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 Womackâs 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 Is Beautiful
Bobby Womack Lyrics
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Like the starry summer night, or a snow-covered winter's day
And everybody's beautiful in their own way
Under God's heaven, I know I know I know we've gotta find the way
There is none so blind as he who just don't wanna see
We must not close our minds; we must let our thoughts be free
For every hour that passes by, we know the world gets a little older
Everything is beautiful, in it's own way
And it gets better better better every long long day
We shouldn't care about the length of his hair, or the color of his skin
Don't worry about what shows from without, but the love that lives within
And we're gonna get it all together now; everything gonna work out fine
Why don't you just take a little time to look on the good side my friend
And straighten it out in your mind
And everything is beautiful
And it gets better better better every every every every day
Everybody's beautiful, in it own way
Can't you see it gets better better better every every every every day
The lyrics of Bobby Womack's "Everything Is Beautiful" convey the message that everyone and everything is beautiful in its unique way, and we need to acknowledge and celebrate this beauty, regardless of any external or superficial differences. The song encourages listeners to broaden their perspectives and refrain from judging people based on physical attributes like the color of their skin or the length of their hair. Instead, Womack urges us to focus on the goodness that resides within every individual and embrace diversity with open hearts and minds. He calls for us to be more accepting, compassionate, and humane towards one another, to strive for unity and mutual respect, and to work together to create a better world for all.
The lyrics also acknowledge that life is constantly evolving, and the world is changing with each passing moment. We need to remain open-minded, adaptable, and progressive in our attitudes and behaviors to keep pace with the changing times. The song is a reminder that we are all part of the same human family, and we need to treat each other with dignity, kindness, and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything is beautiful in it's own way
Each thing has its own beauty that is unique and special.
Like the starry summer night, or a snow-covered winter's day
Examples of beautiful things in nature can be seen in both summer and winter.
And everybody's beautiful in their own way
Every person has their own individual beauty that should be appreciated.
Under God's heaven, I know I know I know we've gotta find the way
In the world created by God, we must find a way to live together in harmony.
There is none so blind as he who just don't wanna see
Someone who does not want to see the truth is truly blind.
We must not close our minds; we must let our thoughts be free
We should not limit our thinking; allow our minds to be open.
For every hour that passes by, we know the world gets a little older
As time goes on, the world grows older and changes.
It's time to realize that were steady getting older
We need to accept the fact that we too are growing older.
We shouldn't care about the length of his hair, or the color of his skin
We should not judge people based on superficial things like hair or skin color.
Don't worry about what shows from without, but the love that lives within
Instead, focus on the love and beauty that is within a person.
And we're gonna get it all together now; everything gonna work out fine
We can work together and make things better, everything will be alright.
Why don't you just take a little time to look on the good side my friend
We should take some time to appreciate and focus on the positive things in life.
And everything is beautiful
There is beauty in everything, if we look for it.
And it gets better better better every long long day
Each day brings new opportunities for improvement and things can get better.
Everybody's beautiful, in it own way
Everyone has their own unique beauty that is special and should be appreciated.
Can't you see it gets better better better every every every every day
It is important to recognize that things can and will get better each day.
Contributed by Emma N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.