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.
Everything's Gonna Be Alright
Bobby Womack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you worry, you be strong, help you get along
Everything is gonna be alright, find someone who would treat you right
He don't deserve a woman like you, woman you are
You never knew that goodbye could hurt so much
Till the morning he told you he was going away
He lied to you, mistreated you, he even raised his hand to you
You weathered the storm, but ended up in the rain
Think it's something you did wrong
You carried his baby, but now, now, now, lady
Can't you see that you're so strong?
You were so strong
The sun's gonna shine again, it won't be long
Everything is gonna be alright, broken hearts are a part of life
This is something that you must go through
Everything is gonna be alright, find someone who would treat you right
Very sorry that he hurt you
Oh, the time has come to place all your fears aside
You owe it to yourself to give love another try
With someone who'll care for you, true to you
Make dreams realities for you, the rain is over
Just dry all the tears from your eyes
It's driving me crazy, I'm telling you, baby
You ain't done nothing wrong
Take care of your baby, but na, na, na, lady
Can't you see that you're so strong?
Oh, baby, you were so strong
The sun's gonna shine again
It won't be long
Everything is gonna be alright, broken hearts are a part of life
This is something that you must go through
Everything is gonna be alright, find someone who would treat you right
Very sorry that he hurt you
Everything is gonna be alright, broken hearts are a part of life
This is something that you must go through
Everything is gonna be alright, find someone who would treat you right
Very sorry that he hurt you
Everything is gonna be alright, broken hearts are a part of life
This is something that you must go through
Everything is gonna be alright, find someone who would treat you right
Very sorry that he hurt you
Everything is gonna be alright, broken hearts are a part of life
This is something that you must go through
Everything is gonna be alright, find someone who would treat you right
Very sorry that he hurt you
The song "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" by Bobby Womack is a message of hope and encouragement to a woman who has just experienced a rough break-up. The first verse of the song tells the woman that everything is going to be alright, that broken hearts are a part of life and that she needs to be strong and find someone who will treat her right. The second verse acknowledges the pain that the woman is feeling but encourages her to look towards a brighter future. It tells her that she needs to put her fears aside and give love another try with someone who will care for her and make her dreams come true.
The song is filled with words of comfort and a reminder that everyone goes through tough times but it's important to keep going and find happiness. The chorus repeats the message that everything is going to be alright and that finding someone who will treat her right is the best thing the woman can do for herself. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus as if to drill the message home that no matter how bad things get there is always hope for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything is gonna be alright, broken hearts are a part of life
Life may break your heart, but you'll be okay eventually.
Don't you worry, you be strong, help you get along
Just be strong, and you'll get through it.
Find someone who would treat you right, he don't deserve a woman like you, woman you are
You deserve to be treated with respect, and it's time to find someone who will do that for you.
You never knew that goodbye could hurt so much, till the morning he told you he was going away
Goodbyes can be extremely painful, and you didn't realize it until he left.
He lied to you, mistreated you, he even raised his hand to you, you weathered the storm, but ended up in the rain
He betrayed your trust, hurt you physically and emotionally, and you tried to get through it, but it left you feeling worse off.
It's driving you crazy, you're wondering maybe, think it's something you did wrong
You're struggling to understand why things didn't work out, and wondering if you could have done something differently.
You carried his baby, but now, now, now, lady, can't you see that you're so strong?
You were strong enough to go through the pregnancy and birth on your own, and you should be proud of yourself for that.
The sun's gonna shine again, it won't be long
Things will get better, and the future looks bright.
This is something that you must go through
Heartbreak is a common experience, and unfortunately, it's something we all have to face at some point.
Very sorry that he hurt you
It's not your fault that he didn't treat you right, and it's okay to feel hurt and upset about it.
Oh, the time has come to place all your fears aside, you owe it to yourself to give love another try
It's time to let go of your fears and past hurts, and open yourself up to the possibility of finding love again.
With someone who'll care for you, true to you, make dreams realities for you, the rain is over
You deserve someone who will love and care for you, and help you achieve your dreams. The hard times are over, and better things are ahead.
Just dry all the tears from your eyes, it's driving me crazy, I'm telling you, baby, you ain't done nothing wrong
It's time to move on from the pain and tears, and know that you didn't do anything wrong. You deserve happiness and love.
Writer(s): Bobby Womack, Curtis Womack, Harold Payne
Contributed by Charlie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gmoney
My father WORE OUT the cassette tape of this album! This is Funk R&B music in my day! 🥳👍🏾😎🤟🏾😆🔥🤴🏾
Auwal Dauda Ibrahim
Sheer exhilaration... that's the feeling!
Steve Anderson
Pure funk
Morris MANILAINTHEJUNGLE