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.
Choice of Colors
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Which one would you choose my brothers
If there was no day or night
Which would you prefer to be right
How long have you hated your white teacher
Who told you, you love your black preacher
Do you respect your brother's woman friend
People must prove to the people
A better day is coming, for you and for me
With just a little bit more education
And love for our nation
Would make a better society
Now some of us would rather cuss and make a fuss
Than to bring about a little trust
But we shall overcome our beliefs someday
If you'll only listen to what I have to say
And how long have you hated your white teacher
Who told you, you love your black preacher
Can you respect your brother's woman friend
And share with black folks not of kin
I say now people must prove to the people
A better day is coming for you and for me
With just a little bit more education
And love for our nation
Would make a better society
And if you had a choice of colors
Which one would you choose my brothers
If there was no day or night
Which would you prefer to be right
And if you had a choice of colors
Which one would you choose my brothers
If there was no day or night
Which would you prefer to be right
If you had a choice of colors
Which one would you choose my brothers
The song "Choice of Colors" by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions tackles the issue of race and discrimination. The lyrics pose questions about the choice of color, which relates to skin color, and which one the brothers would prefer if there was no day or night, which relates to the idea of equality. It implies that race should not matter and that people should be judged based on their actions and character, not their race.
The song also raises the question of how long people have held on to their prejudices and biases, especially in terms of race. It calls for respect for women, both within and outside one's race, and for unity among black people even if they are not related by blood. The song emphasizes that people need to work towards a better society, which can be achieved through education and love for their nation.
Overall, the lyrics of "Choice of Colors" send a powerful message of unity and equality, calling for people to look past skin color and work towards a better world.
Line by Line Meaning
If you had a choice of colors
If you could choose any color for your skin, what would you choose?
Which one would you choose my brothers
What color would you choose, my fellow black people?
If there was no day or night
If there was no difference between races, no black and white, no light and dark,
Which would you prefer to be right
What would be your preference?
How long have you hated your white teacher
How long have you disliked your white teacher who told you to love your black preacher?
Who told you, you love your black preacher
Who told you that you should love your black preacher more than your white teacher?
Do you respect your brother's woman friend
Do you show respect to the women friends of other black people?
And share with black folks not of kin
Do you share with other black people who are not your family?
People must prove to the people
As a community, we have to prove to ourselves that we can make it better.
A better day is coming, for you and for me
A better future is possible for us as black people.
With just a little bit more education
If we had more knowledge,
And love for our nation
And if we loved our country,
Would make a better society
A better world would be possible for us all.
Now some of us would rather cuss and make a fuss
Some people would rather argue and fight.
Than to bring about a little trust
Instead of creating trust and understanding.
But we shall overcome our beliefs someday
We can overcome our biases and prejudices.
If you'll only listen to what I have to say
If you just listen to what I am saying.
And how long have you hated your white teacher
How long have you disliked your white teacher who told you to love your black preacher?
Who told you, you love your black preacher
Who told you that you should love your black preacher more than your white teacher?
Can you respect your brother's woman friend
Do you show respect to the women friends of other black people?
And share with black folks not of kin
Do you share with other black people who are not your family?
I say now people must prove to the people
I say as a community, we have to prove to ourselves that we can make it better.
A better day is coming for you and for me
A better future is possible for us as black people.
With just a little bit more education
If we had more knowledge,
And love for our nation
And if we loved our country,
Would make a better society
A better world would be possible for us all.
And if you had a choice of colors
And if you could choose any skin color,
Which one would you choose my brothers
Which color would you choose, my fellow black people?
If there was no day or night
If there was no difference between races, no black and white, no light and dark,
Which would you prefer to be right
What would be your preference?
And if you had a choice of colors
And if you could choose any skin color,
Which one would you choose my brothers
Which color would you choose, my fellow black people?
If there was no day or night
If there was no difference between races, no black and white, no light and dark,
Which would you prefer to be right
What would be your preference?
If you had a choice of colors
If you could choose any skin color,
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CURTIS MAYFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joylan Netter
I was nine years old and could relate completely to the lyrics. It was the time, the era of Soooo much from wars to Black Power and the list continues...
If you had a choice of colors
Which one would you choose my brothers
If there was no day or night
Which would you prefer to be right
How long have you hated your white teacher
Who told you, you love your black preacher
Do you respect your brother's woman friend
And share with black folks not of kin
People must prove to the people
A better day is coming, for you and for me
With just a little bit more education
And love for our nation
Would make a better society
Now some of us would rather cuss and make a fuss
Than to bring about a little trust
But we shall overcome our beliefs someday
If you'll only listen to what I have to say.. 🎙️
Genetta Lacey
I love Curtis, he always had a deep message in his music. Our young people need to listen. Thank you for posting.
mosogotam
My pleasure, Genetta!!!
Pamela Stevenson
A civil rights anthem … memories of high school … (#1 R&B #21 Pop) … first #1 record on his Curtom Label since his other civil rights anthem, "We're A Winner" went #1 R&B #14 Pop in '68 … a song that resounds right now … Great Job!!!
Lawrence of arabia
You're absolutely on point
the impressions my older brother then my uncles constantly jammed this so much that I grew mad appreciation for it, a song with true meaning no doubt. They made a statement.
mosogotam
A great big thanks to you, Pam!!
Glenn Petzold
Great song and lyrics..Wished they played this song on the radio these days..
Kim McCammon
So do I -- it's so needed!
C Lodge
It's played on the soulmine classic station where I'm from
sandra sanders
Love, love, love..LOVE THIS SONG!!!
MegaOldSkool
Not many people know that Curtis Mayfield was the lead singer on a lot of impressions songs! Curtis was a quiet storm! Love him and I thank you so much for this extended version! Very underrated group of talented men! Much love to you!