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.
Im in Love
Bobby Womack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm in love, yes I am
I'm in love, yes I am, uh
I'm in love, hey baby, hey, you know I am
I'm in love, uh, huh, you know I am
Friends all wonder what's come over me
I'm as happy as any girl could be
(Love, love, love) Believe me I am
(Love, love, love) I'm in love, oh
(Love, love, love) Yes sir I am, yes sir I am, yes sir I am
(Love, love, love) Hoo, whoa, whoa, whoa
(Love, love, love) I'm in love
And I'm so glad that it's me who had to change
I'm sproutin' and bloomin' like the last summer rose
(Love, love, love) I'm in love
(Love, love, love) I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love
(Love, love, love) I'm in love, I'm in
(Love, love, love)
I'm in love
(Love, in love, in love)
In the mornin'
(In love, in love, in love, in love)
I wake up smilin' and shinin'
(Love, in love, in love) I'm in love
(In love, in love, in love, in love)
Smilin' like love I know where it's at
(Love, in love, in love) I'm in love
(In love, in love, in love, in love)
I'm in love
(Love, in love, in love) I'm in love
(In love, in love, in love, in love) Yes I am
(Love, in love, in love) Um, I'm in love
The lyrics to Bobby Womack's song "I'm In Love" express the feelings of being madly in love. The song is repetitive, with love being emphasized in every other line, and the singer declares how happy he is feeling the emotion of love. The singer's friends, as mentioned in the song, are confused as to the sudden change of behavior in him. However, the singer is "as happy as any girl could be" and "smiling like love,” emphasizing that he is experiencing the fullness of the emotion. He uses powerful metaphors to describe the sensation he feels in his heart and soul, like "blooming like the last summer rose."
Despite the song's upbeat tempo, Womack's voice is soothing and smooth, delivering the lyrics with the right amount of sentimentality. The song’s overall tone and message are quite simple and direct, conveying the simple message of being in love; however, the powerful display of emotion from Womack takes the listener to a place of genuine love and heartfelt emotion. Overall, the lyrics of "I'm in Love" are relatable, and the lyrics force the listener to reminisce on the peace that real love brings.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm in love, yes I am
I am actively experiencing love and am aware of my feelings
I'm in love, hey baby, hey, you know I am
I am expressing my love to my partner and want them to know the depth of my emotions
I'm in love
I cannot help but express the fact that I am feeling love
Friends all wonder what's come over me
My friends have noticed my change in demeanor and are curious as to the reason why
I'm as happy as any girl could be
I am full of joy and contentment, as if I am the happiest girl in the world
Believe me I am
I want to make it clear that I am truly in love and my feelings are genuine
Hoo, whoa, whoa, whoa
I am so overcome with emotion that I cannot express myself through words alone
And I'm so glad that it's me who had to change
I am grateful for the positive transformation that love has had on me
I'm sproutin' and bloomin' like the last summer rose
Love has allowed me to grow and flourish, much like a rose during summer
I'm in love, I'm in
Once again, I affirm that I am in love
In the mornin'
I am referring to the beginning of the day when I wake up
I wake up smilin' and shinin'
My love is so intense that I feel happy and radiant from the moment I wake up
Smilin' like love I know where it's at
I am confident in my love and know that it is real
Yes I am
I reiterate that I am in love
Um, I'm in love
Again, I cannot help but express my feelings of love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bobby Womack
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PHL76Music
This is beautiful. I fell in love with Wilson Pickett's version in 1967, but there's nothing like hearing the writer sing it.
@angelaheron6210
I still love Bobby Womack RIP
@rheahayes3149
A BEAUTIFUL, HEARTFELT R&B SONG THAT DELVES DEEP INTO YOUR HEART & SOUL❣️ THANK YOU BOBBY WOMACK & MUSICIANS❤️🇨🇦
@deborahhenry4724
I am in love
@demetriccummings
He made this song for Sam Cookes wife. He went to the funeral with her in one of Sam Cookes suit. They married months later after Sam Cookes death
@rheahayes3149
@demetriccummings Thank you for elaborating on the truth❣️Cheers🇨🇦
@lindapierce5433
Bobby had such a strong voice with lyrics of depth RIP!!
@marshaduckless5454
I’m in love this song makes me feel good ❤
@ikesims5328
Love Bobby Womack as well as Wilson Pickett version of this song equally as much.
@lnapjr76
Bobby Womack is the epitome of a soul singer...doesn't get any better than this.