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.
Baby I Can't Stand It
Bobby Womack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, stand it no longer, girl
Your love somehow, look
It keeps going stronger, oh yeah
Woah
It's like a... it′s like a itch in my heart
Oh, somehow I can't seem to scratch it
'Cause that′s what is at
′Cause I can't stand it (I can′t stand it, baby, can you stand it?)
But awesome
How you keep me, you keep me hangin' on (I can′t stand it, baby, can you stand it?)
I'm just waiting, waiting and watching (I can′t stand it, baby, can you stand it?)
Oh, for you to just dial a number
And bring me on the phone and oh
It's a little faith that will do
That makes me believe
Oh, something, something good's gonna happen to me
Ooh-ooh-ooh
So get it together
That′s what you gotta do, baby
Lord, don′t take too long
No, don't take too long, baby
Let me tell you about me
I′m just here for your love, oh yes I am
Just like a... just like a hungry dog on a bone
Yeah, yeah, yeah
It's the little things that you do
That make me believe, oh Lord
Somethin′, somethin', somethin′ somethin' good is gonna happen to me
Mmm-mmm-mmm, yeah (I can't stand it)
It ain′t no harm in somethin′ good (I can't stand it, baby, can you stand it?)
When you′re out in the streets (I can't stand it, baby, can you stand it?)
And you got nowhere to go (I can′t stand it, baby, can you stand it?)
At all, call me back
The song "Baby I Can't Stand It" by Bobby Womack expresses the temporary agony of being in love. The singer describes the longing and desire he feels for his lover but also the frustration he experiences due to the absence of that love. He compares his love to an itch he can't scratch and confesses that he is waiting for her to call him. It's as though he's begging her to give in to her desire and love him as strongly as he loves her.
The singer tells his lover that the little things she does for him make him believe that something good is going to happen to him. Despite the agony he's going through, he remains optimistic that things will get better. He urges his lover to get it together and not to take too long. He also reveals that he's just there for her love, longing for her like a hungry dog on a bone. He pleads with her to call him back when she needs him because he's always there for her.
In summary, "Baby I Can't Stand It" is a love song that describes the frustration, agony, and anticipation that come with being madly in love with someone.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't stand it
I can no longer endure it
Oh, stand it no longer, girl
I can't tolerate it any further, my dear
Your love somehow, look
Your love, in some ways,
It keeps going stronger, oh yeah
It gradually intensifies
It's like a... it's like a itch in my heart
It feels like an irritating sensation in my heart
Oh, somehow I can't seem to scratch it
But I can't seem to relieve it
Love me, little baby
Love me, my dear
'Cause that's what is at
Because that's what is needed
'Cause I can't stand it (I can't stand it, baby, can you stand it?)
Because I can't bear it (Can you bear it, my dear?)
But awesome
But fantastic
How you keep me, you keep me hangin' on (I can't stand it, baby, can you stand it?)
How you hold on to me, you keep me hooked (Can you handle it, my dear?)
I'm just waiting, waiting and watching (I can't stand it, baby, can you stand it?)
I'm just anticipating, waiting and observing (Can you endure it, my dear?)
Oh, for you to just dial a number
Oh, for you to simply make a call
And bring me on the phone and oh
And put me on the phone and oh
It's a little faith that will do
It only takes a little faith
That makes me believe
To make me convinced
Oh, something, something good's gonna happen to me
Oh, something, something positive is going to happen to me
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Indication of excitement
So get it together
So fix things
That's what you gotta do, baby
That's what you must do, my dear
Lord, don't take too long
Please, don't take too much time
No, don't take too long, baby
No, don't take too much time, my dear
Let me tell you about me
Allow me to describe myself to you
I'm just here for your love, oh yes I am
I'm solely present for your love, oh yes, I am
Just like a... just like a hungry dog on a bone
Just like a starving dog on a bone
It's the little things that you do
It's the small actions you take
That make me believe, oh Lord
That persuade me, oh Lord
Somethin', somethin', somethin' somethin' good is gonna happen to me
Something good is going to happen to me
Mmm-mmm-mmm, yeah (I can't stand it)
Sound of pleasure (I can't bear it)
It ain't no harm in somethin' good (I can't stand it, baby, can you stand it?)
There's nothing wrong with something positive (Can you tolerate it, my dear?)
When you're out in the streets (I can't stand it, baby, can you stand it?)
When you're outside (Can you endure it, my dear?)
And you got nowhere to go (I can't stand it, baby, can you stand it?)
And you have nowhere to go (Can you handle it, my dear?)
At all, call me back
At all, give me a call
Writer(s): Bobby Womack
Contributed by Henry J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ryanaul
Hits me in the soul every fuckin' time....
@Healing_Heiress
Bobby Womack is amazing don't get me wrong but Cecil should have been bigger it's her soul and voice I don't understand why I never knew about her until I heard love everlasting
@elvispreseli
R.I.P. Bobby.
@dkbradley43
This is a really inventive use of 3/4 time. First time I heard it.