Charles Brown (September 13, 1922 – January 21, 1999), born in Texas City, … Read Full Bio ↴Charles Brown (September 13, 1922 – January 21, 1999), born in Texas City, Texas was an American blues singer and pianist whose soft-toned, slow-paced blues-club style influenced the development of blues performance during the 1940s and 1950s. He had several hit recordings, including "Driftin' Blues" and "Merry Christmas Baby".

In the late 1940s a rising demand for blues was driven by an increasing white teenage audience in the South which quickly spread north and west. Blues shouters got the attention, but also greatly influential was what writer Charles Keil dubbs "the postwar Texas clean-up movement in blues" led by stylists such as T-Bone Walker, Amos Milburn and Charles Brown. Their singing was lighter, more relaxed and they worked with bands and combos that had saxophone sections and used arrangements.

As a child Brown demonstrated his love of music and took classical piano lessons. Early on, Brown moved out to Los Angeles, where the great influx of blacks created an integrated nightclub scene in which black performers tended to minimize the rougher blues elements of their style. The blues club style of a light rhythm bass and right-hand tinkling of the piano and smooth vocals became popular, epitomized by the jazz piano of Nat King Cole. When Cole left Los Angeles to perform nationally, his place was taken by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, featuring Charles Brown's gentle piano and vocals.

Brown signed with Aladdin Records and his 1945 recording on that label of the bestseller "Driftin' Blues" with a small combo was a typical club blues song. The single was on the R&B charts for six months, putting Brown at the forefront of a musical evolution that changed American musical performance. His style dominated the influential Southern California club scene on Central Avenue during that period and he influenced such performers as Floyd Dixon, Cecil Gant, Ivory Joe Hunter, Percy Mayfield, Johnny Ace and Ray Charles.

"Driftin'" was the first of several hits Brown subsequently released "Get Yourself Another Fool", "Black Night", "Hard Times" and "Trouble Blues", all major hits in the early 1950s on such labels as Modern Records as well as Alladin. He was unable to compete with the burgeoning rock and roll sound, though he maintained a small and devoted audience.

Brown's approach was too mellow to survive the transition to rock's harsher rhythms, and he faded from the national limelight. His Please Come Home for Christmas, a hit in 1960 on the King Records remained seasonally popular. During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, he occasionally recorded and tried to regain some prominence. This continued until the 1980s, when Bonnie Raitt helped usher in a Charles Brown comeback tour.

He began a recording and performing career again, under the musical direction of guitarist Danny Caron, to greater success than he had achieved since the 1950s. Several records received Grammy Award nominations.

He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received both the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship and the W. C. Handy Award.

Brown died in 1999 in Oakland, California.

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I Want a G.I.R.L.
Charles Brown Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

One never knows, does one?
When love will come along
Then so suddenly life turns out to be a song

One never knows, does one?
The moment or the place
Then right before your eyes
Someone occupies your embrace

Someday look and you'll find
Two hearts were blessed
Someday fate may be kind
Pray for the future, hope for the best

One never knows, does one?
That's just the way it goes

All at once you hear "Hold me, caress me" and then
Love may come but when, one never knows.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Charles Brown's song "One Never Knows Does One" explore the uncertainties and unexpected nature of love. The phrase "one never knows, does one?" represents the uncertainty that surrounds the timing and arrival of love in one's life. Love can come along suddenly, turning life into a beautiful song. It emphasizes the unpredictable nature of love and how it can change one's life in an instant.

The lyrics suggest that love can appear unexpectedly, without any indication of when or where it will happen. It can catch us off guard, happening right before our eyes, and someone may occupy our embrace without warning. The song acknowledges the mystery and excitement of love, as well as the hope and anticipation it brings.

The lyrics also convey the idea that love is a gift, as the phrase "Two hearts were blessed" suggests that finding love is a fortunate and precious experience. It encourages listeners to have faith in the future and hope for the best, as love may come when we least expect it.

Overall, "One Never Knows Does One" reminds us to embrace the uncertainty of love and remain open to its possibilities. It captures the essence of how love can transform our lives in ways we never thought possible.

Line by Line Meaning

One never knows, does one?
Nobody can predict the future or what will happen

When love will come along
When you will find true love

Then so suddenly life turns out to be a song
Life becomes joyful and filled with happiness

One never knows, does one?
Nobody can predict the moment or place love will occur

The moment or the place
The specific time or location where love will happen

Then right before your eyes
Suddenly and unexpectedly

Someone occupies your embrace
Someone becomes close to you and fills your arms

Someday look and you'll find
At some point, you will discover

Two hearts were blessed
Two people found love and happiness together

Someday fate may be kind
In the future, destiny might be favorable

Pray for the future, hope for the best
Have faith and optimism for what lies ahead