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.
Love Ain't Something You Can Get for Free
Bobby Womack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Money was stolen, I was spending hardy
Seemed like every night there was a party
Neglected my love, leaving her unguarded
Too deaf to hear her voice was calling
Too blind too see my world falling
Something that you get for free, no, no
I wanna let you know that love, love, love just ain't something
Something that you get for free, no, no
One more time
You got mad when I found your lover
The one you didn't mean for me to discover
You had me fooled which was very slick
Now I realize that I'm your trick
So I asked you why you needed me
You gave your explanation easily
You said love, love, love just ain't something
Something that you get for free, no, no
You said love, love, love just ain't something
Something that you get for free, no, no
I'm gonna say it again
Love, love, love just ain't something
Something that you get for free, no, no
Then you said love, love, love just ain't something
Something that you get for free, no, no
You said love, love, love just ain't something
Something that you get for free, no, no
Girl, you said love, love, love just ain't something
Something that you get for free, no, no
The opening stanza of Bobby Womack's song "Love Ain't Something You Can Get for Free" tells the story of a man who lost his way and forgot about the love he once shared with someone important in his life. The singer describes how he neglected his love and left her unguarded, too preoccupied with living the high life and enjoying the frequent parties that seemed to be a regular occurrence. But as he became increasingly self-absorbed, he failed to recognize that his love was calling out to him, and his world started to crumble around him.
The next stanza touches on the theme of deception and betrayal as the singer discovers that his lover has been seeing someone else behind his back. He expresses his anger and hurt, admitting that he was fooled and that he now realizes that he was just a pawn in their game. When he confronts his lover about the situation, she explains that love is something that you just can't get for free, offers him an easy explanation, and tells him that he had been mistaken about the nature of their relationship.
The chorus of the song highlights the central theme of the song. It emphasizes that love is something that cannot be easily obtained or bought, and that it comes with its own set of challenges, commitments, and sacrifices. The repeated use of "love, love, love just ain't something something that you get for free, no, no" serves as a reminder that love is a valuable, rare, and precious thing that we should never take for granted.
Overall, "Love Ain't Something You Can Get for Free" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of neglecting our relationships and the importance of cherishing the ones we love.
Line by Line Meaning
I got away from where I started
I got sidetracked from my original intentions and goals.
Money was stolen, I was spending hardy
I lost my focus and was spending recklessly.
Seemed like every night there was a party
I was distracted by a life full of partying and having fun.
Neglected my love, leaving her unguarded
I neglected the person I loved and left their feelings unattended.
Too deaf to hear her voice was calling
I was ignoring her attempts to communicate with me.
Too blind to see my world falling
I failed to recognize my actions were causing my world to crumble.
And love, love, love just ain't something
Love is not an easy or simple emotion.
Something that you get for free, no, no
It doesn't come without effort, sacrifice, or compromise.
You got mad when I found your lover
You were upset that I discovered your secret lover.
The one you didn't mean for me to discover
You kept them hidden from me on purpose.
You had me fooled which was very slick
You tricked me and played me for a fool.
Now I realize that I'm your trick
I understand that you're the one deceiving me.
So I asked you why you needed me
I questioned why you still wanted me in your life.
You gave your explanation easily
You answered my question without much effort.
Girl, you said love, love, love just ain't something
You agreed that love is complicated and not easy.
Something that you get for free, no, no
It requires effort and sacrifice to make it work.
Writer(s): Melvin "wah Wah" Ragin
Contributed by John N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@WilfridAgboton
yeah,gotta work for it!Bobby's right!he's preaching the truth right here,with a whole lotta SOUL!