Taking after their father, who sang gospel music, Bobby Womack and his brothers formed their own group in 1952. In 1954, under the moniker Curtis Womack and the Womack Brothers, the group issued the Pennant single, "Buffalo Bill". Bobby Womack was only ten years old at the time. Sam Cooke took an interest in the Womack Brothers, and they recorded for Cooke's SAR record label in the early 1960s. Renamed the Valentinos, and encouraged by Cooke to go in a more secular and commercial direction, they scored a hit with Womack's "It's All Over Now" in 1964; the Rolling Stones' version of the song became a major hit, earning Womack generous royalty payments.
Sam Cooke died in late 1964; Womack married Cooke's widow, Barbara, a short time later, creating something of a scandal. Things became even more complicated when his younger brother, Cecil, married Cooke's daughter, Linda. As a session guitarist, Womack worked at producer Chips Moman's American Studios in Memphis, and played on recordings by Joe Tex and The Box Tops. Until this point, around 1967, he had had little success as a solo artist, but at American he began to record a string of classic soul-music singles including the 1968 "What Is This" (his first chart hit), "It's Gonna Rain" and "More Than I Can Stand," all of which featured his elegant, understated rhythm-guitar work and his impassioned vocals. During this period he became known as a songwriter, contributing many songs to the repertoire of Wilson Pickett; these include "I'm in Love" and "I'm a Midnight Mover."
After moving to the United Artists label in the early '70s, he released the album Communication, and on an album with guitarist Gabor Szabo introduced his song "Breezin'," which later became a hit for George Benson. He also became known for his interesting taste in cover versions, essaying Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin' " as well as "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)" and James Taylor's "Fire and Rain'" and "California Dreamin'." Perhaps his most well-known work from this period is as guitarist on Sly & the Family Stone's 1971 There's a Riot Goin' On.
He continued to have hits into the '70s; these include "Lookin' for a Love" (a remake of his 1962 Valentinos single), "Across 110th Street," "Woman's Gotta Have It" (covered by James Taylor in 1976), "You're Welcome, Stop on By," and the masterful "Daylight." All are excellent examples of burnished yet gritty 1970s soul music, and reveal a pop-music sensibility akin to that of Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield.
Bobby Womack's 1981 album The Poet was a surprise hit and contained the hit single "If You Think You're Lonely Now." K-Ci Hailey, a notable admirer of Womack's work, covered "If You Think You're Lonely Now" in 1994. The song is referenced in Mariah Carey's song "We Belong Together", a number-one hit in June 2005. Carey sings "I can't sleep at night /When you are on my mind / Bobby Womack's on the radio / Singing to me: 'If you think you're lonely now.'"
Film director Quentin Tarantino used "Across 110th Street" (which, in a different version, had been the title song of the 1972 movie) in the opening and closing sequences of his 1997 film Jackie Brown.
A 2003 Saab commercial shone a spotlight on Womack’s interpretation of "California Dreamin'".
In 2010, Womack contributed lyrics and sang on "Stylo" alongside Mos Def, the first single from the third Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach. Womack was told to sing whatever was on his mind during the recording of "Stylo". "I was in there for an hour going crazy about love and politics, getting it off my chest", said Womack.[4] He also provides vocals on the song "Cloud of Unknowing".
In 2010 Bobby Womack appeared on the main pyramid stage at Glastonbury with the Gorillaz.
The Bravest Man in the World Songfacts reports in 2012, Womack's first album of original material since 1994's Resurrection was released. The Bravest Man in the World was produced by Damon Albarn of Gorillaz and XL Recordings boss, Richard Russell.
Womack died on June 27, 2014 at age 70.
10-Nothin' Can Save Ya
Bobby Womack Lyrics
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And my heart was making plans
Try to hold on
But it was falling through my hands
Did you hear me babe
Did I get close to your soul
Try to reach you
Like nothin' can save ya
A song fight took you there
You were never really mine
You lend get in the twilight
And slowly clip a tool way
Heavens hands you down
For a moment in my life
Thanks towards a wonder
Was a falling from the sky
Like nothin' can save ya
Was kinda of dreaming
And my heart was making plans
I tried to hold on
I tried to hold on
Did you hear me babe
Did I get close to your soul
I tried to reach you
But we had to let it go
Like nothin' can save ya
Never, never, never
The lyrics to Bobby Womack Feat. Fatoumata Diawara's song Nothin' Can Save Ya showcases the heartbreak the singer is experiencing as he tries to hold on to a love that is falling out of his hands. He acknowledges that all his efforts to save the love are futile, as he's aware that there is nothing he can do to rescue it. The song is an emotional portrayal of the futility of love and the realization that sometimes things fall apart, and we just have to let them go.
The lyrics suggest that the singer's love was taken away from him, and he never really had the person he thought he did. He speaks of an unattainable love that was just out of reach. The line "Did I get close to your soul? Try to reach you, but I had to let it go" indicates that he tried his best to get close to the person he loved, but it just wasn't enough. The reference to "twilight" suggests that the love between these two was fleeting and didn't last as long as the singer had hoped.
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of helplessness and heartbreak, with the singer acknowledging that no matter how hard he tries to save the love he once had, it's now beyond his reach.
Line by Line Meaning
I was kind of dreaming
The singer was in a hopeful state of mind, thinking about their future plans.
And my heart was making plans
The singer was optimistic about their future and potential plans.
Try to hold on
The singer attempted to maintain control of a situation, but ultimately lost it.
But it was falling through my hands
The artist attempted to hold onto their hopes and aspirations, but began to lose them.
Did you hear me babe
The artist wonders if they were able to connect with the listener on a deeper level.
Did I get close to your soul
The singer is questioning their own ability to truly connect and resonate with the listener.
Try to reach you
The singer tried to cling on to something that was slipping away.
But I had to let it go
The artist stopped trying to make a connection with the listener.
Like nothin' can save ya
The artist is stressing that no help or solution can benefit the listener.
A song fight took you there
The listener was more interested in the music playing, rather than fully engaging with the artist.
You were never really mine
The singer understands that they were not the sole focus of the listener's attention.
You lend get in the twilight
The listener gradually distanced themselves from the artist.
And slowly clip a tool way
The listener was slowly fading away from the singer's life.
Heavens hands you down
The singer had an instance where they experienced something wonderful and beyond explanation.
For a moment in my life
The singer experienced something wonderful and unexplainable for a brief period of time.
Thanks towards a wonder
The artist had an instance where they experienced something wonderful and beyond explanation.
Was a falling from the sky
The source of the artist's wonderful experience was unexplainable and seemingly otherworldly.
Never, never, never
The singer is highlighting that they no longer have faith in a positive outcome.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOBBY WOMACK, DAMON ALBARN, HAROLD TIMOTHY PAYNE, RICHARD RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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