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 Preacher
Bobby Womack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lemme hear everybody in the house tonight
If ya still feel like you want to have a good time
All ya gotta say is yeah --
(Crowd sings) Yeah
(Bobby) Yeah
(Crowd) Yeah
Yeah
lemme hear ya say yeah
(Crowd) Yeah
(Bobby sings) Hmmmmm
I don't know why -- I, I feel like I wanna preach tonight
I wonder would yall mind -- If I preach to you for about 5 minutes
But I got to know that I got some warriors in the house tonight
All ya gotta say is yeah --
(Crowd sings) yeah
(Bobby sings) Owwwww!!!
About five years ago -- I fell in love
But you know I never believed -- I never believed in working a real hard job
But one day my old lady walked up and told me -- and said Bobby
She said your lovin' is good --
But my money is gettin' sort of thin
Lemme hear ya say yeah
She said, "I don't mean to hurt your feelings, boy,"
"But you better get ooonnnn out -- and find yourself a job!"
My nose was sort of opened wide at that time
So early that next morning
I went ooonnnn out -- lookin' --
Tryin to find a job --
And I'm mighty glad to today to tell you that I found it
I put in 24 hours a day --
And then a little bit overtime
And here's the sad part of the story
You know something about that, don't you?
Listen to me, now
What brought me home --
It brought me home sort of early one night, huh
I got a funny -- I got a funny -- feeeling
That somethimg wasn't going on in my house that wasnt right
Until I recognized my old lady's voice --
And she kept tellin' she said -- Oooh, baby!
And I was steady listenin' she said -- Oooh, baby!
And he sort of stuttering too -- He kept sayin, like, Uh, what, honey?
She kept tellin' him -- look, keep on doin' doin' doin'
what youre doin' boy!
(Bobby) And lemme hear ya yeah --
Make me know you're still with me -- (Crowd sings) Yeah
Lemme hear ya yeah -- (Crowd sings) Yeah
So I started to call my baby
I said, "Baby!"
I said "I'm glad to walk away if ya do me one thing...
would ya do me one thing...?"
Girl don't pull the rug from under my feet -- OOOHHH
Don't leave, don't leave me so, I'm talking in my sleep
Listen to me ---
This could be the start of a nightmare
Waking up and not finding you there
It would be more that I could stand
Oh, baby Oh, baby
Girl, don't leave me so I'm pacing the floor (don't you do it baby)
Cause that's, that's what I'll do if you close the door
Leavin' me would ruin all of my plans
It would be like tying the both of my hands
And that's more than I could ever stand
Cause that's more than I could stand
Why you wanna leave me?
Why you wanna go?
I promise not
To never, never hurt you no more
Oh, please don't leave me
Please don't go
By causin' my heart to ache
Causin' it to break
I beleive we've still got, a lot of love to give, baby
So turn around, baby (turn around)
While there's a lot of life we can live
Maybe I've been too hung up on myself
But don't change me by putting my heart on a shelf
Cause that's more than I could everstand
Oh tell me, Oh tell me
Why you wanna leave me? -- Why you wanna go?
Why you wanna leave me? -- Why you wanna go?
Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby
The first section of the song is Bobby Womack encouraging the crowd to let him hear them making some noise to show that they are ready to enjoy the night. He then asks for permission to preach to them for five minutes, but first he wants to hear some more energy from them. He proceeds to tell a story about himself falling in love but being lazy about working, and soon his money ran out leading his old lady to tell him to go find a job. After he finally found one and worked long hours, he came home one night and overheard his woman having an affair. However, he pleads with her to stay and not leave him because he doesn't want to be alone.
The song's lyrics touch on various themes, including relationships, love, and hard work. Bobby Womack, a legendary songwriter, has a way of telling a story through his music that connects with people. He uses his lyrics to capture the emotions and experiences of life that every listener can relate to, making them feel seen and understood.
Line by Line Meaning
Gimme my groove
Start the music, let's get this party started
Lemme hear everybody in the house tonight
Make some noise if you're here to have a good time
If ya still feel like you want to have a good time
Are you ready to keep this party going?
All ya gotta say is yeah --
If you're having a good time, let me hear you say yeah!
(Crowd sings) Yeah
The crowd is enthusiastically responding to Bobby's requests
(Bobby) Yeah
Bobby is getting into the music and feeling the vibe
(Crowd) Yeah
The crowd is having a great time and can't stop saying yeah
Yeah
The excitement of the crowd is building
(Bobby)Lemme hear ya just say it a little bit louder
Bobby wants the crowd to raise their voices even louder
lemme hear ya say yeah
Bobby is trying to pump up the crowd
(Crowd) Yeah
The crowd is responding positively to Bobby's energy
(Bobby sings) Hmmmmm
Bobby is feeling reflective and introspective
I don't know why -- I, I feel like I wanna preach tonight
Bobby feels inspired to impart some wisdom
I wonder would yall mind -- If I preach to you for about 5 minutes
Bobby is seeking permission to share his message with the crowd
But I got to know that I got some warriors in the house tonight
Bobby knows that his message will resonate with strong and resilient people
Owwwww!!!
Bobby is emphasizing the power of his message
About five years ago -- I fell in love
Bobby is sharing a personal story to connect with the audience
But you know I never believed -- I never believed in working a real hard job
Bobby was young and naive and didn't understand the value of hard work
But one day my old lady walked up and told me -- and said Bobby
Bobby's girlfriend helped him see the error of his ways
She said your lovin' is good -- But my money is gettin' sort of thin
Bobby's girlfriend loved him, but they were struggling financially
Lemme hear ya say yeah
Bobby wants the crowd to acknowledge this important moment in his life
She said, "I don't mean to hurt your feelings, boy,"
Bobby is revealing how sensitive he was to his girlfriend's criticism
"But you better get ooonnnn out -- and find yourself a job!"
Bobby needed to take responsibility for his financial situation
My nose was sort of opened wide at that time
Bobby was shocked to hear his girlfriend's ultimatum
So early that next morning
Bobby spring into action to find a job
I went ooonnnn out -- lookin', Tryin to find a job --
Bobby was determined to turn his life around
And I'm mighty glad to today to tell you that I found it
Bobby was proud of himself for finding a job
I put in 24 hours a day -- And then a little bit overtime
Bobby was a hard worker who wanted to make his girlfriend proud
And here's the sad part of the story
Bobby's story took a turn for the worse
You know something about that, don't you?
Bobby is appealing to the crowd's emotions and experiences
Listen to me, now
Bobby wants the audience to pay attention
What brought me home -- It brought me home sort of early one night, huh
Bobby is building suspense in his story
I got a funny -- I got a funny -- feeeling
Bobby has a sinking feeling that something is wrong
That somethimg wasn't going on in my house that wasn't right
Bobby's instincts told him that something was awry
Until I recognized my old lady's voice -- And she kept tellin' she said -- Oooh, baby!
Bobby's worst fears were confirmed when he heard his girlfriend with another man
And he sort of stuttering too -- He kept sayin, like, Uh, what, honey?
Bobby is adding details to his story to make it more vivid and engaging
She kept tellin' him -- look, keep on doin' doin' doin' what youre doin' boy!
Bobby's girlfriend was cheating on him with another man
(Bobby) And lemme hear ya yeah -- Make me know you're still with me -- (Crowd sings) Yeah
Bobby is using the crowd's energy to fuel his own anger and frustration
(Bobby sings) This could be the start of a nightmare
Bobby is allowing himself to feel vulnerable and scared
Waking up and not finding you there
Bobby is imaging the worst-case scenario where he loses his girlfriend
Oh, baby Oh, baby
Bobby's emotions are getting the best of him
Girl, don't leave me so I'm pacing the floor (don't you do it baby) Cause that's, that's what I'll do if you close the door
Bobby is pleading with his girlfriend not to leave him
Leavin' me would ruin all of my plans
Bobby's girlfriend was the center of his world
It would be like tying the both of my hands
Bobby feels powerless and helpless without his girlfriend
And that's more than I could ever stand
Bobby's emotions are overwhelming him
Why you wanna leave me?
Bobby is still trying to understand why his girlfriend was cheating on him
I promise not to never, never hurt you no more
Bobby is vowing to become a better man for his girlfriend
Oh, please don't leave me Please don't go
Bobby is begging his girlfriend to stay with him
By causin' my heart to ache Causin' it to break
Bobby's pain is palpable
I believe we've still got, a lot of love to give, baby
Bobby still believes in the power of love
So turn around, baby (turn around)
Bobby wants his girlfriend to see how much he loves her
While there's a lot of life we can live
Bobby doesn't want to waste any more time without his girlfriend
Maybe I've been too hung up on myself
Bobby is admitting his flaws and past mistakes
But don't change me by putting my heart on a shelf
Bobby wants to remain true to himself and his feelings
Cause that's more than I could ever stand
Bobby is still reeling from the shock of his girlfriend's betrayal
Why you wanna leave me? -- Why you wanna go?
Bobby is repeating his question, hoping to find an answer
Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby
Bobby's emotions are running high and he's in a state of despair
Contributed by Adam V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jay R
STILL LOVIN' THIS IN 2020
Bobby continues to live thru this FANTASTIC music. I was first introduced to this as a teenager, and it still feels as good as it did back them. Some radio stations wouldn't play the "PREACHER" part, and went right to the song. But I always wanted to hear the whole thing...
THANK YOU BOBBY FOR BLESSING US WITH THIS. LOVE FOREVER!!!!
Daniel Adams
RIP bobby, this is one of my favourite live recordings ever, such passion: "tell the police to come on in... I CAN'T STOP!"
Motherlove Goodwin
After hours back in the day
Larry Richardson
WOMACK!!!!! I experienced this song in Knoxville,Tn in 1969 LIVE at the VIP club.Oh what a feeling.It was call SOUL it was ours
Mary Ann Campbell
Mr Womack has left the building forever. Thank you for your wonderfully conforting vocals that got me and my family and my race through the 1970s,80s,90s, and the 2000s. Love you forever, thanks, man.
jerrydemouse
My dad is 76 years old and He just loves this song
Gabe Williams
My favorite line, "I don't know why but I feel like I wanna preach tonight..."
Mary Ann Campbell
One of my favorites too
riadinio13
RIP Bobby
riadinio13
Bobby thank you for given me all hapiness in my life !!!
Rest in peace my best artist !!!