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.
Mas Que Nada
Carla Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tantas puertas me han visto salir
Oh-oh-oooh
En esta escuela, todo ya conocí
Oh-oh-oooh
Soy en las clases la mejor
Y mi promedio es mayor
Creo que es momento de partir al fin.
pero no sé qué es lo que es
Hay algo más afuera,
igual a mi, me quiero ver.
Aquí hay tanta gente
Y aún muy sola estoy
Ellos con triunfos sueñan
Se preguntan si extraña soy
Creo que sola estoy mejor
Me pregunto si encontraré
Lo que yo sola buscaré
Hay algo más afuera,
que llene mi gran soledad
Hay algo más afuera,
Yo lo voy a ir a buscar.
Hay tanto que esta escuela ofrece
No estoy diciendo que esta mal
Pero sé que hay algo afuera
Que yo he buscado sin parar
Entre estos muros y más allá
Quiero aprender que un camino no hay
Hay algo afuera, me habla a mí
Pero un misterio es
Que quiero descubrir
Sé que hay algo más afuera
Otra manera, otro lugar
Sé que hay algo más afuera
Y lo voy a encontrar...
Lo voy a encontrar...
The lyrics of Carla Thomas's "Mas Que Nada" follow the story of a student who has spent a lot of time in school, exploring all that it has to offer, but has come to realize that there is more to life beyond the school's walls. The student is the best in the class, with a higher average than others, but still feels lonely in the midst of the crowds. The student believes that there is something more put there for her, that will fill the void in her life, but she does not know what it is. She contemplates leaving the school to embark on a journey that will lead her to her purpose.
The song captures the universal theme of searching, exploring, and finding one's true purpose in life. It speaks to the experiences of many individuals who, despite their successes and achievements, find that there is more to life beyond what they have accomplished so far. The student's character is relatable, and the lyrics urge listeners to keep searching for their purpose, regardless of their current circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
He andando mucho por aquí
I've been walking around here a lot
Tantas puertas me han visto salir
Many doors have seen me leave
En esta escuela, todo ya conocí
I've already experienced everything in this school
Soy en las clases la mejor
I'm the best in classes
Y mi promedio es mayor
And my average is higher
Creo que es momento de partir al fin.
I think it's time to leave finally.
Hay algo más afuera,
There's something else beyond,
pero no sé qué es lo que es
but I don't know what it is
Hay algo más afuera,
There's something else beyond,
igual a mi, me quiero ver.
I want to see something similar to me out there.
Aquí hay tanta gente
There are so many people here
Y aún muy sola estoy
But I'm still very lonely
Ellos con triunfos sueñan
They dream of success
Se preguntan si extraña soy
They wonder if I'm weird
Creo que sola estoy mejor
I think I'm better off alone
Me pregunto si encontraré
I wonder if I'll find
Lo que yo sola buscaré
What I'll search for on my own
Hay algo más afuera,
There's something else beyond,
que llene mi gran soledad
that can fill my great loneliness
Hay algo más afuera,
There's something else beyond,
Yo lo voy a ir a buscar.
I'm going to go find it.
Hay tanto que esta escuela ofrece
This school has so much to offer
No estoy diciendo que esta mal
I'm not saying it's bad
Pero sé que hay algo afuera
But I know there's something else out there
Que yo he buscado sin parar
That I've searched for relentlessly
Entre estos muros y más allá
Between these walls and beyond
Quiero aprender que un camino no hay
I want to learn that there is no one path
Hay algo afuera, me habla a mí
There's something out there, calling to me
Pero un misterio es
But it's a mystery
Que quiero descubrir
That I want to uncover
Sé que hay algo más afuera
I know there's something else out there
Otra manera, otro lugar
Another way, another place
Sé que hay algo más afuera
I know there's something else out there
Y lo voy a encontrar...
And I'm going to find it...
Lo voy a encontrar...
I'm going to find it...
Contributed by William V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.