Curtis Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, fu… Read Full Bio ↴Curtis Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, funk and rhythm and blues, singer-songwriter and guitarist from Chicago, Illinois.

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.

She Don't Let Nobody
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics

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Other guys try to hold her hand
Other guys want a onenight stand
They all stare when she's around
I'm so proud how she puts them down
She don't let nobody, no, no
She don't let nobody
Nobody but me

I don't worry 'cause we're so tight
See each other 'most every night
She let me have the master key
That's why I kiss her explicitly
She don't let nobody, no, no
She don't let nobody
Nobody but me

Some dudes, they think she's teasing
They think she wants to play
But she's so doggone pleasing
And hey, that's just her way
And no-one's gonna steal her
She does what she wants to
She only lets me feel her
And then I know it's true

She don't let nobody, no, no
She don't let nobody, no, no
She don't let nobody, no, no
She don't let nobody, no, no
She don't let nobody, no, no
She don't let nobody
Nobody but me

In a day and age when you can't be sure
I've got one with a love that's pure
Guess you'd call her my lucky star
She goes out, but she don't go far
She don't let nobody, no, no
She don't let nobody
Nobody but me

Some dudes, they think she's teasing
They think she wants to play
But she's so doggone pleasing
And hey, that's just her way
And no-one's gonna steal her
She does what she wants to
She only lets me feel her
And then I know it's true

She don't let nobody, no, no
She don't let nobody, no, no
She don't let nobody, no, no
She don't let nobody, no, no
She don't let nobody, no, no

She don't let nobody
Nobody but me

Overall Meaning

The song "She Don't Let Nobody" by Curtis Mayfield is a story of a man who is in love with a woman who is fierce and independent. The woman in question is constantly pursued by other men, but she puts them all in their place and only has eyes for the singer. He is grateful for her love and trust in him, knowing that she could have anyone but chooses to be with him. The song also touches on the idea of trust and how important it is in a relationship.

The lyrics paint a picture of a woman who is confident in herself and knows what she wants. She doesn't let anyone else define her or tell her what to do. The singer is secure in their relationship because he knows that she has chosen him and will not stray. This adds a layer of trust and faithfulness to the song that is often missing in contemporary love songs.

The chorus repeats the phrase "she don't let nobody" several times, emphasizing the woman's strength and independence. It also reinforces the idea that the singer is the only one allowed into her life and heart. Overall, the song is a celebration of love, trust, and independence in a world where those things are often hard to find.

Line by Line Meaning

Other guys try to hold her hand
Some men attempt to show affection towards her.

Other guys want a one night stand
Some men only desire sex for one evening with her.

They all stare when she's around
Others might look at her, flustered or smitten.

I'm so proud how she puts them down
It brings me joy that she swiftly subdues their advances.

She don't let nobody, no, no
She doesn't allow others to be romantically involved with her.

She don't let nobody
She only lets one person into her heart.

Nobody but me
I am the only person she lets into her world.

I don't worry 'cause we're so tight
I don't feel anxious because we have a strong bond.

See each other 'most every night
We spend almost every night with one another.

She let me have the master key
She gave me full access to her heart and feelings.

That's why I kiss her explicitly
That's why I kiss her passionately and with clear emotion.

Some dudes, they think she's teasing
Some men assume she is playing with their emotions.

They think she wants to play
They imagine that she is toying with their heart.

But she's so doggone pleasing
But she is so genuinely enjoyable to be around.

And hey, that's just her way
And that is just simply who she is as a person.

And no-one's gonna steal her
No one can take her away from me.

She does what she wants to
She follows her own heart above others' expectations.

She only lets me feel her
She only allows me to love her completely.

And then I know it's true
This is how I know our love is real and valid.

In a day and age when you can't be sure
In a time when it is often worked to have trust in romance.

I've got one with a love that's pure
I have been gifted with a love that is honest and authentic.

Guess you'd call her my lucky star
I view her as my fortunate star who has brought me good luck and blessings.

She goes out, but she don't go far
She may go out with friends, but she doesn't stray too far from me or our relationship.

She don't let nobody, no, no
She is exclusive and only allows one person in her world.

She don't let nobody
She doesn't let others into her heart.

Nobody but me
I am the only one who has won her love and affection.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Curtis Mayfield, Dino George Fekaris

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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