At the age of 17, she recorded a duet with her father Rufus Thomas, "Because I Love You", which became a Southern hit and gave the Satellite label (later Stax Records) its first real success.
In 1961 she rose to national prominence with "Gee Whiz (Look in His Eyes)", which reached the Top Ten in both the R&B and Pop categories, becoming the first Memphis soul record to have an impact nationwide and ensuring the success of the Stax Records label.
In the next ten years, she had 22 singles on the national charts, including "I'll Bring It on Home to You" (an answer to Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me"), "Let Me Be Good to You", and Isaac Hayes' "B-A-B-Y".
She is well-known for her duets with Otis Redding, from the album King & Queen, including the recordings of the Lowell Fulson composition "Tramp" and the Steve Cropper/Eddie Floyd song "Knock on Wood".
In 1993 Carla Thomas received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
It Ain't Me
Carla Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I wanna stay around you
And so I beg you let it be me
Don't take this heaven from one
If you must cling to someone
Now and forever let it be me
Each time we meet love
You know I find complete love
What would life be
So never leave me lonely Tell me you love me only
And that you'll always
Let it be me
And that you'll always
Let it be me
In Carla Thomas's song Let It Be Me, the singer expresses her love for someone in a very emotional and intense way. The first lines are "I bless the day I found you, And I wanna stay around you, And so I beg you let it be me". The singer feels that she has found someone special, and she wants to be with this person for the rest of her life. They are perfect for each other, and the singer wants to make sure that she is the one who is by their side, no matter what.
The chorus of the song is "Each time we meet love, You know I find complete love, Without your sweet love, What would life be, So never leave me lonely, Tell me you love me only, And that you'll always, Let it be me". Here, the singer expresses her deep love for the person in question. They bring completeness to her life, and she cannot imagine a life without them. She wants them to always be together and promises to be faithful, loyal, and to never leave them alone.
Overall, this song is a beautiful expression of love, passion and intense emotions. It has the power to move anyone who listens to it, and its message of true love resonates even today.
Line by Line Meaning
I bless the day I found you
I am so grateful to have found you in my life
And I wanna stay around you
I want to be close to you and stay by your side
And so I beg you let it be me
I plead with you to choose me as the one you love
Don't take this heaven from one
Please don't take away the happiness we have together
If you must cling to someone
If you feel the need to be with someone else
Now and forever let it be me
Please choose me as your forever love
Each time we meet love
Every time we are together
You know I find complete love
I feel whole and fulfilled when I am with you
Without your sweet love
If I don't have your love
What would life be
Life would be empty and meaningless
So never leave me lonely
Please don't ever leave me feeling alone and empty
Tell me you love me only
Assure me that you only love me and no one else
And that you'll always let it be me
Promise me that you will always choose me as your love
And that you'll always let it be me
Repeat the promise to always choose me as your love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gilbert Becaud, Manny Kurtz, Pierre Delanoe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind