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.
No One Knows About A Good Thin
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The rumors say he's fooling around
Your face sadly pressed upon my shoulder
Too bad to hear, he's putting you down
'cause no one knows about a good thing
Until a good thing is gone
Remember when you loved a good thing
No one knows about a sweet thing
Until the sweet thing is gone
Baby, dry your eyes, you don't have to cry
You know I love you, love you so madly, oh yeah
Again you've been pushed
Pushed off to the curdle, oh yeah
I begged to take you, I've held you so gladly
Just give me some sign, baby say the word
'cause no one knows about a good thing
Until the good thing is gone
Remember when you loved a good thing
To lose one is just no fun
No one knows about a sweet thing
Until the sweet thing is gone
Baby dry your eyes, you don't have to cry
I guess no one knows what you've really been living at
It's funny like that
I don't wanna complete that
I just wanna, I just wanna
Don't mean to push, but my love's in a hurry, yes baby
I'm standing here like I'm gonna die
I must admit you've got me so worried
I just want for us to give it a try, give it a try
'cause no one knows about a good thing
Until the good thing is gone
Remember when you loved a good thing
To lose one is just no fun
No one knows about a sweet thing
Until the sweet thing is gone
Baby dry your eyes, you don't have to cry
No one knows about a good thing
Remember when you loved a good thing
To lose one is just no fun
No one knows about a sweet thing
Until the sweet thing is gone
Baby dry your eyes, you don't have to cry
Don't cry baby, don't cry baby
Don't cry baby, sweet baby
No one knows about a sweet thing
Until the sweet thing is gone
In the song "No One Knows About A Good Thing", Curtis Mayfield sings about the importance of cherishing and holding on to a good thing before it is gone. He addresses a woman who is currently going through a tough time with her significant other, who is rumored to be cheating on her. Mayfield offers comfort and support to the woman, telling her that he loves her and is willing to be there for her. He emphasizes that no one truly knows the value of a good thing until it is gone, that is why it is essential to appreciate it while it is still there.
Mayfield's lyrics convey a message about the dangers of taking things or people for granted, often realizing their importance when it is too late. The song offers hope through the notion that one can learn from their mistakes and sometimes recapture something valuable that was lost. It is a reminder to cherish and appreciate good things in the present moments of our lives, in relationships or otherwise, rather than lamenting their loss.
Line by Line Meaning
I know you know he's getting over
I understand that you are aware that he is moving on
The rumors say he's fooling around
There are talks on the grapevine that he is messing around with someone else
Your face sadly pressed upon my shoulder
I see the sadness written all over your face as you lean on my shoulder
Too bad to hear, he's putting you down
It is disheartening to learn that he is treating you poorly
'cause no one knows about a good thing
People tend to overlook the value of someone or something good, until it's no longer there
Until a good thing is gone
Only when something or someone of worth is no longer present, do people realize its importance
Remember when you loved a good thing
Recall the time when you treasured a person or thing of value
To lose one is just no fun
It is painful and unpleasant to lose someone or something that was cherished
No one knows about a sweet thing
Just as people tend to overlook the worth of something or someone good, they also fail to acknowledge the sweetness and kindness in others
Baby, dry your eyes, you don't have to cry
My dear, do not weep, there is no need to be sad
You know I love you, love you so madly, oh yeah
You are aware of the depth of my love for you, it's unquestionable
Again you've been pushed
Once again, you have been disregarded and hurt, pushed away
Pushed off to the curdle, oh yeah
You have been mistreated and given a bad deal
I begged to take you, I've held you so gladly
I have pleaded with you to let me in and I have embraced you with joy
Just give me some sign, baby say the word
Please give me an indication of what you want, just tell me what to do
I guess no one knows what you've really been living at
I think no one fully understands the situation you have been going through
It's funny like that
It's ironic how things turn out sometimes
I don't wanna complete that
I do not want to dwell on that thought any further
I just wanna, I just wanna
I just want, I just want
Don't mean to push, but my love's in a hurry, yes baby
I do not want to be forceful, but my love is in a hurry, my dear
I'm standing here like I'm gonna die
I am feeling desperate and anxious, as though it's a matter of life or death
I must admit you've got me so worried
I have to confess, you have caused me a lot of anxiety
I just want for us to give it a try, give it a try
I just want us to give it a chance, to see if we can make it work
No one knows what you've really been living at
People do not fully comprehend the circumstances you have been living in
'cause no one knows about a good thing
People usually fail to recognize the value of someone or something good
Remember when you loved a good thing
Just like the way you once cherished someone or something
No one knows about a sweet thing
People also fail to realize the sweetness and goodness in others
Don't cry baby, don't cry baby
Please do not cry, my dear
sweet baby
You are a lovely and endearing person
Until the sweet thing is gone
People only realize the worth of something or someone sweet and lovely when they are no longer around
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CURTIS MAYFIELD, DARYL SIMMONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Soul Train75
I've had this on repeat like 5 times now (learning the beat to play on drums after a few beers and a bowl) Curtis... musical genius. Just wow. The musicians in his music... amazing. Rip brother.
Battle of the Beats with the 2OGs
His last hit from his last Album..One of the greatest to ever do it!!
steve fanger
One of the truly greats! Curtis you brought so much light into the world - certainly into mine. Your music gives me the strength to carry on. Hope wherever you may be now you're still shining...
Efrem Binion
Great old school song one of the best
André barrondina
Clássico
Carlos André
🔉🔊🎼🎵🎶 ❤🎙