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."
Runnin' Wild
Brenton Wood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I finally figured it out,
I brought it all on myself.
(sung)
Drinkin' hard liquor at the age of 10,
Chasin' wild women since I don't know when,
Rollin' them dice at the age of 11,
I ran right straight to where the action was child,
Just running' wild.
I ran away from home when I reached 14,
I had to go and see what I had not seen,
I didn't know the reason I was here on earth,
And I didn't even know what my life was worth.
But I thought, I thought I knew what was happening' child,
Just running' wild.
I learned a thing or two as the years went by,
I learned not to rob, cheat, steal or lie,
If I'da known then everything I know now,
I wouldn't done what I did, no how,
There was only one thing that was wrong with me child,
That's running' wild.
Listen children now, and listen real good,
You better do everything good you should,
You can't get away with nothin', no how,
If you're heading' for trouble, you better stop right now,
Runnin' wild, baby, running' wild, nah, just runnin' wild.
In Brenton Wood's "Runnin' Wild", the lyrics describe the singer's reflections on his past actions and how they have affected his life. He recognizes that all the trouble that has dogged him since he was young was brought on by himself. The lyrics describe how from a young age he drank hard liquor at the age of 10, chased wild women since he can't remember when and even rolled the dice at the age of 11. He didn't really care much about going to Heaven, and ran straight to where the action was happening. The singer then narrates how he ran away from home at 14 to see what he hadn't seen yet, as he didn't know what his life was worth. He recognized that there was only one thing wrong with him, running wild. In the end, he advises the children to listen and do everything they should to avoid a life of trouble and self-destruction.
The lyrics provide an insightful look at the singer's self-reflection and realization of the impact his actions have had. The idea of running wild is a recurring theme that signifies the singer's desire for excitement and adventure, which has often brought him trouble.
Line by Line Meaning
Not long ago, I got to wondering' 'bout all the trouble I've been getting' in since I was a child,
Recently, I pondered about every issue I have had since childhood.
And I finally figured it out,
After a while, I finally realized something.
I brought it all on myself.
It was all my doing.
Drinkin' hard liquor at the age of 10,
When I was just 10, I started consuming strong alcoholic beverages.
Chasin' wild women since I don't know when,
I have been pursuing reckless women for a while now.
Rollin' them dice at the age of 11,
I began playing gambling games when I hit 11.
I didn't care much about join' to heaven,
I had no interest in going to heaven.
I ran right straight to where the action was child,
I headed straight to where all the excitement was.
Just running' wild.
I was just living recklessly.
I ran away from home when I reached 14,
I departed from home when I was 14.
I had to go and see what I had not seen,
There were things I had not experienced, and I wanted to witness them.
I didn't know the reason I was here on earth,
I didn't understand my purpose on earth.
And I didn't even know what my life was worth.
I had no idea of the value of my life.
But I thought, I thought I knew what was happening' child,
Even though I was uncertain, I thought I had everything under control.
Just running' wild.
I was recklessly living my life.
I learned a thing or two as the years went by,
As the years went by, I gained some knowledge.
I learned not to rob, cheat, steal or lie,
I learned to refrain from robbing, cheating, stealing, or lying.
If I'da known then everything I know now,
If I had the present knowledge in the past,
I wouldn't done what I did, no how,
I would have changed everything I did before.
There was only one thing that was wrong with me child,
The only thing wrong with me was my recklessness.
That's running' wild.
I was living recklessly.
Listen children now, and listen real good,
Children, listen carefully.
You better do everything good you should,
It would be best if you acted appropriately.
You can't get away with nothin', no how,
You won't get away with anything anyway.
If you're heading' for trouble, you better stop right now,
If you're on the path to destruction, you should halt it now.
Runnin' wild, baby, running' wild, nah, just runnin' wild.
I was living recklessly, just running wild.
Writer(s): Bud Mathis
Contributed by Eva A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
gangster essj
i love this rolla, brings back memmories.