Mayfield is probably best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and for the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly.
Perhaps because he didn't cross over to the pop audience as heavily as Motown's stars, it may be that the scope of Curtis Mayfield's talents and contributions have yet to be fully recognized. Judged merely by his records alone, the man's legacy is enormous. As the leader of the Impressions, he recorded some of the finest soul vocal group music of the 1960s. As a solo artist in the 1970s, he helped pioneer funk and helped introduce hard-hitting urban commentary into soul music. "Gypsy Woman," "It's All Right," "People Get Ready," "Freddie's Dead," and "Superfly" are merely the most famous of his many hit records.
But Curtis Mayfield wasn't just a singer. Born in in Chicago, IL, he wrote most of his material at a time when that was not the norm for soul performers. He was among the first -- if not the very first -- to speak openly about African-American pride and community struggle in his compositions. As a songwriter and a producer, he was a key architect of Chicago Soul, penning material and working on sessions by notable Windy City soulsters like Gene Chandler, Jerry Butler, Major Lance, and Billy Butler. In this sense, he can be compared to Smokey Robinson, who also managed to find time to write and produce many classics for other soul stars. Mayfield was also an excellent guitarist, and his rolling, Latin-influenced lines were highlights of the Impressions' recordings in the '60s. During the next decade, he would toughen up his guitar work and production, incorporating some of the best features of psychedelic rock and funk.
Mayfield began his career as an associate of Jerry Butler, with whom he formed the Impressions in the late '50s. After the Impressions had a big hit in 1958 with "For Your Precious Love," Butler, who had sung lead on the record, split to start a solo career. Mayfield, while keeping the Impressions together, continued to write for and tour with Butler before the Impressions got their first Top 20 hit in 1961, "Gypsy Woman."
Mayfield was heavily steeped in gospel music before he entered the pop arena, and gospel, as well as doo wop, influences would figure prominently in most of his '60s work. Mayfield wasn't a staunch traditionalist, however. He and the Impressions may have often worked the call-and-response gospel style, but his songs (romantic and otherwise) were often veiled or unveiled messages of black pride, reflecting the increased confidence and self-determination of the African-American community. Musically he was an innovator as well, using arrangements that employed the punchy, blaring horns and Latin-influenced rhythms that came to be trademark flourishes of Chicago soul. As the staff producer for the OKeh label, Mayfield was also instrumental in lending his talents to the work of other Chi-town soul singers who went on to national success. With Mayfield singing lead and playing guitar, the Impressions had 14 Top 40 hits in the 1960s (five made the Top 20 in 1964 alone), and released some above-average albums during that period as well.
Given Mayfield's prodigious talents, it was perhaps inevitable that he would eventually leave the Impressions to begin a solo career, as he did in 1970. His first few singles boasted a harder, more funk-driven sound; singles like "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Gonna Go" found him confronting ghetto life with a realism that had rarely been heard on record. He really didn't hit his artistic or commercial stride as a solo artist, though, until Superfly, his soundtrack to a 1972 blaxploitation film. Drug deals, ghetto shootings, the death of young black men before their time: all were described in penetrating detail. Yet Mayfield's irrepressible falsetto vocals, uplifting melodies, and fabulous funk pop arrangements gave the oft-moralizing material a graceful strength that few others could have achieved. For all the glory of his past work, Superfly stands as his crowning achievement, not to mention a much-needed counterpoint to the sensationalistic portrayals of the film itself.
At this point Mayfield, along with Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, was the foremost exponent of a new level of compelling auteurism in soul. His failure to maintain the standards of Superfly qualifies as one of the great disappointments in the history of black popular music. Perhaps he'd simply reached his peak after a long climb, but the rest of his '70s work didn't match the musical brilliance and lyrical subtleties of Superfly, although he had a few large R&B hits in a much more conventional vein, such as "Kung Fu," "So in Love," and "Only You Babe."
Mayfield had a couple of hits in the early '80s, but the decade generally found his commercial fortunes in a steady downward spiral, despite some intermittent albums.
On August 14, 1990, he became paralyzed from the neck down when a lighting rig fell on top of him at a concert in Brooklyn, NY. In 1993, three years after the accident which caused Mayfield's paralysis, Shanachie records released the album People Get Ready: A Tribute to Curtis Mayfield featuring a.o. Jerry Butler, Don Covay and Steve Cropper.
Mayfield received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.
Curtis Mayfield died December 26, 1999 at the North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Georgia.
Between You Baby And Me
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's kind of nice, we're like this
Very special treat though, I like that
Between you baby and me, love
I can't believe this feelin'
You're so sweet honey, delicious
All our world is true, true
You're so nice, a lot of talent, I like it
Smooth and serious and I can be persuaded
I truly, truly, truly adore you, how I adore you
Take me in a precious way, precious way(precious)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
You and me baby, between us, just between us
Make all the stars glow from our eyes
All the treasured pleasure, emotions, love's emotions
Nothing to lose but a try, try
A try, oh baby
It's like dancing when romancing with you love, oh baby
We get down, get down and move all around
Swaying, swaying, laying, embrace me
Embrace me, please embrace me
We two just getting down
Get down for me, baby
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
You and me baby, between us, just between us
Make all the stars glow from our eyes
All the treasured pleasure, emotions, love's sweet emotions
There's nothing to lose but a try, try me, baby
Try me, between you baby and me, love
Between you and me, I can't believe this feelin'
I want you to believe it
You're so sweet, sweet honey, delicious
Baby, and all our world is true, it's so true
All our world is true
Yes indeed, it's really me and you
Me and you little mama
Dancing, romancing
Get down for me baby, baby
Just embrace me, embrace me one more time
You know I want to, baby, ooh sweet embrace
You know I need to, baby, oh, my love
All our world is true, it's true
In "Between You Baby and Me," Curtis Mayfield describes a feeling of great love and affection between two people. The song starts with the two individuals acknowledging how much they enjoy each other's company, describing it as a special treat they both relish. Curtis notes that he can't believe this feeling he has for his love interest and how sweet and delicious she is. The lyrics go on to discuss how the love shared between them is true, and there's nothing to lose but to try and make their love work. The chorus emphasizes the starry-eyed feeling they both have when they are with each other, and nothing else in the world matters.
This song is a beautiful tribute to the joy of being in love. The lyrics can easily evoke various feelings of happiness and satisfaction. The song's main theme is how a beautiful relationship can come about when two people find each other and have an intense connection that they are willing to cherish and hold on to despite the world's adversity. It's a song about loving someone completely and unreservedly, with nothing left to prove, but also about two people coming together to form a beautiful union that will last a lifetime.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, here we are
We are together and it's a good feeling
It's kind of nice, we're like this
Being together like this is pleasant
Very special treat though, I like that
Being together is a special experience and I enjoy it
Between you baby and me, love
Referring to the connection between the two people
I can't believe this feelin'
Expressing the overwhelming emotions the artist is experiencing
You're so sweet honey, delicious
Complimenting the other person and expressing attraction
All our world is true, true
Referring to the sincerity and authenticity of their relationship
You're so nice, a lot of talent, I like it
Admiring the other person's qualities
Smooth and serious and I can be persuaded
Describing the other person's character and how the artist relates to them
I truly, truly, truly adore you, how I adore you
Expressing deep affection for the other person
Take me in a precious way, precious way(precious)
Asking the other person to treat the singer with tenderness and care
You and me baby, between us, just between us
Emphasizing the intimacy between the two people
Make all the stars glow from our eyes
Describing the intense and romantic feeling between the two people
All the treasured pleasure, emotions, love's emotions
Expressing the many positive emotions associated with love
Nothing to lose but a try, try
Encouraging the other person to take a chance and go for it
It's like dancing when romancing with you love, oh baby
Describing the feeling of being in love as a dance
We get down, get down and move all around
Expressing the physical aspect of love
Swaying, swaying, laying, embrace me
Asking the other person to hold them close
Embrace me, please embrace me
Reiterating the desire to be held
We two just getting down
Describing the intensity of their physical interaction
Get down for me, baby
Asking the other person to engage them physically
I want you to believe it
Reassuring the other person of the artist's feelings
All our world is true
Reaffirming the authenticity and sincerity of their connection
Yes indeed, it's really me and you
Affirming the connection between the two people
Me and you little mama
Expressing fondness towards the other person
You know I want to, baby, ooh sweet embrace
Reiterating the desire for the other person's affection
You know I need to, baby, oh, my love
Affirming the importance of the other person to the singer
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CURTIS MAYFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J Eshun
A marvelous duet between Chcago Soul legend Curtis Mayfield & Linda Clifford, a real quiet stormer to diminish those late night blues, leaving you feeling invigorated
Sheila Spain
I'm so glad to be 62yrs. old because I've lived with this fantastic music....AWESOME!!!!!
James Mitchell
inshaAllah I make it to your age I'm only 30 but my father brought us up on this type of music he 63 years old still living and still pimping strong
Baby W
63 years old with no wrinkles 😇 I love being black
Rachel Williams
Yes this is the best music ever no more good music like this Today Everybody sound like robots with all the auto tune now days real talent didn't need that
mizpahboy
I will be the first to admit it I am a big Mayfield fan. The brother is crazy talented and I have deep respect for his music . That being said, "Between You and me" is the most beautiful vocal I ever heard. He absolutely owns this track The composition and arrangement is brilliant. This tune fits his style perfectly. His smooth voice turns this track into a sensual intoxicating love song I can't stop listening to. Smooth, sexy, captivating he makes you want to fall in love.
Helen Bestman
Indeed
Renard Atkins
"Ditto"-to-the-"Delicious", Brother: The late Mr. Curt Mayfield was one of many Black artists who has been underrated, despite his world-wide fame, and seemingly infinite versatility! This obvious romantic Jazz offering couldn't be replicated by any white "pop" artist (can one imagine Perry Cuomo, or Frank Sinatra struggling through this? They'd be laughed off the stage after the first two chords!!!
Henry Luis
SHO-NUFF INDEED OMG STRAIGHT UP RAW!(🙏🏻)
Janelle Lizotte
one of the most beautiful duets ever! so sweet and romantic