Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known as Chaka Khan, and… Read Full Bio ↴Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known as Chaka Khan, and frequently referred to as the "Queen of Funk", is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus.

In 1964, at the age of 11, Khan formed her first musical group, the Crystalettes. While still in high school, she joined the Afro-Arts Theater, a group which toured with Motown great Mary Wells; a few years later, she adopted the African name Chaka Khan while working on the Black Panthers' breakfast program. After quitting high school in 1969, Khan joined the group Lyfe, soon exiting to join another dance band, the Babysitters — neither was on the fast track to success, but her fortunes changed when she teamed with ex-American Breed member Kevin Murphy and Andre Fisher to form Rufus.

Debuting in 1973 with a self-titled effort on the ABC label, Rufus was among the preeminent funk groups of the decade. Distinguished by Khan's dynamic vocals, the group earned half a dozen gold or platinum albums.

While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career. Her signature hits, both with Rufus and solo, include "Tell Me Something Good", "Sweet Thing", "Ain't Nobody", "I'm Every Woman", "I Feel for You" and "Through the Fire".

Every Little Thing
Chaka Khan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'll take every little thing I do
And give it up, give it all up for you
I mean every little thing, it's true
Give it up, give it all up for you

Busy, I'm so busy
Climbing higher, moving further every day
I gotta keep going, don't you know it

I can't let sentimental feelings in the way

But there comes a time
When you want to share your heart
Give up everything
And just lose yourself in love

I'll take every little thing I do
And give it up, give it all up for you
I mean every little thing, it's true
Give it up, give it all up for you

Keep up with the Jones
If they got it then you need it right away
The grass ain't greener, you'll discover
When you're lonely it don't get better anywhere

'Cause there comes a time in my life
When I want to share my heart
Give up everything
And just lose myself in love

I'll take every little thing I do
And give it up, give it all up for you
I mean every little thing, it's true
Give it up, give it all up for you

Giving you everything
About to give up everything
Giving you everything

Giving you everything
Good timing is everything
And right now I'm here for you
I'll turn the lights down baby
And lock the door for you

I'll take every little thing I do
And give it up, give it all up for you
I mean every little thing, it's true
Give it up, give it all up for you

I want to make love with you tonight
Do you wanna, do you wanna, do you wanna do-do you wanna?

I'll take every little thing I do
And give it up, give it all up for you
I mean every little thing, it's true
Give it up, give it all up for you

I'll take every little thing I do
And give it up, give it all up for you
I'll take every little thing I do
Give it up, give it all up for you
I'll take every little thing I do

Give it up, give it all up for you
I'll take every little thing I do

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Chaka Khan's song "Every Little Thing" expresses a willingness to sacrifice everything for love. The singer confesses that she is always busy and constantly striving for success, but her heart is yearning for something more. She knows that love requires her to be vulnerable and open, and she is ready to give herself entirely to her lover. She takes everything she does, all her accomplishments and ambitions, and offers them up as an act of devotion. She wants to lose herself in love and put her heart before everything else, despite the fear of letting go of her achievements.

The next section of the song talks about the traps of materialism and the importance of following your heart. Chaka urges us to focus on what is truly important, love and connection, rather than keeping up with the Joneses. She points out that our pursuit of material possessions can leave us feeling even lonelier than before. She emphasizes that there comes a time in everyone's life where they want to give themselves to love and let go of all other distractions.

In the final section, Chaka makes it clear that she wants to make love with her partner and is willing to offer everything she has. She wants to create a moment of intimacy and connection with her lover, and in doing so, give up her all her ambitions and goals. Overall, the song is a beautiful tribute to the power of love and the deep longing we all have for connection and intimacy with others.

Line by Line Meaning

I'll take every little thing I do
I am willing to give everything I have to you

And give it up, give it all up for you
I am ready to sacrifice all of my possessions and efforts for you

I mean every little thing, it's true
Every detail and aspect of my life I am willing to surrender to you

Busy, I'm so busy
I have many responsibilities and commitments

Climbing higher, moving further every day
I am constantly striving towards progress and success

I gotta keep going, don't you know it
I must continue to work hard and push myself forward

I can't let sentimental feelings in the way
I cannot allow emotional attachment to hinder my progress and focus

But there comes a time
However, there will be a moment

When you want to share your heart
When you feel compelled to express your emotions

Give up everything
To let go of all material possessions and ambitions

And just lose yourself in love
And fully immerse yourself in the experience of love

Keep up with the Jones
To constantly compare yourself to others who have more

If they got it then you need it right away
If they possess something desirable, you feel the need to acquire it immediately

The grass ain't greener, you'll discover
You will come to realize that what others have is not necessarily better

When you're lonely it don't get better anywhere
Even with resources and status, loneliness cannot be filled by material possessions

'Cause there comes a time in my life
Because there will be a moment in my life

When I want to share my heart
When I desire to express my emotions fully

Giving you everything
I am giving you my all

About to give up everything
I am on the verge of abandoning all that I have

Good timing is everything
The right moment is crucial in a situation

And right now I'm here for you
At this present moment, I am here for you

I'll turn the lights down baby
I will set the mood for you

And lock the door for you
I will create a private and intimate space for you

I want to make love with you tonight
I desire to engage in sexual intimacy with you this evening

Do you wanna, do you wanna, do you wanna do-do you wanna?
Are you interested and willing to participate in this act?

Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., Spirit Music Group, Sentric Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE GAMSON, CHAKA KHAN, DAVID THOMAS, GERRY DEVEAUX

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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