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.
Pusherman
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
I'm your pusherman
Ha ha
Ain't I clean, bad machine
Super cool, super mean
Feelin' good, for the man
Superfly, here I stand
Secret stash, heavy bread
Baddest bitches, in the bed
I'm your pusherman
I'm your pusherman
I'm your pusherman
Solid 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?
Woohoo, no
Got to be mellow, y'all
Gotta be mellow now
Pusherman gettin' mellow y'all
Heavy mind, have you signed?
Makin' money all the time
My instructs me
For all junkies to see
Ghetto prince is my thing
Makin' love's how I swing
I'm your pusherman
I'm your pusherman
Too bad, (splee)
For a generous fee
Make you world what
you want it to be
Got a woman I love desperately
Wanna give her something better than me
Been told I can't be nothin' else
Just a hustler in spite of myself
I know I can rake it
This life just don't make it
Lord, lord
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
The song Pusherman by Curtis Mayfield tells the story of a drug dealer who takes on multiple roles in the lives of his customers. He sees himself as a friend, a doctor, a lover, and a provider. The lyrics suggest that the pusherman is not just a criminal but is also a product of his environment- a man of odd circumstances who is a victim of the ghetto demands. He is a man who is insecure about his past and is worried about how long he can sustain a good life that he has carved out for himself.
The song implies that the pusherman is someone who has turned to drug dealing as his only means of survival in a society that has marginalized him. The term “pusherman” refers to the person who pushes drugs or narcotics to people. Curtis Mayfield's Pusherman is a gripping portrayal of a way of life that has always existed in the underbelly of society. However, the song is not from a place of glorification or romanticization of the drug trade but is a reflection of the harsh realities of those who live below the poverty line.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm your mama, I'm your daddy
I am the one who takes care of you and looks out for you
I'm that nigga in the alley
I am the guy you can come to for drugs, even in the dark alleys
I'm your doctor, when in need
I can provide you with drugs whenever you need them
Want some coke, have some weed
I can provide you with cocaine or marijuana, whichever you prefer
You know me, I'm your friend
I am your loyal and trustworthy friend who has your back
Your main boy, thick and thin
I am always there for you no matter what, through good times and bad
I'm your pusherman
I am the one who sells and provides drugs to you
Ain't I clean, bad machine
I am smooth and efficient in what I do
Super cool, super mean
I am both cool and tough
Feelin' good, for the man
I am successful and thriving in the drug trade
Superfly, here I stand
I am confident and have a strong presence
Secret stash, heavy bread
I have a hidden supply of drugs and a lot of money
Baddest bitches, in the bed
I have the most desirable women in the area
Solid life, of crime
My life is centered around illegal activities
A man of odd circumstance
I have had a difficult and unconventional life
A victim of ghetto demands
The expectations of the ghetto have shaped my life and actions
Feed me money for (style)
Give me money and I will provide you with the latest drugs and styles
And I'll let you trip for a while
I will give you drugs to make you feel good and escape reality
Insecure from the past
I have issues stemming from my past that make me feel insecure
How long can a good thing last?
I worry about how long my success in the drug trade will continue
Woohoo, no
There is uncertainty and doubt in my mind
Got to be mellow, y'all
I need to stay calm and cool-headed
Pusherman gettin' mellow y'all
Even though I sell and use drugs, I still need to find ways to relax and unwind
Heavy mind, have you signed?
Do you want to buy drugs from me?
Makin' money all the time
I am always making money from selling drugs
My instructs me
I am told what to do by my boss or higher-up in the drug trade
For all junkies to see
I am a visible and prominent figure in the drug scene
Ghetto prince is my thing
I am the kingpin of the ghetto
Makin' love's how I swing
I use my success and wealth to attract women and have a promiscuous lifestyle
Too bad, (splee)
I am disappointed by something or someone
For a generous fee
I am willing to do things for you if you pay me well
Make you world what you want it to be
I can provide you with the drugs and tools you need to escape reality and live the life you want
Got a woman I love desperately
I am in love with a woman but know I cannot provide her with a stable or safe life
Wanna give her something better than me
I wish I could provide for her and give her a better life
Been told I can't be nothin' else
People have told me I cannot succeed in any other career or lifestyle
Just a hustler in spite of myself
Even though I wish I could leave the drug trade, it is all I know and do
I know I can rake it
I know I can continue to make a lot of money selling drugs
This life just don't make it
However, I know that this lifestyle is not sustainable or fulfilling in the long run
Lord, lord
I am expressing my desperation and plea for help
Got to get mellow now
I need to focus on calming down and not being so stressed out
Gotta be mellow, y'all
I need to be calm and relaxed to cope with my lifestyle and challenges
Lyrics © SOAR MUSIC GROUP, BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Curtis Mayfield, J J Cale, James Moore, James Wallace, Scott White, Willie Roy
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 🤩🤩🤩