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.
Gypsy Woman
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Around the campfire light
A lovely woman in motion
With hair as dark as night
Her eyes were like that of a cat in the dark
That hypnotized me with love
She was a gypsy woman,
She danced around and round to a guitar melody
From the fire her face was all aglow
How she enchanted me
Oh, how I'd like to hold her near
And kiss and forever whisper in her ear
I love you, gypsy woman
I love you, gypsy woman
All through the caravan
She was dancing with all the men
Waiting for the rising sun
Everyone was having fun
I hate to see the lady go
Knowing she'll never know
That I love her, I love her
She was a gypsy woman
A gypsy woman, a gypsy woman, a gypsy woman
Curtis Mayfield's song "Gypsy Woman" tells the story of a man who falls deeply in love with a mysterious and beautiful gypsy woman. The song starts with the man describing how he saw the woman for the first time. She appears out of nowhere, accompanying a caravan of people, and catches his attention with her dark hair and piercing eyes that seem to hypnotize him with love. He is immediately enchanted by her and cannot tear his gaze away.
Throughout the song, the man describes how the gypsy woman dances around a campfire to the sound of a guitar, and how he longs to hold her close to him and tell her how he feels. However, he knows that she is just passing through and will eventually leave with her caravan. He watches as she dances with other men, knowing that he will never have a chance to be with her, and is filled with regret and sadness.
The lyrics of "Gypsy Woman" contain a sense of longing and desire, as well as regret and heartbreak. The singer's infatuation with the gypsy woman is portrayed as all-consuming and impossible to ignore. Throughout the song, he is unsure of how to express his love for her, as he knows that she is not able to stay with him. This theme of transience and fleeting love is a common one in Mayfield's music.
Line by Line Meaning
From nowhere through a caravan
Out of the blue and unexpectedly, a caravan appeared and brought with it a certain energy.
Around the campfire light
The caravan created a gathering that was well-lit by a fire that they built.
A lovely woman in motion
A beautiful woman began to move to the music that was playing.
With hair as dark as night
Her hair was as black as the night sky, perhaps reflecting her mystique and allure.
Her eyes were like that of a cat in the dark
Her eyes glowed like those of a cat's at night, creating an almost hypnotizing effect.
That hypnotized me with love
Her gaze drew the singer in with love and fascination as she danced.
She was a gypsy woman
The woman dancing was a gypsy, giving her an exotic and free-spirited quality.
She danced around and round to a guitar melody
The woman moved around the fire as the guitar played, her body perfectly in sync with the music.
From the fire her face was all aglow
As she danced, the light of the fire illuminated her face, giving it a warm and bright glow.
How she enchanted me
The woman's movements and indeed the entire atmosphere of the caravan had an enchanting quality that left the singer spellbound.
Oh, how I'd like to hold her near
The singer felt a strong desire to be physically close to the gypsy woman as she danced.
And kiss and forever whisper in her ear
He imagined himself showering her with affection and love, promising to always be there for her.
I love you, gypsy woman
He gives voice to his love for her, affirming his feelings for the gypsy woman.
All through the caravan
The atmosphere in the caravan remained vibrant and alive as everyone continued to dance and have fun.
She was dancing with all the men
The gypsy woman interacted with all the men at the gathering, sharing her energy and charm with everyone present.
Waiting for the rising sun
As the night progressed and the sun began to rise, the mood shifted slightly to one of anticipation and excitement.
Everyone was having fun
The communal nature of the gathering meant that everyone was enjoying themselves and feeling connected to something bigger than themselves.
I hate to see the lady go
The singer expresses sadness at the thought of the gypsy woman leaving, wishing she didn't have to go.
Knowing she'll never know
Despite his strong feelings for her, the singer knows that the gypsy woman may not be aware of how deeply he feels for her.
That I love her, I love her
He reiterates his love for her one last time as the gathering comes to an end.
She was a gypsy woman
The song ends with a final affirmation of the gypsy woman's identity as an exotic and mysterious figure who left a lasting impression on the singer.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Curtis L Mayfield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Darlene Reynolds
This was my father's favorite song when I was a young girl 💖 we played this for him up until he took his last breath on his hospice bed 🛏️ and at his funeral will never forget this beautiful beautiful song in precious memories of you daddy and Curtis Mayfield rest in peace 🕊️🕊️🕊️
Venenosa Mami
One of my dads favorite songs too. I play to reminisce on the good times. Sorry for your lost.
Russell Quiazon
many do this song but obviously Curtis just lays down the best and most badass version
Bill H
A hauntingly beautiful song. Quite unique as well.
George Banger
I do declare........
Arborist1959
Curtis Mayfield was fringe genuis in an era of mega genuises!
Jeff Williams
Curtis was beyond mega.
Cedric James
Legends leave us early in life but the message never lost-we're a winner
Retro Fan
Jimi Hendrix played guitar on this at Woodstock. It's beautiful.
Randall Hamon
Love this song.