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.
Ms. Martha
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everyday, about past noon
But from her eyes
I just see her sad and blue
(Ms Martha)
Is there anything I can do for you
She'd say
no my son
(alright)
Her little one is sick
His name is little ray
(little ray)
Red in his eyes
And all he knows is getting paid
Sell her soul to the devil
If he could
Mrs Martha, she do her best
Like, we know, she always would
Sometimes I'm up
And times I'm down
It's like one way in
And no way out
But we all should know each other
And spread love around the world
Not hate amongst each other
Like Ms Martha
(like Ms Martha)
Yeah, yeah
Like Ms Martha
(like Ms Martha)
Oooh, oh yeah
Like Ms Martha
(Ms Martha)
(Ms Martha)
Like Ms Martha
(like Ms Martha)
Ooh, yeah
Stand out of place
Just to see the winks
Never much to say
Kept an empty face
Ms Martha
Could it be she just doesn't have a man
Or maybe
We just don't understand
Alright
There are so many things
I wish to do for you
Follow your heart
To make the dreams come true
She said
The reason why I haven't passed away
I live to make sure you see a better day
Sometimes I'm up
And times I'm down
It's like one way in
And no way out
But we all should know each other
And spread love around the world
Not hate (not hate)
Amongst each other
Like Ms Martha
Sometimes I'm up
And times I'm down
It's like one way in
And no way out
But we all should know each other
And spread love around the world
Not hate amongst each other
(not hate amongst each other)
Like Ms Martha
Sometimes I'm up
And times I'm down
It's like one way in
And no way out
The song "Ms. Martha" by Curtis Mayfield tells the story of a woman named Martha who sits on her porch every day, appearing sad and blue to the singer. Despite her own struggles, Martha cares deeply for her sick son named Little Ray and does her best to provide for him. The singer expresses a desire to help Martha in any way possible, but she insists that the Lord will see her through. The song suggests that we should all know and support each other and spread love instead of hate.
The lyrics of "Ms. Martha" convey a message of empathy and hope for those struggling with difficult circumstances. The song emphasizes the importance of community and the need to support one another during hard times. It also touches on the themes of perseverance and faith, as Martha continues to push through her struggles and find strength in her beliefs.
Overall, "Ms. Martha" is a touching tribute to the strength and resilience of those who face adversity in their lives. It encourages listeners to come together and lift each other up, rather than tearing each other down.
Line by Line Meaning
She sat on her porch
Ms. Martha used to sit on her porch every day
Everyday, about past noon
She would sit there around noon every day
But from her eyes
Her eyes gave the impression that she was unhappy
I just see her sad and blue
She appeared sad and unhappy
(Ms Martha)
The singer is referring to Ms. Martha
Is there anything I can do for you
The singer asked Ms. Martha if he could help her
She'd say
Ms. Martha's response was
no my son
She would tell him no
the lord will see me through
She had faith that God would take care of her
(alright)
The singer acknowledges her response
Her little one is sick
Ms. Martha's child is ill
His name is little ray
The child's name is Little Ray
(little ray)
The singer is referring to Little Ray
Red in his eyes
Little Ray has red eyes
And all he knows is getting paid
Little Ray is focused on making money
Sell her soul to the devil
Little Ray would do whatever it takes to make money
If he could
He would go to extreme measures
Mrs Martha, she do her best
Ms. Martha tries her best to take care of her child
Like, we know, she always would
It is well known that Ms. Martha gives her all to take care of her family
Sometimes I'm up
There are moments where the singer feels good
And times I'm down
There are moments where the singer feels down
It's like one way in
Life may feel like a trap
And no way out
There may not seem to be a solution to problems
But we all should know each other
We should form connections with each other
And spread love around the world
We should spread love instead of hate
Not hate amongst each other
We should not harbor hate for one another
(like Ms. Martha)
The singer recognizes the loving nature of Ms. Martha
Yeah, yeah
A chorus affirming the importance of spreading love
Oooh, oh yeah
A continuation of the chorus
(Ms. Martha)
The singer is still talking about Ms. Martha
(Ms. Martha)
The singer repeats her name
(like Ms. Martha)
The importance of Ms. Martha's loving nature is reiterated
Ooh, yeah
The importance of spreading love is emphasized again
Stand out of place
The singer feels out of place sometimes
Just to see the winks
He observes things closely
Never much to say
He does not speak much
Kept an empty face
He tries to hide his emotions
(Ms. Martha)
The singer is referring to Ms. Martha
Could it be she just doesn't have a man
The singer wonders if Ms. Martha is single
Or maybe
There might be other reasons why she is sad
We just don't understand
The singer acknowledges there might be things he does not know about her situation
There are so many things
The singer feels the urge to help Ms. Martha
I wish to do for you
He would love to help her
Follow your heart
The singer encourages Ms. Martha to pursue her dreams
To make the dreams come true
He wants her to fulfill her aspirations
She said
Ms. Martha responded
The reason why I haven't passed away
Ms. Martha shares why she is still alive
I live to make sure you see a better day
Her purpose in life is to make sure others feel encouraged and hopeful
(not hate)
The singer once again stresses the importance of love over hate
(not hate amongst each other)
We should not harbor hate towards each other
(not hate amongst each other)
The singer repeats this line to emphasize its message
(like Ms. Martha)
The singer calls back to Ms. Martha's loving nature
Sometimes I'm up
The second repetition of the chorus
And times I'm down
The second repetition of the chorus
It's like one way in
The second repetition of the chorus
And no way out
The second repetition of the chorus
But we all should know each other
The second repetition of the chorus
And spread love around the world
The second repetition of the chorus
Not hate amongst each other
The second repetition of the chorus
(not hate amongst each other)
The second repetition of the chorus
(like Ms. Martha)
The second repetition of the chorus, calling back to Ms. Martha's loving nature
Sometimes I'm up
The third repetition of the chorus
And times I'm down
The third repetition of the chorus
It's like one way in
The third repetition of the chorus
And no way out
The third repetition of the chorus
But we all should know each other
The third repetition of the chorus
And spread love around the world
The third repetition of the chorus
Not hate amongst each other
The third repetition of the chorus
(not hate amongst each other)
The third repetition of the chorus
(like Ms. Martha)
The third repetition of the chorus, calling back to Ms. Martha's loving nature
It's like one way in
Final line of the song, acknowledging life's difficulties
And no way out
Final line of the song, acknowledging life's difficulties
Writer(s): Patrick Brown, Raymon Ameer Murray, Curtis Mayfield, Rico Wade
Contributed by Sophie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.