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.
Intro. /Oh How I Miss You Baby
Bobby Womack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, how I miss you, baby
Listen to me
It's only been a week ago
But it seems like years
And it's getting sort of hard
To see through tears
'Cause now you're gone
And I know for myself
That I can't find happiness
With nobody else
Oh, how I miss you, baby
Oh, how I miss you, baby
Listen to me
I find myself calling out your name
In the middle of the night
And I still hear you saying, darling
No, no, two wrongs don't make it right
I thought I could cope it all alone
But I was so wrong
'Cause it didn't gain me one solitary thing
But an unhappy home
Oh, how I miss you, baby
Oh, how I miss you, baby
I wanna say sorry
Oh, but it ain't a strong enough word
For once in my life I'm so sincere
And I mean every word
I listen to what my friends had to say
But ooh, they messed me up again
'Cause I haven't seen a good day, baby
Since you know when
I never thought it could ever
Affect me this way
But I'm drownin' in a sea of misery
And all I can think of to say
Oh, how I miss you, baby
Oh, how I miss you, baby
I've got to keep on singing
Oh, how I miss you, baby
I swear, I swear
The song "How I Miss You Baby" by Bobby Womack is a heartfelt lament about the pain of losing a loved one. The lyrics capture the devastating impact of the separation, with the singer confessing his inability to find happiness with anyone else. The opening lines, "Oh, how I miss you, baby," are repeated throughout the song, hammering the message home with an anguished intensity.
In the first verse, the singer conveys the sense of time slowing down since his lover left, and the tears keep him from seeing clearly. He acknowledges that he's helpless without the other person and that their absence has left him feeling unfulfilled. In the chorus, the repetition of "Oh, how I miss you, baby" reinforces the theme of loss and longing.
The second verse reveals that the singer is not sleeping well, as he calls out his lover's name in the middle of the night. He remembers her telling him "two wrongs don't make it right," suggesting that the relationship had issues that they couldn't work out. He admits that he thought he could manage on his own, but his attempts to move on have only compounded his unhappiness.
In the bridge section, the singer apologizes, saying that "sorry" isn't a strong enough word for how he feels. He insists that he's sincere and means every word of it. He mentions his friends, who have tried to offer advice, but their efforts have only made things worse. The final verse finds the singer overwhelmed by misery, barely able to stay afloat, as he repeats the chorus.
Overall, "How I Miss You Baby" is a mournful confession from someone who can't let go of the one they love. It's a poignant reminder of the pain that comes with losing someone dear and serves as a testament to the enduring power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, how I miss you, baby
The singer badly misses his former partner
Oh, how I miss you, baby
The singer badly misses his former partner
Listen to me
The singer wants his audience to pay attention to his words
It's only been a week ago
It has only been a short amount of time since the singer's partner left
But it seems like years
To the singer, it feels like a very long time since his partner left
And it's getting sort of hard
The singer is finding it increasingly difficult
To see through tears
He is crying so much that his vision is blurred
'Cause now you're gone
The singer's partner is no longer with him
And I know for myself
The singer knows without any doubt
That I can't find happiness
He cannot be happy or content
With nobody else
No one else can take the place of his former partner
I find myself calling out your name
The singer calls out his partner's name, even though she is not there
In the middle of the night
He wakes up from sleep and calls out his partner's name
And I still hear you saying, darling
He can still hear his partner's voice in his head
No, no, two wrongs don't make it right
His partner was reminding him not to make irrational decisions
I thought I could cope it all alone
The singer believed he could handle the situation on his own
But I was so wrong
He was mistaken
'Cause it didn't gain me one solitary thing
His actions didn't help him at all
But an unhappy home
His home is now a place of sadness and misery
I wanna say sorry
The singer wants to apologize
Oh, but it ain't a strong enough word
He feels that 'sorry' may not be sufficient
For once in my life I'm so sincere
He is being extremely genuine
And I mean every word
He believes what he is saying
I listen to what my friends had to say
He took advice from his friends
But ooh, they messed me up again
Their advice didn't help him
'Cause I haven't seen a good day, baby
He has not had a good day since his partner left
Since you know when
For a long time now
I never thought it could ever
He never believed that he could feel this way
Affect me this way
His partner leaving has had a major impact on him
But I'm drownin' in a sea of misery
He is overwhelmed by sadness
And all I can think of to say
He can only express his feelings by saying
Oh, how I miss you, baby
That he misses his partner very much
Oh, how I miss you, baby
That he misses his partner very much
I've got to keep on singing
He must continue to express his sorrow through music
Oh, how I miss you, baby
That he misses his partner very much
I swear, I swear
He is making a promise
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BOBBY WOMACK, DARRYL CARTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind