There are at least two artists with the name Brenton Wood: an American soul… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists with the name Brenton Wood: an American soul singer and songwriter, and a rock musician.

1.) Alfred Jesse Smith (born July 26, 1941 in Shreveport, Louisiana), better known by the stage name Brenton Wood, is an American singer and songwriter, best known for his two 1967 hits: Oogum Boogum Song and Gimme Little Sign.

When he was a child his family moved west to San Pedro in Los Angeles, California. In his high school years his family relocated to nearby Compton, where Brenton became a member of the Compton High School track team and received several awards for his athletic achievements.

Following his high school graduation, Wood enrolled in Compton College. Soon after he took the stage name Brenton Wood, possibly inspired by the wealthy Los Angeles enclave of Brentwood (some sources state that the name is in honor of his "home county"). During his period there his musical interests began to manifest themselves. He was inspired by Jesse Belvin and Sam Cooke, and he began cultivating his songwriting skills, also becoming an accomplished pianist.

After signing with Double Shot Records he had a hit with "The Oogum Boogum Song" in the spring of 1967. It reached number 19 on the R&B charts and number 34 on the pop listing. His biggest hit came in September the same year. "Gimme Little Sign" hit #9 on the pop chart and also #19 on the R&B charts. In the song gimme little sign is not sung, instead the chorus repeats "give me some kind of sign".

"Gimme Little Sign" was later covered by Danielle Brisebois who had a hit with it in 1994. "Gimme Little Sign" was also recorded by Ricky Nelson.

Some of his more unknown songs are also worth listening to, such as "Me and You," "Baby You Got It," and "18 With a Bullet."

Baby You Got It
Brenton Wood Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I run after you
Like a fool would do
But mama didn't raise no fool
And I should know
That baby you got it
That's all I can say to you

[Chorus]

You got soul, too much soul
Foxy clothes, the cutest nose
The greatest shape
There's nothing fake about you
Baby you got it

People can be cruel
They say I lost my cool
But it's very hard to keep my cool
When I'm around you
'Cause baby you got it
That's all I can say to you

[Chorus]

Now that I found you
Gonna cling to you
I'll give you lovin', money
Everything to you
No matter what they say
Doesn't matter what I do
I'm never gonna love another girl but you
'Cause baby you got it
That's all I can say to you

[Chorus]

My friends say no can be
You're not the girl for me
But I see a lot of things
In you that they can't see
Oh baby you got it
That's all I can say to you
(Repeat Chorus)

You got soul, too much soul,
Baby you got it
Foxy clothes, cutest nose,
Baby you got it
Greatest shape, nothin' fake
Baby you got it
Groovy lips, make me flip,
Baby you got it

Pretty eyes, hypnotize
Baby you got it

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song Baby You Got It by Brenton Wood talks about the singer's obsession with a particular woman whom he adores. The song starts with the singer saying that he would do anything to win the woman's heart, even if it makes him look like a fool. Despite this, he knows the value of himself and that he is not a fool. He then praises the woman for having something very special about her and defines that as "baby you got it."

In the chorus, he lists all the things he likes about her, from her soul, foxy clothes, greatest shape, to her groovy lips, cute nose, and mesmerizing eyes. Although other people may say that she is not the right fit for him, the singer sees nothing else but a perfect partner in her. He emphasizes that he will not love another girl but her, no matter what other people say or do.

The message of the song is that love is blind, sometimes irrational, and uncontrollable. We may be judged by society for our choices, but love is a personal feeling, and we cannot help but fall in love. The song also delivers a message for women to embrace their unique qualities and revel in their beauty.

Line by Line Meaning

I run after you
I chase after you incessantly

Like a fool would do
As unwise as it may be

But mama didn't raise no fool
I'm smarter than that

And I should know
I am aware

That baby you got it
You possess a certain something

That's all I can say to you
I cannot think of other words to describe you

[Chorus]
Refrain stating the qualities of the subject of the song

People can be cruel
Others can be unkind

They say I lost my cool
They accuse me of being uncool

But it's very hard to keep my cool
I struggle to remain composed

When I'm around you
In your presence

'Cause baby you got it
You have an irresistible quality

Now that I found you
Since I discovered you

Gonna cling to you
I will hold on to you

I'll give you lovin', money
I will provide for you

Everything to you
Whatever you want, you'll have it

No matter what they say
Regardless of what others think

Doesn't matter what I do
I will always feel the same way about you

I'm never gonna love another girl but you
I will always love only you

[Chorus]
Refrain stating the qualities of the subject of the song

My friends say no can be
My friends think it's impossible

You're not the girl for me
You're not the kind of girl I should be with

But I see a lot of things
But I see things in you

In you that they can't see
That my friends are blind to

Oh baby you got it
You have that special attribute

That's all I can say to you
I cannot articulate it any better

[Chorus]
Refrain stating the qualities of the subject of the song

You got soul, too much soul,
You have an incredible amount of soul