel like making noise and expressing my joy.
Give me something to get excited about
I desire an event or experience that can bring out the childlike wonder and enthusiasm I used to feel.
When everything is looking dull
Life feels dreary and every day seems the same with nothing to stimulate my senses or my spirit.
I'm sure it isn't impossible to
I believe it's not difficult to find a way to break out of this dullness and discover something new that will motivate me.
Don't think I'm impatient
I don't want to give the impression that I'm rushing into anything without proper consideration or thoughtfulness.
Because I'm willing to wait
I'm prepared to take some time to discover what will inspire me, as I know this might take some effort.
But something must must happen
I can't keep going on like this unexcited forever, at some point it's necessary for something significant to take place.
Before it gets too late
I'm feeling an urgency in this moment to discover this motivation because I don't want life to pass me by while I'm stagnant.
It could be my imagination
I have some doubts that I will be able to find something that truly makes me passionate again, or that perhaps my needs are unrealistic.
What could me more than this love sensation
I know that in the past I have felt love very deeply, and I cannot imagine anything that would bring me greater joy and fulfillment than feeling that way again.
Now say, babe...
I'm communicating to someone special - asking for them to respond to my request for motivation and passion.
Free me...
I am expressing my desire to break free of my current state and experience a new level of excitement and inspiration.
Writer(s): Larry Mizell, Alphonso Mizell, Rodney Craig Mizell Copyright: Alruby Music Inc.
Contributed by Adrian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.