General Norman Johnson (23 May 1943, Norfolk, VA – 13 Oct 2010, Atlanta, GA), had a hit as the lead singer of The Showmen, in the early '60s, with the New Orleans rock'n'roll anthem It Will Stand.
When Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown, in 1967, to establish their own Invictus/Hot Wax group of labels, they teamed-up Johnson with Eddie Custis, Danny Woods &, Canadian born, Harrison Kennedy - as the new company's flagship act - under the appropriate name 'Chairmen of the Board'. Dozier explained, according to Songfacts: "We called them that because of their extraordinary talents. They each played several instruments, sang and wrote songs as well." Custis left the group after their second album.
Though they all had a turn at lead vocals, it was General Johnson's quirky hiccup-laden style and his songwriting which became increasingly showcased, wit hthe group selling a million plus copies of "Give Me Just A Little More Time". Chairmen of the Board also scored with "You've Got Me Dangling On A String", "Pay To the Piper", "Everything's Tuesday", "Working On A Building Of Love", "Elmo James", "Finders Keepers", and the original version of "Patches", a memorable ballad later covered with great success by Clarence Carter.
Kennedy, Woods and Johnson all went on to cut solo albums of varying quality, whilst Johnson wrote and produced (with Greg Perry) for other Invictus/Hot Wax acts, notably Honey Cone. Harrison having left, Johnson and Woods toured the UK in 1976 with six musicians as "Chairmen of the Board", but were not as successful as before. The act was broken up immediately afterwards, Johnson having signed for Arista Records as a solo artist.
In 1978, Johnson reformed the Chairmen of the Board. In 1980, the new Chairmen founded Surfside Records, for which the group records for to this day.
The Chairmen of the Board (General Johnson, Danny Woods and Ken Knox) were inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
General Johnson continued to perform with Woods and Knox as the "Chairmen of the Board" until his death from lung cancer in 2010.
In 2012, Chairmen of the Board released a single, "You", which was written and produced by Knox.
In 2013, former member Harrison Kennedy was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the "Acoustic Artist" category.
Danny Woods died in January 2018.
When Can I See You Again
Chairmen Of The Board Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We′ve come a long way from where we began
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again
Damn, who knew?
All the planes we flew
That I′ll be standing right here talking to you
About another path
I know we loved to hit the road and laugh
But something told me that it wouldn′t last
Had to switch up
Look at things different see the bigger picture
Those were the days
Hard work forever pays
Now I see you in a better place
How could we not talk about family when family's all that we got?
Everything I went through you were standing there by my side
And now you gonna be with me for the last ride
It′s been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We′ve come a long way from where we began
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again
First you both go out your way
And the vibe is feeling strong
And what′s small turn to a friendship
A friendship turn into a bond
And that bond will never be broken
And the love will never get lost
And when brotherhood come first
Then the line will never be crossed
Established it on our own
When that line had to be drawn
And that line is what we reach
So remember me when I'm gone
How could we not talk about family when family's all that we got?
Everything I went through you were standing there by my side
And now you gonna be with me for the last ride
So let the light guide your way, yeah
Hold every memory as you go
And every road you take will always lead you home, home
It′s been a long day without you, my friend
And I′ll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh, I′ll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again
When I see you again
When I see you again
The lyrics of Chairmen of the Board's "When Can I See You Again" speak about the longing for someone who has passed away. The singer has experienced a long day without their friend, and they promise to tell them all about it when they see them again. They reflect on the good times they had, and how they have come a long way from where they started.
The second verse discusses how sometimes things don't go as planned and we have to make changes. The singer switches things up and starts seeing the bigger picture, which makes them appreciate the days when they hit the road and laughed even more. They acknowledge that hard work pays off and see their friend in a better place.
The final verse emphasizes the importance of family and brotherhood. The singer mentions the bond they shared and how it will never be broken, even when they're gone. They urge their friend to let the light guide their way and to hold onto their memories as they go. The song ends with the singer promising to tell their friend all about their day when they see them again.
Line by Line Meaning
It′s been a long day without you, my friend
I have missed you a lot, my friend, and it feels like a really long time since I last saw you.
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When we finally reunite, I will catch you up on everything that has happened while we were apart.
We′ve come a long way from where we began
We have both progressed and grown so much from the starting point of our friendship.
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
Once we are reunited, I will share with you all the details of our journey and where life has taken us since we last spoke.
When I see you again
I can hardly wait to see you again and be in your company.
Damn, who knew?
It's crazy to think about how much has changed since we first met.
All the planes we flew
We have traveled a lot together and shared some amazing experiences and memories.
Good things we've been through
We have overcome challenges and experienced many positive things throughout our friendship.
That I’ll be standing right here talking to you
I never would have guessed that I would still have the privilege to be talking to you and sharing this moment with you.
About another path
We have both taken different paths and made different choices, but we are still connected and supportive of each other.
I know we loved to hit the road and laugh
We have always enjoyed traveling together and having fun, carefree moments.
But something told me that it wouldn't last
Despite our love for adventure and laughter, I had a feeling that our journey together would eventually come to an end.
Had to switch up
I had to change my perspective and approach to life in order to keep growing and evolving.
Look at things different see the bigger picture
I started seeing things from a new perspective and understanding the larger context of my life and our friendship.
Those were the days
Those memories and moments we shared together were truly special and will always be cherished.
Hard work forever pays
The effort and hard work we put into our friendship has paid off and has brought us to where we are today.
Now I see you in a better place
I am happy to see that you are in a positive and better place in your life now.
How could we not talk about family when family's all that we got?
Our friendship is like family, and it's important to acknowledge and appreciate that fact.
Everything I went through you were standing there by my side
You have always been there to support and guide me through difficult times and decisions.
And now you're gonna be with me for the last ride
I am grateful that you will be by my side until the very end of our journey together.
First, you both go out your way
We both put in the effort and went out of our way to form a meaningful friendship.
And the vibe is feeling strong
Our connection is strong and we have a great chemistry between us.
And what's small turns to a friendship
Sometimes the smallest things can lead to the strongest and most meaningful friendships.
A friendship turns into a bond
Our friendship has grown into a deep and unbreakable bond that will last a lifetime.
And that bond will never be broken
No matter what challenges or obstacles may come our way, our bond will always remain strong and unbreakable.
And the love will never get lost
The love and affection we have for each other will never fade or disappear.
And when brotherhood come first
Our bond is like brotherhood, and we always prioritize and support each other above all else.
Then the line will never be crossed
As long as we continue to prioritize and support each other, our bond will never be damaged or broken.
Established it on our own
We built and established our friendship on our own, without any outside interference or help.
When that line had to be drawn
When we faced challenges or disagreements, we drew a line to protect our bond and ensure that it remains unbreakable.
And that line is what we reach
Our bond and friendship are what we strive to protect and reach in everything we do and face in life.
So remember me when I'm gone
When I am no longer here, I hope you will always remember the memories and moments we shared together.
Let the light guide your way, yeah
Letting go of someone is hard, but I hope you will find your way with the help of positivity and light.
Hold every memory as you go
Take all the good memories and moments with you on your journey and let them guide and inspire you.
And every road you take will always lead you home, home
No matter where life takes you and what paths you choose, you will always have a home in our friendship and bond.
Writer(s): general johnson
Contributed by Dylan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@yasingames8489
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