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.
It's Gonna Rain
Bobby Womack Lyrics
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It's gotta rain
If she goes, goodness knows
Yeah, yeah, yeah, It's gonna rain
I'm starting to feel some bad vibrations
It looks like a hopeless situation
See once you come, I know I can't win
It's gonna rain, baby
It's gonna rain
I can feel it in my soul
Lord surely knows
I'ts gonna rain
Yes, I bit off
More than I can chew
And I'm been a little tired
And thank me, too
Now she's getting ready
To make a move
And I can feel a storm
Starting to brew
It's gonna rain
Whoa! Gotta rain
I was struck by the lighting
I can feel it on my window pane
More than anything
Lord, I ever saw
More than anything
I ever felt in Arkansas
Buckled in my knees
And I started to fall
Tears come to fall
Like the Lord from a fall
It's Gonna rain
Aw, baby
I'ts gotta raln
I can feel it in my soul
Lord surely knows
It's gonna rain
Stop it, baby
Stop it, baby
Stop it! stop the rain
The lyrics of Bobby Womack's song "It's Gonna Rain" convey a sense of impending doom and emotional turmoil. The lyrics start by stating "It's gonna rain" repeatedly, which signifies a foreboding atmosphere. The lead character in the song has a premonition that something terrible is about to happen. He explains that once his lover leaves, he knows he can't win, and he feels a storm starting to brew. The desperation in his voice is quite palpable, and the listener can feel his sadness and despair.
The second verse of the song focuses on the mistake the singer has made by taking on more than he can manage. He acknowledges that he's been treading the line of tiredness, and his lover has taken it upon herself to make a move. The lyrics go on to describe that he feels as if he's been struck by lightning and can feel it on his window pane, which adds to the overall sense of foreboding. As he falls to his knees, he can't help but feel helpless and vulnerable. The chorus repeats, and the song ends with him pleading for the rain to stop, signifying that the events that he was dreading have taken place.
Line by Line Meaning
It's gonna rain, ooh
The singer is predicting that rain is going to fall soon.
It's gotta rain
The singer is certain that rain will fall due to an impending negative situation.
If she goes, goodness knows
If the person the singer is singing about leaves, then he knows the situation will only get worse.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, It's gonna rain
The singer repeats his prediction that rain is going to fall soon.
I'm starting to feel some bad vibrations
The singer is sensing that something negative is about to happen.
It looks like a hopeless situation
The situation that the singer is referring to seems bleak and without hope.
See once you come, I know I can't win
The singer knows that once the person he is singing about arrives, he is going to lose the battle.
And I know she's getting ready to
The singer can sense that the person he is singing about is preparing to do something negative.
It's gonna rain, baby
The singer restates his prediction that rain is going to fall soon.
I can feel it in my soul
The singer is so certain that rain is coming that he can feel it deep within himself.
Lord surely knows
The singer believes that God also knows that rain is about to fall.
Yes, I bit off
The singer admits he took on more than he could handle.
More than I can chew
The situation that the singer is in is too much for him to handle on his own.
And I'm been a little tired
The singer is also feeling physically and emotionally drained.
And thank me, too
The singer is taking responsibility for putting himself in this situation.
Now she's getting ready
The person the singer is singing about is now actively preparing to do something negative.
To make a move
The person the singer is singing about is going to do something soon.
And I can feel a storm
The storm represents the negative situation the singer is in.
Starting to brew
The situation is getting worse and more intense.
Whoa! Gotta rain
The singer reiterates his prediction that rain is imminent.
I was struck by the lighting
The singer is using the metaphor of being hit by lightning to represent being caught off guard by the situation that he's in.
I can feel it on my window pane
The singer can feel the storm both physically and emotionally.
More than anything
The situation that the singer is in is more intense than anything he's ever experienced before.
Lord, I ever saw
The singer acknowledges that this situation is bigger than he is.
More than anything
The situation that the singer is in is more intense than anything he's ever experienced before.
I ever felt in Arkansas
The singer is using the hyperbole of feeling something more intense than anything he's ever experienced in his home state, Arkansas, to emphasize the severity of the situation.
Buckled in my knees
The singer's knees are buckling under the weight of the situation he's in.
And I started to fall
The singer feels like he's losing control and starting to spiral downward.
Tears come to fall
The singer is overwhelmed with emotion and crying.
Like the Lord from a fall
The singer is using a religious metaphor to describe how intense and uncontrollable his tears are.
Stop it, baby
The singer is pleading with the person he's singing about to stop what she's doing.
Stop it, baby
The singer repeats his plea for the person he's singing about to stop what she's doing.
Stop it! stop the rain
The singer is both pleading with the person he's singing about to stop and using the rain metaphor to represent the negative situation he's in.
Writer(s): Bobby Womack
Contributed by Caden K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Womack's best!