Robert Dwayne Womack (born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA on March 4, 1944, died J… Read Full Bio ↴Robert Dwayne Womack (born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA on March 4, 1944, died June 27, 2014), was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Working in the soul and R&B genres, he achieved his greatest success in the 1970s and 1980s. Womack wrote and originally recorded The Rolling Stones' first UK No. 1 hit, "It's All Over Now" and New Birth's "I Can Understand It" among other songs. As a singer he is most notable for the hits "Lookin' For a Love", "That's The Way I Feel About Cha", "Woman's Gotta Have It", "Harry Hippie", "Across 110th Street" and his 1980s hit "If You Think You're Lonely Now". In 2009, Womack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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.

Thank You
Bobby Womack Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You
Oh, yeah
Look, you turn my whole world around, yeah

It was the goodness of your love
That took away the frown, yeah

I wanna thank you, girl

For being so nice
All the things you had to sacrifice
Let me thank you
Woah, I, I wanna thank you, girl

I'd never, no, no, no
I'd never, never thought that I'd ever love you so

But it was you that had the key
To open up the door, baby

I wanna take time out to thank you, girl
For being so nice
And all the things you had to sacrifice
Let me thank you
Oh, let me thank you, baby

You, heh, let me tell you, baby
You're all I'll ever love and ever need
My first cup of coffee
Early in the morning
And my last cup of tea

Would you mind if I thank you, girl
For being so kind
For staying right with me
When you could've left me behind
Let me thank you
Oh
I want to thank you, girl

I wonder if y'all mind if I just
Let the music play

Play your guitar, Bobby
Oh, oh

I'm so thank you, baby
I'm so thank you, baby

Overall Meaning

In the song "Thank You" by Bobby Womack, the singer expresses gratitude towards his significant other and how she has impacted his life positively. The lyrics of the song suggest that his partner's love and kindness have turned his world around, taking away the frown from his face. Bobby acknowledges all the sacrifices his partner has made for him and thanks her for being with him, even in the difficult times. He expresses that he had never thought that he would come to love her so much, and she is the key to his happiness.

The song is an appreciation of love, and the singer acknowledges how his partner has made a positive impact on his life. In a larger sense, the song is about being grateful for the people, who bring love and positivity into our lives, and the value that they add to our world. Bobby Womack's raw and powerful voice mixed with groovy guitars and catchy beats makes this song a timeless piece that can be appreciated by music lovers from all over the world.

Line by Line Meaning

You
Bobby is addressing the person who he wants to thank and appreciates.

Oh, yeah
Bobby expresses his excitement and enthusiasm towards the person he wants to thank.

Look, you turn my whole world around, yeah
The person has a positive impact on Bobby's life, making everything feel better and more positive.

It was the goodness of your love That took away the frown, yeah
The person helped Bobby feel happier and more positive with their love and affection towards him.

I wanna thank you, girl For being so nice All the things you had to sacrifice Let me thank you Woah, I, I wanna thank you, girl
Bobby wants to express his gratitude towards the person for being kind and sacrificing things for him. He repeats his desire to thank them multiple times.

I'd never, no, no, no I'd never, never thought that I'd ever love you so
Bobby did not expect to fall in love with this person, but he did.

But it was you that had the key To open up the door, baby
The person helped Bobby open up his heart to love and allowed him to experience the feeling of being in love.

I wanna take time out to thank you, girl For being so nice And all the things you had to sacrifice Let me thank you Oh, let me thank you, baby
Bobby wants to take the time to thank the person for being kind and sacrificing for him. He reiterates his desire to thank them again.

You, heh, let me tell you, baby You're all I'll ever love and ever need My first cup of coffee Early in the morning And my last cup of tea
The person is the one true love and need that Bobby has. They are as important to him as his first cup of coffee in the morning and his last cup of tea.

Would you mind if I thank you, girl For being so kind For staying right with me When you could've left me behind Let me thank you Oh I want to thank you, girl
Bobby wants to thank the person for staying by his side when they could have left him. He repeats his desire to thank them and expresses his appreciation towards their kindness and loyalty.

I wonder if y'all mind if I just Let the music play Play your guitar, Bobby Oh, oh I'm so thank you, baby I'm so thank you, baby
Bobby wants to let the music play and enjoy the moment. He thanks the person again and expresses how grateful he is for them.

Writer(s): Bobby Womack, Darryl Carter

Contributed by Grayson O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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