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.
Pusher Man
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm that nigga in the alley.
I'm your doctor when in need.
Want some coke? Have some weed.
You know me, I'm your friend,
Your main boy, thick and thin.
I'm your pusherman.
Super cool, super mean
Dealin' good, for The Man.
Superfly, here I stand.
Secret stash, heavy bread,
Baddest bitches in the bed,
I'm your pusherman
Silent life of crime
A man of odd circumstance,
A victim of ghetto demands.
Feed me money for style
And I'll let you trip for a while.
Insecure from the past,
How long can a good thing last?
No, no, no
Got to be mellow, y'all
Got to get mellow, now
Pusherman gettin' mellow, y'all
Heavy mind, every sign
Makin' money all the time
My 'E ID', and just me
For all junkies to see
Ghetto Prince is my thing
Makin' love's how I swing
I'm your pusherman
Two bags, please
For a generous fee
Make your world what you want it to be
Got a woman I love desperately
want to give her somethin' better than me
Been told I can't be nuthin' else
Just a hustler in spite of myself
I know I can break it
This life just don't make it
Lord, Lord, yeah
Got to get mellow, now
Gotta be mellow, y'all
Got to get mellow, now
I'm your mama, I'm your daddy,
I'm that nigga in the alley.
I'm your doctor when in need.
Want some coke? Have some weed.
You know me, I'm your friend,
Your main boy, thick and thin.
I'm your pusherman.
I'm your pusherman.
I'm your pusherman.
I'm your pusherman.
Lord, Lord
The opening lines of Curtis Mayfield's "Pusherman" paint a picture of a shadowy figure who fills different roles in the lives of his clients and customers. He is both a parental figure ("I'm your mama, I'm your daddy") and a supplier of illegal substances ("Want some coke? Have some weed"). He claims to be a friend to those in need, pledging to stand by them "thick and thin." Yet this character is also dangerous, lurking in the alleyways and dealing drugs for "The Man." Mayfield's lyrics reveal the complex nature of the drug trade, where those who profit from it are often forced to operate outside of the law and risk their own safety.
As the song continues, Mayfield describes the "Pusherman" as a slick and confident operator, proud of his ability to provide for his clientele. He calls himself a "bad machine," dealing drugs with a sense of style and ease. Yet Mayfield also acknowledges the downside of this life - the constant need for money, the paranoia and insecurity that come with living a "silent life of crime." In the song's chorus, Mayfield sings about the need to "get mellow," perhaps revealing a yearning for a simpler, less dangerous existence.
Overall, "Pusherman" is a vivid depiction of the drug trade and the lives it touches. Mayfield's lyrics capture the dichotomy of these characters - they are both providers and exploiters, friends and enemies, living on the fringes of society. The song is a powerful commentary on the systemic issues that create these conditions in the first place, such as poverty, racism, and unequal access to resources.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm your mama, I'm your daddy,
I'm that nigga in the alley.
I'm your doctor when in need.
Want some coke? Have some weed.
You know me, I'm your friend,
Your main boy, thick and thin.
I'm your pusherman.
I am there for you whenever you need drugs, I am your reliable supplier throughout thick and thin. I am the one who sells you both cocaine and weed, and I always find a way to help you when you need me. You can trust me, I am your pusherman.
Ain't I clean, bad machine
Super cool, super mean
Dealin' good, for The Man.
Superfly, here I stand.
Secret stash, heavy bread,
Baddest bitches in the bed,
I'm your pusherman
I am a smooth operator, sophisticated and always ready to make a deal with the authorities. I am confident, fearless, and always in control. I have a hidden stock of drugs, lots of money, and access to the most attractive women around. I am your pusherman.
Silent life of crime
A man of odd circumstance,
A victim of ghetto demands.
Feed me money for style
And I'll let you trip for a while.
Insecure from the past,
How long can a good thing last?
No, no, no
I live a secretive life of crime and am a product of my environment, compelled to meet the never-ending demand for drugs in the ghetto. You can bribe me with money to provide you with the drugs you crave, and I will let you get high for a period. I carry a lot of baggage from my past, which makes me feel insecure, and I know that my business cannot last forever. No, no, no.
Got to be mellow, y'all
Got to get mellow, now
Pusherman gettin' mellow, y'all
I must relax and take it easy, as I am always on the go. I need to slow down and relax. So, I am trying to be calm, and you also should calm down while I provide you the drugs you need. The pusherman getting mellow, y'all.
Heavy mind, every sign
Makin' money all the time
My 'E ID', and just me
For all junkies to see.
Ghetto Prince is my thing
Makin' love's how I swing
I'm your pusherman
I am always thinking about money and making it, and you can see it in my face. I don't make any long-term commitments with other people; I only care about my fake identification and me. I am the go-to guy for every drug addict living in the ghetto, and it feels like being a Ghetto Prince is my destiny. I am smooth with the ladies, and that is how I roll. I am your pusherman.
Two bags, please
For a generous fee
Make your world what you want it to be
Got a woman I love desperately
want to give her somethin' better than me.
Been told I can't be nuthin' else
Just a hustler in spite of myself.
I know I can break it
This life just don't make it
Lord, Lord, yeah
I can sell you two bags of drugs, but you have to pay a considerable sum of money. With these bags of drugs, your world can be whatever you desire. I am in love with a woman very much and want to give her something better than myself, but others have told me that I cannot be anything else. My life revolves around being a hustler, and although it feels defeating, I know that I can beat it. This life is not making it better for me. Lord, Lord, yeah.
Got to get mellow, now
Gotta be mellow, y'all
Got to get mellow, now
I must relax a bit now, it is necessary for me to take it easy. I need to calm down and you should also stay calm while I provide you with the drugs you need. So, let's all get mellow, now.
I'm your mama, I'm your daddy,
I'm that nigga in the alley.
I'm your doctor when in need.
Want some coke? Have some weed.
You know me, I'm your friend,
Your main boy, thick and thin.
I'm your pusherman.
I'm your pusherman.
I'm your pusherman.
I'm your pusherman.
Lord, Lord
I am the one who always provides you with drugs that you need. I am the one who is always there for you in good or bad times. You know me very well, I am your reliable and trustworthy friend. I am your pusherman. I am your pusherman. I am your pusherman. I am your pusherman. Lord, Lord.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CURTIS MAYFIELD, JOHN CALE, JAMES MOORE, SCOTT WHITE, WILLIE JR. ROY, JAMES WALLACE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@EmanuelPhillips-ie2ot
Man Curtis was before his time. Talented brother. Super fly a master piece. Hands down.
@bhagen4292
This man's influence cannot be overstated. He and Isaac Hayes laid out the blueprint for the TV themes that followed in the 70's
@CellaMadea
Yes!!! They did it!!! CellaMadea
@ginacampbell8766
Nobody tops Curtis. You can maybe compare him to Marvin.
@danishsailing4630
Yes they participated in the elite's plans of culture manipulation that promoted pimps and drug dealers as black heroes, that has been responsible for derailing black society.
@Sewom79
You are 💯
@soultownlansing4746
Wouldn't have thought of it, seems true.
@scottgove9567
Look this man is among the top 5 R&B singers all time
@muskegontribune
He was a Soul singer, its a difference. This is soul music.
@bethwatts2408
Not only was Curtis Mayfield a musical genius and social commentator but he also surrounded himself with exceptional musicians! Exquisite 🤩🤩🤩