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.

The First Noel
Bobby Womack Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The First Noel
The angels did say
Was to certain
Poor shepherds
In fields as they lay
In fields where they may
Keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night

That was so deep
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born
Is the King of Israel

They looked up
And saw a star
Shining in the East
Beyond them far
And to the Earth
It gave great light
And so it continued
Both day and night
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born
Is the King of Israel

Then entered
In those Wise men three
Full reverently
Upon their knee
And offered there
In His presence
Their gold and myrrh
And frankincense
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born
Is the King of Israel
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

Born
Is the King of Israel

Overall Meaning

The song "The First Noel" is a Christmas carol with its roots in the traditions of Medieval Europe. The song tells the story of the birth of Jesus and focuses on the visit of the shepherds and the Wise Men. The first verse alludes to the Gospel of Luke in which the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem. The repetition of the word "Noel" in each verse is a French word that means "Christmas" and is used to emphasize the joyous nature of the event.

The second verse refers to the star that the Wise Men saw in the sky and followed to the birthplace of Jesus. The star symbolizes the birth of the Messiah, and the light from the star represents the enlightenment that came with the birth of Christ.

The third and final verse talks about the arrival of the Wise Men who brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the newborn king. These gifts are symbolic of the divinity, priesthood, and death of Jesus Christ, respectively.

Overall, "The First Noel" is a beautiful and timeless Christmas carol that tells the story of the birth of Jesus and its significance in the Christian faith.

Line by Line Meaning

The angels did say
According to the angels' message

Was to certain
Was given only to a specific group

Poor shepherds
Lowly shepherds who were not of high social status

In fields as they lay
Resting in the fields where they worked

In fields where they may
In the open fields where they could go

Keeping their sheep
Watching over their flock of sheep

On a cold winter's night
During a winter evening when the weather was cold

That was so deep
A time that was difficult to bear

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Repeating the First Noel, a proclamation of joy and celebration

Born
Has come into existence

Is the King of Israel
Is the ruler of Israel