Born in Gainesville, Florida, and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Bradley spent the better part of his childhood living on the streets. One of the more optimistic moments of his childhood came in 1962, when his sister took him to see James Brown at The Apollo. Brown’s energy formed a lasting impression on Bradley. He went home and immediately began practicing microphone tricks with a broom attached to a string, imitating the Godfather’s every move. With his newfound inspiration came an urgent desire to get off the streets and make something of himself.
Bradley made his way out of Brooklyn via Job Corps, a federal program for helping underprivileged families. His job placement took him to Bar Harbor, Maine where he learned to cook. While in Maine, he put together a band and began to pursue his passion for performing. He had his first taste of the stage when he was asked to perform for some female employees of Job Corps in Poland Springs. The ladies went wild and Bradley knew that he was destined to be an entertainer. Unfortunately, his fate was put on hold when his band mates were drafted in the Vietnam War, and he was forced to find work as a chef in Wassaic, New York at a hospital for the mentally ill.
After nine years cooking for 3500 people a day, being harassed by local police officers, and having no musical outlet, Bradley decided to leave Wassaic and head west in search of a dream. He had saved up enough money to buy a new Ford but soon realized that he couldn't keep up with the payments; he promptly returned it to a dealer and began hitchhiking. He caught rides all the way from New York to California and up through Canada. He persevered through the dangers of the road (including one driver who confided in him that he had just killed his wife and children) and eventually landed in Alaska where he once again found work as a chef. Though the job paid well, he was not well liked by his fellow chefs, and soon made his way back to California via airplane.
Bradley spent over 20 years in California, making his living as a chef, all the while playing music on the side. He had no regular band, but he played pick-up gigs when they came along and sat in on recording sessions to feed his musical cravings. Things seemed to be looking up for Bradley, but just as he was about to put a down payment on his first house, he was laid-off from his job of 17 years. Being fired forced him to re-evaluate his life out west. Ultimately, he decided to come home to Bushwick, Brooklyn to be with his family again. Bradley took every penny he had saved, loaded up a truck with the musical equipment he collected over the years, and drove back to New York. At this point, he was fed up with the tribulations of being a chef and took up work as a handyman to allow himself the flexibility to pursue his musical career.
Bradley finally found an audience when he began making appearances in local Brooklyn clubs performing his James Brown routines under the alter ego “Black Velvet.” At 51, he was finally making a life for himself back home. His musical career was moving forward, but he was to be tested once again.
Bradley awoke in his mother’s house one morning to the sounds of police sirens. He was devastated to find that his brother had been shot and killed by his nephew. Life did not seem worth living anymore.
Bradley was down and out when Gabriel Roth of Daptone Records happened upon him performing his Black Velvet act at the Tarheel Lounge in Bedstuy. Roth recognized his raw talent and directly brought him into the Daptone “House of Soul” studios for a session with the Sugarman 3. "Take It as It Comes" was Bradley's first single on Daptone and it proved him as a worthy vocalist. Roth eventually brought Bradley out to Staten Island to see Dirt Rifle and the Bullets, a young funk band playing James Brown and Meters influenced songs. Thomas Brenneck, songwriter and guitarist for the Bullets, hit it off with Bradley and they began working together. They released two singles on Daptone under the name “Charles Bradley and the Bullets,” but the Bullets soon dismantled in order to form the afrobeat influenced Budos Band.
However, Brenneck knew that Bradley had something more to give and after moving to Bushwick himself, he and Bradley reunited. In time, they became close friends and Bradley confided his life story in Brenneck. The young producer was moved when he heard Bradley tell the painful story of his brother’s death. Brenneck said, "Charles, we gotta put that story to music." Brenneck had put together a small bedroom studio and was working on instrumentals with a new group soon to be named Menahan Street Band. His new sound was the perfect compliment for the heartfelt and troubled lyrics that sprang from Bradley’s story. Brenneck had just launched Dunham Records, a division of Daptone, and would release Bradley’s "The World (Is Going Up in Flames)" and "Heartaches and Pain" as it’s second single. A departure from his Black Velvet act, the songs showed a new side of Bradley as a compelling artist in his own right and proved to be a great success. Many late night writing and recording sessions later, he and Brenneck completed their first full-length record, "No Time for Dreaming". Bradley always knew he was born to entertain, but in the making of this record he discovered a proclivity for songwriting as well.
The record was a labor of love for both Bradley and Brenneck. After years of working together, "No Time for Dreaming" was released on Dunham Records. After that, Bradley toured with the Menahan Street Band and honed his passion as a singer and an entertainer.
Bradley died on the 23rd of September, 2017, due to the consequences of cancer.
In You
Charles Bradley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make me feel so real, oh, man
Sometimes when I'm sleeping at night
I wake up and you're nowhere to be found
You said you love me and you'll always be around
In you I thought I found a love that's true
But you used me, I guess I'm just somebody's fool
With me you found love and you tore it apart, oh darling
You said you loved me and you'll always be around
Wait a minute, wait a minute
What you gonna do baby stop it
Don't hurt me, stop playing with my heart
I feel, you hurting me so bad
Can't take this pain no more, no, ooh
I thought you loved me and you'll always be around
Now that you're gone, baby
You break my heart in two, oh
Again, again and again
Somehow you better stop it right there, baby
Ain't gonna give you no more tries
Stop it right there, baby no more games will I
tolerate
Charles Bradley's song In You is a ballad about a love that was once so real but has now shattered. In the beginning, Bradley declares his love for someone and how they make him feel so alive. However, at times, he wakes up in the middle of the night, and his love is nowhere to be found. At first glance, it seems like they had just separated, but then Bradley reveals that they used him, and he was just someone's fool. He doesn't want to be hurt anymore and demands that his love stops playing with his heart. He can't take the pain anymore, and he won't tolerate any more of the games his love is playing.
Bradley sings about how he believed in this love, but it turned out that his love interest was just using him. He speaks about how he gave his heart to this person, but they tore it apart. He is done with being manipulated and used, and he refuses to tolerate it anymore. The song's lyrics are touching, as they reveal Bradley's pain and anguish at being hurt so profoundly by someone he loved.
In You by Charles Bradley was released in 2011 as a part of his album No Time For Dreaming.
Line by Line Meaning
In you I found a love
I thought I had found someone to love
Make me feel so real, oh, man
You made me feel alive and present in the moment
Sometimes when I'm sleeping at night
Occasionally I wake up in the middle of the night
I wake up and you're nowhere to be found
And you're not there with me anymore
You said you love me and you'll always be around
You promised to love me and always stay by my side
In you I thought I found a love that's true
I believed I had found a genuine love with you
But you used me, I guess I'm just somebody's fool
But you took advantage of me and made me look foolish
I don't wanna be a fool no more
I don't want to be taken advantage of anymore
With me you found love and you tore it apart, oh darling
You found love with me, but then destroyed it
Wait a minute, wait a minute
Hold on a second
What you gonna do baby stop it
What are you going to do to fix this?
Don't hurt me, stop playing with my heart
Stop causing me pain and toying with my emotions
I feel, you hurting me so bad
I feel the pain you're causing me intensely
Can't take this pain no more, no, ooh
I can't handle this pain anymore
Now that you're gone, baby
Now that you've left me
You break my heart in two, oh
You shattered my heart into pieces
Again, again and again
Over and over again
Somehow you better stop it right there, baby
You need to put a stop to this, right now
Ain't gonna give you no more tries
I'm not going to give you another chance
Stop it right there, baby no more games will I
Stop this behavior immediately, I won't let you hurt me again
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID ANTHONY GUY, THOMAS R. BRENNECK, CHARLES BRADLEY, LEON MICHELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@frood6523
Offended is lowkey underated.
@ms-iz9ye
This is way too good. It's outlandish how much soul is in his music
@namethissinger3385
Ohhh....the pain.... the pain that we've all had, felt and can relate to. Love. Add in some solid grooves and bright brass colors along with a throaty vocal and voila! A recipe for soul success!
@Don_nell
Man I love this brothers songs, A modern day James Brown
@xxlvciferxx666
can't believe em sampled this
@paulm1979.
It feels soul good to be alive baby 😊
@mirandarightz6310
Paul Markham amen
@plumpyninja9397
This song is beautiful
@jean-huguesbosekola7086
Soul Music So Good
@DecaturkiddCreole
Kicks the movie