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.
I Plan to Stay a Believer
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I Plan To Stay A Believer
I Met A Frlend Of Mine The Other Day
He Said He Couldn't Stay
Because The World Was Going To End
At The End Of May.
Well, May Done Passed,
And EveryBody Still Sittin Here On Their Ass.
They're Now Waiting For The Judgment Day.
But Why Wait,
Why Don't You Look Around,
Haven't You Found,
That The Judgment Day
Is Already In Play,
For The Black,
And Now Come Time,
For The Old Faye
And I Plan To Stay A Believer
I Plan To Stay A Believer
I Plan To Stay A Believer
I Got An Indian Friend
Who Says He's Some Kin To Another Indian,
He says He's Filled With Hate
Because His Tribe They Waited Too Late
To Protest The Past
Instead They Just Sat There On Their Ass,
Signing On The Dotted Line,
When They Didn't Have Indian Lawyers At That Time.
We're Over 20 Million Strong
And It Wouldn't Take Long
To Save The Ghetto Child,
If We'd Get Off Our Ass,
$10 A Man Yearly
Think Awhile
20 Million Times 10 Yearly
Would Surely Then Set Our Brothers Free
What Congregation With Better Relations
Would Demand More Respect From Society...
I Plan To Stay A Believer
I Plan To Stay A Believer
I Plan To Stay A Believer
The song "I Plan to Stay a Believer" by Curtis Mayfield is about his unwavering faith in humanity despite the many issues that people face in society. Mayfield is referring to the belief that people should take action when they encounter injustice, rather than waiting for the end of the world to come or waiting for someone else to act. Mayfield believes that people need to show more respect and support towards each other and that we can create significant change if we work together.
Mayfield talks about two of his friends in the song who have taken a different approach when faced with adversity. In the first instance, Mayfield's friend is waiting for the end of the world and doesn't take action because he believes that there is no point. In the second instance, Mayfield's Indian friend is filled with hate because he didn't stand up for his tribe when they were oppressed in the past. Mayfield sees this as being counterproductive because instead of working together, they are sitting idle, which is not helpful in creating change.
Mayfield encourages people to take action through his words and suggests that contributions to help society can be small yet significant. He proposes that $10 annually from every member of the black community could raise enough money to save the lives of those enduring a less fortunate situation. Mayfield's message is to stand up and take action to make society a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
I Plan To Stay A Believer
The singer intends to hold onto their faith and beliefs.
I Met A Frlend Of Mine The Other Day
The singer saw a friend recently.
He Said He Couldn't Stay
The friend suggested they couldn't remain in their current state.
Because The World Was Going To End
The friend believed the apocalypse was imminent.
At The End Of May.
The friend had predicted the end of the world in May.
Well, May Done Passed,
May already ended and the world didn't end.
And EveryBody Still Sittin Here On Their Ass.
Despite the world not ending, people haven't taken action.
With Some Talk,
People are still talking about the apocalypse coming.
They're Now Waiting For The Judgment Day.
People are waiting for a day of reckoning.
But Why Wait,
Why postpone action?
Why Don't You Look Around,
Take a closer look at the current state of things.
Haven't You Found,
Haven't you realized?
That The Judgment Day
A day of judgment
Is Already In Play,
It's already happening.
For The Black,
Black people are experiencing oppression and inequality.
And Now Come Time,
It's time for change.
For The Old Faye
Elderly people are also facing difficulties.
And I Plan To Stay A Believer
The singer won't lose faith despite the challenges.
I Got An Indian Friend
The singer has a Native American friend.
Who Says He's Some Kin To Another Indian,
The friend is related to another Native American.
He says He's Filled With Hate
The friend is angry about something.
Because His Tribe They Waited Too Late
His tribe missed the opportunity to prevent something negative.
To Protest The Past
To take action against historical wrongdoings.
Instead They Just Sat There On Their Ass,
They didn't take action despite the circumstances.
Signing On The Dotted Line,
Agreeing to something without questioning or negotiating.
When They Didn't Have Indian Lawyers At That Time.
When they didn't have legal representation that understood their culture and interests.
We're Over 20 Million Strong
There are over 20 million people who share a common attribute.
And It Wouldn't Take Long
It wouldn't be difficult to accomplish.
To Save The Ghetto Child,
To help those who live in poverty and underprivileged areas.
If We'd Get Off Our Ass,
If we took action instead of waiting.
$10 A Man Yearly
A small contribution each year.
Think Awhile
Consider this idea further.
20 Million Times 10 Yearly
The total that could be raised if everyone contributed.
Would Surely Then Set Our Brothers Free
It could lead to liberation and positive change.
What Congregation With Better Relations
A group with better relationships and unity.
Would Demand More Respect From Society...
They would receive more respect and recognition from society.
Contributed by Colton M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.