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.
Why Is It So Hard
Charles Bradley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To make it in America
I try so hard
To make it in America
A land of milk and honey
A land supposed to be built with love
It take love and understanding
I was born in Gainesville Florida
I traveled far and wide
Then I moved to Brooklyn, New York
Had hard times, for sometime I hold on
Why is it so hard
To make it in America
I try so hard
To make it in America
Seemed like nothing was goin' right
So I said to myself
You got to move away from here
I went to upstate New York
A little town they call Poughkeepsie
Got me a job
To get away from all this stress
But I couldn't get away
No matter how far I went
Seems like nothing gonna change
Everything still remained the same
Why is it so hard
To make it in America
I try so hard
To make it in America
Why, tell me, tell me
We gotta make a change, in America
Help me somebody
Charles Bradley’s song “Why Is It So Hard” is a soulful ballad that expresses the frustration, struggle and pain of trying to succeed in America. The song begins with the rhetorical question of why it is so difficult to make it in America, and expresses the singer’s determination to continue trying despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
The land of “milk and honey,” a symbol of prosperity and abundance, is supposed to be built with love and understanding. Yet, as the song suggests, this is not always the case. While America promises many opportunities for success, these opportunities are not evenly distributed, and many people are left to struggle against systemic inequalities.
Bradley shares his personal experience of trying to make it in America, from his birthplace in Gainesville, Florida to his travels “far and wide” before eventually settling in Brooklyn, New York. He highlights the difficulties he encountered in both places, where things didn’t seem to go right and hard times were frequent. He moved to Poughkeepsie, upstate New York, to get away from the stress, but found that nothing changed no matter how far he went.
The song ends with a call to make a change in America and help those struggling to succeed. The repeated chorus expressing Bradley’s resolve to continue trying to make it in America.
Overall, “Why Is It So Hard” is a commentary on the American dream and the struggles and hardships that many people face in pursuit of that dream. It speaks to the inequalities and complexities of American society and the need for change to ensure that opportunity is truly available to everyone.
Line by Line Meaning
Why is it so hard
Expressing the difficulty faced while striving towards something
To make it in America
Reaching success and progress in America can be daunting and challenging
I try so hard
One is putting all their efforts and energy to make progress
To make it in America
The objective is to succeed and flourish in America
A land of milk and honey
A place that is filled with abundance and prosperity
A land supposed to be built with love
The idea is that love and affection are the foundations of a successful country
It takes love and understanding
In order to coexist with others, compassion and empathy are necessary
To live and let live
This phrase suggests that people should allow others to live their lives without interference or judgement
I was born in Gainesville Florida
This is the artist's place of origin
I traveled far and wide
The artist has journeyed to numerous places
Then I moved to Brooklyn, New York
This is a significant location that the artist has lived in
Had hard times, for sometime I hold on
Despite facing obstacles, the artist persevered and didn't give up
Seemed like nothing was goin' right
The artist was facing difficulties and setbacks
So I said to myself
An internal dialogue in response to the challenging circumstances
You got to move away from here
A decision to physically relocate to improve the situation
I went to upstate New York
The next destination for relocation
A little town they call Poughkeepsie
The specific location in upstate New York
Got me a job
Securing a means of earning an income in the new location
To get away from all this stress
The motivation for change in location, due to the difficulties faced in the previous location
But I couldn't get away
Despite physically relocating, the challenges remained the same
No matter how far I went
The distance traveled did not result in a better outcome
Seems like nothing gonna change
The difficult circumstances persisted, without any observable improvement
Everything still remained the same
The status quo was not altered by the relocation
Why, tell me, tell me
Expressing frustration and confusion about the difficulty faced
We gotta make a change, in America
Hoping that progress and change can be made in the country as a whole
Help me somebody
Requesting assistance or support from others
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHARLES BRADLEY, THOMAS BRENNECK, LEON MICHELS, HOMER STEINWEISS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MyqueasBW
Lyrics
Why is it so hard
To make it in America
I try so hard
To make it in America
A land of milk and honey
A land supposed to be built with love
It take love and understanding
To live and let live
I was born in Gainesville Florida
I traveled far and wide
Then I moved to Brooklyn, New York
Had hard times, for sometime I hold on
Why is it so hard
To make it in America
I try so hard
To make it in America
So I said to myself
Looks like nothing was goin' right
You got to move away from here
I went to upstate New York
A little town they call Poughkeepsie
Got me a job
To get away from all this stress
But I couldn't get away
No matter how far I went
Looks like nothing gonna change
Everything still remained the same
Why is it so hard
To make it in America
I try so hard
To make it in America
We gotta make a change, in America
Help me somebody
We gotta make a change, in America
Help me somebody
@admiralnasty
Everyone thinks he's sweating, but it's just his entire body crying.
@wesdryden2086
this made me lol
@juainott5281
Nate Lourn agree
@Richona
Well, it is really hard.
@admiralnasty
I believe it! What they don't show is after the gig, he gets off the stage, cleans up the entire place and loads all the gear in the van. It ain't easy being Bradley.
@johannilsson3214
so true ! R.I.P legend
@serpex77
2024 still ! R.I.P. Mr. Bradley, God Bless your spirit!
@stevetrivago
💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥✊🏼☮️💙
@markv3107
I had the pleasure of meeting Charles this day 6 years ago here in Dublin. I told him how much his music had made an impact on me and how much I looked forward to his show. He was one of the most genuine persons I have ever met, he thanked me and gave me a hug. I managed to get his autograph on his debut album which I have framed on my wall. Signed "For Mark, love always! Charles Bradley"
@AlainHus
Getting a hug from this king is dreamy, not to mention meeting him and getting his autograph! Lucky you!!