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.

When Love Begins Friendship Ends
Bobby Womack Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I told you, told you, told you
You were wrong
You get mad and say leave me alone

So I waited, waited, waited
To let you see
The women you love, is in love with me

And she's so tired of being left alone
I know we're friends
But sometimes when love begins
That's when friendship ends
That's when friendship ends

I never, never, never
Thought it would be this way
You left her alone both night and day

When you were gone
Long gone such a long time
I was always there to keep her from crying

She was so tired of being left alone
I know we're friends
But sometimes when love begins
That's when friendship ends

So why don't you
Just shake my hand and walk away like a man

Help me somebody, help me somebody

Now the girl, the girl, the girl
Means a world to me
Gonna make score
She gets what she need

But she ask me for love
I couldn't turn around
When she needed your love
You were never around

She was so tired of being left alone
I know we're friends
But sometimes when love begins
That's when friendship ends
I say, "That's when friendship ends"

Help me somebody, somebody
Oh, somebody, somebody, somewhere
Somebody, somewhere

It's too late
Is it too late?
Oh love, oh love
Love, oh love, love

Love will turn you against your own mother
And sometimes, sometimes
It can turn you all the way around

Turn you against your sister
Turn you against your sister or brother
Yes it can now

So my friend, my friend
This is it, that's got to end
As I think, as I think
I've got a love that's 'bout to begin

I couldn't be this way now no, no, no
Took me by surprise

I can't help myself

No, I can't help myself no, no
Long time, long time, long time

Overall Meaning

The song “When Love Begins Friendship Ends” by Bobby Womack tells the story of a love triangle and how it ended a friendship. The singer is in love with his friend’s girlfriend, and he’s been waiting for an opportunity to make his feelings known. He justifies his actions by saying that his friend neglected her, leaving her alone both night and day. The woman gave him love and affection, and he couldn’t resist. The singer admits to feeling guilty and offers his friend a handshake to end things like men.

The lyrics provide an insightful commentary on human relationships and how fragile they can be. Love can turn people against one another, even those who’ve been friends for years. When love begins, friendship indeed ends. The singer knew that he was breaking the rules but couldn’t help himself. The woman’s need for love and attention trumped everything else, including his friend’s feelings.

Overall, the song is a poignant tale of love and betrayal. It shows that sometimes, we can’t control our emotions and that we sometimes hurt others in the process.

Line by Line Meaning

If I told you, told you, told you You were wrong You get mad and say leave me alone
Whenever I bring up that the woman you are in love with reciprocates my feelings, you become defensive and refuse to listen to me.

So I waited, waited, waited To let you see The women you love, is in love with me
I kept my feelings for the woman you love to myself for a while, hoping that you would see for yourself that she is in love with me too.

And she's so tired of being left alone I know we're friends But sometimes when love begins That's when friendship ends That's when friendship ends
The woman you love is tired of being ignored and left alone by you, and though we are friends, the start of a mutual romantic relationship between her and I may mean the end of our friendship.

I never, never, never Thought it would be this way You left her alone both night and day
I never anticipated that I would have to intervene with the woman you love in order to provide her with the love and attention you were supposed to give her, as you spent all your time away from her.

When you were gone Long gone such a long time I was always there to keep her from crying
During the long times that you were not there to comfort the woman you love, I was the one who took care of her and dried her tears.

So why don't you Just shake my hand and walk away like a man Help me somebody, help me somebody
It would be most honorable of you to gracefully accept our situation and walk away, leaving me and the woman you love to pursue our romance in peace.

Now the girl, the girl, the girl Means a world to me Gonna make score She gets what she need
The woman you love is very important to me and I am going to do everything in my capability to ensure that she gets everything she needs to be happy.

But she ask me for love I couldn't turn around When she needed your love You were never around
The woman you love asked me for love and I couldn't bring myself to deny her as I saw how much you neglected her and were never around when she needed you the most.

Help me somebody, somebody Oh, somebody, somebody, somewhere Somebody, somewhere
I am asking for someone's assistance and guidance, anyone who can provide useful advice and help me with this delicate situation.

It's too late Is it too late? Oh love, oh love Love, oh love, love
It may be too late to salvage our friendship now that love has entered the picture and disrupted the previously established dynamics between us all.

Love will turn you against your own mother And sometimes, sometimes It can turn you all the way around Turn you against your sister Turn you against your sister or brother Yes it can now
The power of love is such that it can make you behave in unexpected and even detrimental ways towards people you previously had nothing but affection for, even your own family members.

So my friend, my friend This is it, that's got to end As I think, as I think I've got a love that's 'bout to begin
My dear friend, our association must now come to an end as I explore my newfound love for the woman whom you also love.

I couldn't be this way now no, no, no Took me by surprise I can't help myself No, I can't help myself no, no Long time, long time, long time
I never thought I would find myself in a romantic situation with the woman you love, but it took me by surprise and now I can't help but pursue these feelings, even though we have been friends for a long time.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AARON WILLIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

riadinio13

6y↑8

RIP MY BEST ARTIST , forever the POET !!!
thank you Bobby WOMACK
love you so much

ojohnson47 johnson

5y↑7

One of his best albums, but didn't get publicized properly. The song is about his relationship with Sam Cook and his wife with Bobby in the mix. Sam left his wife alone with Bobby while he went out on the road.