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.
Across 110th street lyrics
Bobby Womack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doing whatever I had to do to survive
I'm not saying what I did was alright
Trying to break out of the ghetto was a day to day fight
Been down so long, getting up didn't cross my mind
I knew there was a better way of life that I was just trying to find
You don't know what you'll do until you're put under pressure
Across 110th Street
Pimps trying to catch a woman that's weak
Across 110th Street
Pushers won't let the junkie go free
Across 110th Street
Woman trying to catch a trick on the street
Across 110th Street
You can find it all in the street
I got one more thing I'd like to y'all about right now
Hey brother, there's a better way out
Snorting that coke, shooting that dope man you're copping out
Take my advice, it's either live or die
You've got to be strong, if you want to survive
The family on the other side of town
Would catch hell without a ghetto around
In every city you find the same thing going down
Harlem is the capital of every ghetto town
Across 110th Street
Pimps trying to catch a woman that's weak
Across 110th Street
Pushers won't let the junkie go free
Across 110th Street
A woman trying to catch a trick on the street
Across 110th Street
You can find it all in the street
In Bobby Womack's "Across 110th St.," the singer describes life in the ghetto and the struggle for survival. In the opening lines, Womack explains that he was the youngest of five brothers and had to resort to whatever was necessary to survive. He acknowledges that what he did may not have been right, but he had no other choice in a daily fight to escape the ghetto. Womack then describes how he knew that there was a better, more fulfilling way of life out there, but he had been down so long that the thought of getting up never crossed his mind.
The chorus repeats the same phrase, "Across 110th Street," as Womack depicts the difficult life in the ghetto. He talks about pimps and pushers who will not let anyone go free, women trying to catch a trick on the street, and drug addiction plaguing the community. Womack appeals to the listener with some sound advice, saying that snorting coke and shooting dope will not solve any problems but instead take away one's will to survive. He ends the song by telling the listener that every city has a ghetto, and Harlem is the capital of every ghetto town.
Line by Line Meaning
I was the third brother of five
I was one of five brothers in my family, and I was the third oldest.
Doing whatever I had to do to survive
I did what I had to do to stay alive, even if it wasn't always legal.
I'm not saying what I did was alright
I'm not justifying or excusing my past actions.
Trying to break out of the ghetto was a day to day fight
Everyday was a struggle to escape the impoverished and violent neighborhood I grew up in.
Been down so long, getting up didn't cross my mind
I had been in a difficult situation for so long that I didn't consider the possibility of things getting better.
I knew there was a better way of life that I was just trying to find
I believed that there was a better life out there for me, and I was searching for it.
You don't know what you'll do until you're put under pressure
You can't predict how you will react to a difficult situation until you are experiencing it.
Across 110th Street is a hell of a tester
Living in the neighborhood of 110th street is a difficult test of one's strength and character.
Pimps trying to catch a woman that's weak
Pimps prey on women who are vulnerable and in need of help.
Pushers won't let the junkie go free
Drug dealers won't let addicted people leave their grasp because they depend on their business to survive.
Woman trying to catch a trick on the street
Women are trying to get paid for sex work on the street.
You can find it all in the street
The street is a location where all sorts of illegal activities take place.
Hey brother, there's a better way out
I am advising my fellow men to find a better way of life.
Snorting that coke, shooting that dope man you're copping out
Using drugs is a way of avoiding one's problems and responsibilities.
Take my advice, it's either live or die
I am urging people to take my advice seriously, or else they could end up dead.
You've got to be strong, if you want to survive
Surviving in a tough environment requires a lot of inner strength and perseverance.
The family on the other side of town
Families living in more privileged parts of town would face significant challenges if they had to live in a ghetto.
Would catch hell without a ghetto around
Life would be very difficult for them if they lived in the ghetto, but they don't have to worry about that.
In every city you find the same thing going down
This type of poverty and violence is present in every city of the country.
Harlem is the capital of every ghetto town
Harlem is the epicenter and embodiment of the struggles faced by those living in impoverished neighborhoods.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vin Vass
Richard Horton from The Ghetto?
You probably never heard that song til you saw the film did you
And before you argue, why didn't you go direct to the Womack vid for this song if you know it so well and you "lived" it? Because you only know it from the film, so you came to the soundtrack
The only Ghetteo you been in is in your mind. Or up you own ass
Another fucking keyboard warrior fantasist
Richard Horton
For people of our generation who lived in the Ghetto's it's was a powerful and true song. Most of us never made it out either, I did but most of friends didn't. That's because a Ghetto's isn't just a physical place it's a state of mind.
Vin Vass
Richard Horton from The Ghetto?
You probably never heard that song til you saw the film did you
And before you argue, why didn't you go direct to the Womack vid for this song if you know it so well and you "lived" it? Because you only know it from the film, so you came to the soundtrack
The only Ghetteo you been in is in your mind. Or up you own ass
Another fucking keyboard warrior fantasist
Adrienne Robinson
@Alyss Kennedy Wow
Adrienne Robinson
Truth Indeed
Johnny Boy
real talk right there.
varimarc1
Man so true. I wish more people would see that! The environment was designed for that exact thing, for you to fail. Die off by means of murder, drugs, police, disease, abortion,. I wish the young black people would open their eyes. And see the setup that is in place for them, the setup that calls for their extinction. 💯❤️🥲
Rodney Thomas
Man my dad would cut a rug to this classic back in the days! Now I find myself doing his same dance moves to this song at 45 years old! 😋
Sack1
This might be the realest song ever.
Adrienne Robinson
Truth Indeed
Jacob Jones
Pimps tryin catch a woman that’s weak…
That’s some cold shit..