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.
This Christmas
Bobby Womack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The mistletoe
I'm gonna get
Yo know
You better, yeah
This Christmas
And as
We trim the tree
It's gonna be
Together
Yeah, ha
This Christmas
Fireside
Is blazing bright
We're caroling
Through the night
And this Christmas
Will be, yeah
A very
Special Christmas
For me, yeah
Ooh, hey, ooh
Presents
And cards are here
My world is filled
With cheer and you
Oh, yeah
This Christmas
And as I look around
Your eyes outshine
The town, they do
This Christmas
Fireside
Is blazing bright
We're caroling
Through the night
And this Christmas
Will be
A very
Special Christmas
For me, yeah
Ooh, alright
Break it down
Ha, ha, ha
Ooh, yeah, yeah
Yeah, alright
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Alright now
Right now, now
Fireside
Oh is blazing bright
We're caroling
Through the night
Yeah
And this Christmas
Will be, oh
A very
Special Christmas
For me, yeah
And this Christmas
Will be
A very
Special Christmas
For me, oh, oh
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Merry Christmas
Ooh, yeah
Gonna have
A merry Christmas
Oh, yeah, oh, oh
Merry Christmas
Oh, it will be
Oh, a very, very
Very
Special Christmas
A very
Special Christmas
(This Christmas)
Alright now
Right now, yeah oh
It will be now, oh
(This Christmas)
Oh, this will be
This will be, baby
A very special
Have a merry
Merry Christmas
And
A happy New Year
Oh, hey, alright
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Merry Christmas
This Christmas
Oh, this will be
This will be, baby
The lyrics to Bobby Womack's "This Christmas" are about the joy and excitement of the holiday season. The song begins with the anticipation of hanging mistletoe and the singer's desire to get to know their love interest. As they trim the tree together, the song highlights the fun and merriment of the holiday season. The fireside is blazing bright, and caroling through the night sets the tone for a very special Christmas for the singer. The presents and cards fill the world with joy and cheer, and as the singer looks around, their love interest's eyes outshine the town.
As the song continues, it emphasizes the specialness of Christmas to the singer through the repetition of the phrase "This Christmas will be a very special Christmas for me." The fireside is still blazing bright, and the song highlights the excitement of caroling through the night. The song then concludes by wishing the listener a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, emphasizing the hope and possibility of a new beginning in the coming year.
Line by Line Meaning
Hang all
Let's put up all the mistletoe decorations
The mistletoe
Refers to the traditional plants we put up to bring in the joy of Christmas
I'm gonna get
I will find a way to make this Christmas special
Yo know
You should realize by now
You better, yeah
You should start preparing yourself
This Christmas
The coming Christmas holidays
And as
As we
We trim the tree
We decorate the Christmas tree
How much fun
It would be really enjoyable
It's gonna be
It will definitely happen
Together
All of us celebrating Christmas together
Yeah, ha
An expression of happiness and joy
Fireside
The fireplace
Is blazing bright
The fire is bright and hot
We're caroling
We're singing Christmas carols
Through the night
All night long
And this Christmas
This year's Christmas
Will be, yeah
It will be
A very
An extremely
Special Christmas
A distinctive holiday season
For me, yeah
It will be special for me
Ooh, hey, ooh
Expressing excitement and anticipation
Presents
Gifts
And cards are here
All the gifts and greetings have arrived
My world is filled
I feel fulfilled inside
With cheer and you
And that's because of the joy you bring me
Oh, yeah
An expression of excitement
And as I look around
As I observe my surroundings
Your eyes outshine
Your eyes are the brightest and most beautiful thing around
The town, they do
They shine brighter than the lights and decorations of the entire town
Fireside
The fireplace
Is blazing bright
The fire is bright and hot
We're caroling
We're singing Christmas carols
And this Christmas
This year's Christmas
Will be
It's going to be
A very
An extremely
Special Christmas
A distinctive holiday season
For me, yeah
It will be special for me
Ooh, alright
An expression of excitement and anticipation
Break it down
Get into the holiday groove
Ha, ha, ha
An expression of joy and laughter
Merry Christmas
Wishing someone a joyous Christmas
Ooh, yeah, yeah
An expression of excitement
Gonna have
Will certainly have
A merry Christmas
A joyous holiday season
Oh, yeah, oh, oh
An expression of excitement
It will be
It's going to be
A very, very
An extremely
Very
An expression of emphasis
Special Christmas
A distinctive holiday season
Alright now
Let's get started and have a great time
Right now, now
We should start now and we should start right away
Merry Christmas
Wishing someone a joyous Christmas
Oh, this will be
This is going to be
This will be, baby
This holiday season will be amazing
A very special
An extremely unique and memorable
Have a merry
Wishing someone a joyous
Merry Christmas
Christmas greeting
And
In addition to
A happy New Year
Best wishes for the new year
Oh, hey, alright
An expression of joy and excitement
Yeah, yeah
An expression of agreement
Yeah, yeah
An expression of agreement
Merry Christmas
Wishing someone a joyous Christmas
This Christmas
This holiday season
Oh, this will be
This is going to be
This will be, baby
This holiday season will be amazing
Contributed by Josiah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ken Wright
One of my all-time favorites, with an added touch of soul.
Nobody can sing it like Bobby Womack.
Channie B
Please
mary wood
Love this version