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.
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 "Oh How I Miss You Baby" by Bobby Womack is a heart-wrenching ballad about missing a loved one after a breakup. The lyrics express the singer's profound and painful longing for his ex-partner, whom he still loves deeply. He sings about how difficult it is to cope with the separation, and he acknowledges that he can't find happiness with anyone else. He admits that he was wrong to try to cope all alone and that he was wrong to let his friends' advice influence him negatively. Finally, he apologizes for any hurtful things he might have done or said, pledging his sincerity and love.
The song's lyrics are raw, honest, and deeply emotional, capturing the essence of heartbreak and the longing for a lost love. It is one of Womack's most famous ballads, and it has been covered by several musicians over the years, including Al Green, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding. The song's soulful melody and Womack's powerful vocal performance add to its emotive impact, making it a classic of the soul genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, how I miss you, baby
The singer is expressing how much he misses his loved one
Listen to me
The singer asks his audience to pay attention to what he has to say
It's only been a week ago
It has not been long since his loved one left him
But it seems like years
The singer feels like an eternity has passed since his loved one left him
And it's getting sort of hard
It is becoming difficult for the singer
To see through tears
The singer is crying a lot
'Cause now you're gone
The singer's loved one is no longer with him
And I know for myself
The singer is aware of the situation
That I can't find happiness
The singer cannot find happiness without his loved one
With nobody else
No one else can make the singer happy
I find myself calling out your name
The singer calls his loved one's name out loud
In the middle of the night
The singer calls out his loved one's name at night
And I still hear you saying, darling
The singer remembers his loved one saying 'darling'
No, no, two wrongs don't make it right
The singer's loved one had told him that two wrongs do not make a right
I thought I could cope it all alone
The singer believed he could handle the situation by himself
But I was so wrong
The singer realizes that he was mistaken and could not handle it alone
'Cause it didn't gain me one solitary thing
The singer's attempt to cope alone was unsuccessful
But an unhappy home
The singer is unhappy at home without his loved one
I wanna say sorry
The singer wants to apologize
Oh, but it ain't a strong enough word
The singer believes 'sorry' is not enough for what he has done
For once in my life I'm so sincere
The singer is genuine in his apologies
And I mean every word
The singer is truthful in his statement
I listen to what my friends had to say
The singer listens to his friends' advice
But ooh, they messed me up again
His friends' advice did not help the singer
'Cause I haven't seen a good day, baby
The singer has not had a good day since his loved one left him
Since you know when
The singer can't pinpoint how long ago it was when he had a good day
I never thought it could ever
The singer did not expect this outcome
Affect me this way
The situation is affecting the singer a lot
But I'm drownin' in a sea of misery
The singer feels like he is drowning in sadness
And all I can think of to say
The singer can only express his feelings this way
I've got to keep on singing
The singer continues to express himself through his music
Oh, how I miss you, baby
The chorus repeats, and the singer still misses his loved one deeply
I swear, I swear
The singer emphasizes his statement
Contributed by Isaiah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
AJ. McGowan
This song is so soul stirring for me... I loved it when it was released, I love it today. I can't sing along without my eyes watering.....
The1djdave
the best of soul & you're not the only one
with wet eyes...How how we miss you Bobby!
susie thomas
A true soul legend. I have to play this one over and over and over again. Bobby Womack is the man. Very few can do it like him.
Keith O.
Once again Bobby keepin it real!! I LUV ALL HIS JAMS. HES A PREACHER & A TEACHER!! RIP MY BROTHER
Mushtaque Ali
Absolute pure solid gold soul. What an underrated performer Bobby was. He should’ve been way more famous than he was in his lifetime.
Tanya Salazar
Greatest artist ever. My daddy introduced me to his music at a young age. RIP daddy and thank you for exposing me to real music. While everyone was listening to 80s 90s and 2000s music , your babygirl was blasting Bobby Womack.
Al Wilson
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Joe Johnson
I love the live version, his really shows his tremendous guitar skills on that version.
mumtofourhearts
Musical genius - You are one of the best Bobby.
riadinio13
great song !!! the great artist in the world !! my best artist !!!