Carter's earliest releases were as half of the duo Clarence And Calvin. Also known as the "C And C Boys", the blind duo made seven singles, the last of which was recorded at Fame's Muscle Shoals studio. When his partner, Calvin Thomas (aka Scott), suffered serious injuries in a car accident in 1966, Carter became a solo act (Calvin himself later reappeared as a solo act to record two Dave Crawford-produced Atco Records singles in 1969/70 and a Clarence Paul-produced 1971 album for Stax Records, I'm Not Blind ... I Just Can't See, from which two singles were also taken). "Tell Daddy", released in January 1967, began a fruitful spell of Fame-produced hits by Carter, released on the Atlantic Records label. Noteworthy were "Thread The Needle", "Looking For A Fox" and "Slip Away", where the singer combined his outstanding voice with his skill as an arranger and musician.
"Patches", first recorded by Chairmen Of The Board, was a UK number 2 and a US number 4 in 1970, but despite further strong offerings, Clarence was unable to sustain the momentum. He remained with Fame until 1973, where he also helped guide Candi Staton, who was now his wife, before moving to ABC Records the subsequent year.
Further recordings on Venture and Big C took Carter's career into the 1980s and later the artist found a sympathetic outlet with the Ichiban Records label. Despite being blinded as a child, he developed a distinctive guitar style that complemented his earthy delivery, and was just as comfortable on keyboards, writing songs or arranging sessions. The first two albums, This Is Clarence Carter and The Dynamic Clarence Carter show off his versatile talent to good effect.
Clarence returned in the late Eighties with the album Dr. CC, which spawned the bawdy, comedic single "Strokin'", which has evolved into a favorite at clubs and weddings. He later followed it up with a sequel, "Still Strokin'", in 1989.
Road of Love
Clarence Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No, no I ain't going down, that road of love by myself
Now if you won't go with me baby
I guess I'll just have to get somebody else
Oh darling, I hope you feel the same way too
Baby, I sure hope you feel the same way too
Cause as long as we have each other
And ohh baby, let's walk together hand in hand
Ohh baby, baby, baby, let's walk together hand in hand, oh lord
And you can be my little woman now
And I know I know I'm gonna be your man
What I think now
I like what I'm listening to right now
Oh baby let's walk together hand in hand
Oh oh oh baby let's walk together hand in hand
And you can be my little woman
I know I know I'm gonna be your man
Don't make me walk by myself baby
I just don't walk by myself now now now baby
Ohhh baby, I ain't going down the road by myself
Oh no, now if you won't go with me darling
I guess I'll have to get somebody else
Ohh baby, don't leave me, stay with me
Take care of me baby, ohh baby
In Clarence Carter's song "Road of Love," the singer expresses his reluctance to journey alone down the uncertain path of love. He pleads with his partner not to abandon him, wishing to hold her hand and walk together. He fears that if she refuses to go with him, he will be forced to seek love elsewhere. The singer hopes that his partner reciprocates his feelings and that they will be able to rely on each other's love.
The lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability and dependence on the part of the singer. He believes that love is a journey best taken with someone by your side, someone who will provide support in difficult times. The repeated plea for his partner not to leave him underscores his desperation and longing for a deeper connection. The song's themes of love and companionship are universal, and the catchy melody and soulful vocals make it a timeless piece of music.
Overall, "Road of Love" is a heartfelt expression of the need for companionship on the sometimes treacherous journey of love. It speaks to the basic human desire to share life's experiences with someone special and provides a glimpse into the emotional landscape of the songwriter's heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby I ain't going down, that road of love by myself
I don't want to go through the journey of love alone.
No, no I ain't going down, that road of love by myself
I am insisting that I don't want to go through the journey of love alone.
Now if you won't go with me baby
If you don't want to come along with me.
I guess I'll just have to get somebody else
I'll find someone else to join me on this journey.
Oh darling, I hope you feel the same way too
I hope you also have the same feelings as I do.
Baby, I sure hope you feel the same way too
I really hope that you have the same emotions as me.
Cause as long as we have each other
As long as we both have each other in life.
I'll have your love to see me through now
Your love will help me pass through tough phases.
And ohh baby, let's walk together hand in hand
I want us to walk on this journey of life together and never lose our connection.
Ohh baby, baby, baby, let's walk together hand in hand, oh lord
For us to never part ways, let's walk together hand in hand.
And you can be my little woman now
You can be my girl from now on.
And I know I know I'm gonna be your man
I'll take up the role of being your man from now on.
What I think now
My thoughts at this moment.
I like what I'm listening to right now
I like what I'm hearing from you at the moment.
Oh baby let's walk together hand in hand
We will walk together side by side and support each other.
Oh oh oh baby let's walk together hand in hand
Let us hold hands and never let go.
And you can be my little woman
You will be my girl and I'll take care of you.
I know I know I'm gonna be your man
I know for sure, that I will be your man now and forever.
Don't make me walk by myself baby
Please, don't let me walk alone in life.
I just don't walk by myself now now now baby
It's really not a good idea for me to be alone on this journey anymore.
Ohhh baby, I ain't going down the road by myself
I don't want to face life's challenges alone.
Oh no, now if you won't go with me darling
If you don't want to come along with me, my love.
I guess I'll have to get somebody else
I will have to find someone else to go on this journey with me.
Ohh baby, don't leave me, stay with me
Please never leave me and stay by my side.
Take care of me baby, ohh baby
Take care of me and love me forever, my love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CLARENCE GEORGE CARTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mitchell Schwartz
The intensity, phrasing and that magic tone. Sounds like the damn world is ending.
Long live the memory of Duane...GOAT
RIP both Gregg and Duane...they are back together again.
s l
The GOAT.
Kris
I'm with Clarence i damn sure like what I'm listening to right now!!! SkyDog was the man and still is his awesome slide playing lives on!!!
Dennis Scalici
Clarence Carter and Duane tear it up together with some great stings and fine gritty vocals
Heather Raffidy
Duane lives on thru his music. Luckily for us he played with many people.
hogiesanKenobi
This is one of the must have albums.. Has to be in anyone's top whatever. True classic ..
Donnie Maxwell
Clarence and Duane nailed it ...
Sherryl Goins
Love this Album all of it .Duane and friends ❗❗❗❗❤
Cesar Narro
Duane Allman is still my favorite guitarist !!!
Peri Jetton
Me too!!