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.
Jubilee
Bobby Womack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turn you 'round
Turn you 'round
Turn you 'round
Don't you let nobody
Turn you 'round
Keep on walking on solid ground
Heard somebody say the other day
People always got away
By destructing or getting away of your vision
Sometimes you gotta move them aside
Make me think about the girl on my mind
She don't know Jack, but she said
Don't you let nobody
Bring you down
Bring you down
Bring you down
Don't you let nobody
Bring you down
Keep on walking on solid ground
Don't you let nobody
Turn you 'round
Turn you 'round
Turn you 'round
Don't you let nobody
Turn you 'round
Just keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on
The lyrics to Bobby Womack's song "Jubilee" convey a message of empowerment and resilience in the face of negativity and obstacles. The repeated refrain of "Don't you let nobody turn you 'round" serves as a rallying call to listeners, urging them not to be swayed or discouraged by the opinions or actions of others. It emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself and staying on a path of certainty and strength.
The song also touches upon the theme of overcoming distractions and staying focused on one's goals. Womack mentions how people can sometimes try to divert our attention or hinder our progress, but we must learn to move past these obstacles and stay determined. He draws from personal experience, referencing a girl on his mind who may not understand or support him, yet he still advises not to let anyone bring you down.
Overall, "Jubilee" is a motivational anthem, reminding listeners to keep walking on solid ground, to not be discouraged by negativity, and to persevere even when faced with adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you let nobody
Don't allow anyone
Turn you 'round
To change your course or direction
Turn you 'round
To change your course or direction
Turn you 'round
To change your course or direction
Don't you let nobody
Don't allow anyone
Turn you 'round
To change your course or direction
Keep on walking on solid ground
Continue to move forward with certainty and stability
Heard somebody say the other day
Recently, someone said
People always got away
Individuals often escape or avoid
By destructing or getting away of your vision
Through distraction or obstructing your vision
Sometimes you gotta move them aside
At times, you must push them aside
Make me think about the girl on my mind
It makes me consider the girl I'm thinking about
She don't know Jack, but she said
She lacks knowledge of Jack, but she expressed
Don't you let nobody
Don't allow anyone
Bring you down
To lower your spirits or confidence
Bring you down
To lower your spirits or confidence
Bring you down
To lower your spirits or confidence
Don't you let nobody
Don't allow anyone
Bring you down
To lower your spirits or confidence
Keep on walking on solid ground
Continue to move forward with certainty and stability
Don't you let nobody
Don't allow anyone
Turn you 'round
To change your course or direction
Turn you 'round
To change your course or direction
Turn you 'round
To change your course or direction
Don't you let nobody
Don't allow anyone
Turn you 'round
To change your course or direction
Just keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on
Simply continue, persist, endure, persevere
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Damon Albarn, Harold Timothy Payne, Richard Russell, Bobby Womack
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind