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.

Stare and Stare
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Stare and stare
I look across the aisle at the process he wears
While people sitting back digg-ing my nappy hair.
A sister standing, and no one even cares
We're all just riding with our nose in the air.
Another stop on the bus, some people boarding,
Different color then us, they hate to mingle,
But no one makes a fuss, the thing about it

There's no one here we can trust.
Of all the sunday times of preaching
Where all the folks that the scripts been reachin.
They're hard to find, like it's a crime to do of good and brotherhood
Seems no one will and the only thrill is doing bad
And that's kind of sad.
So all I'm trying to say, is what a way,
What a way to waste the day.
The black and the old faye working the same jobs for the pay
But it seems here lately we have nothing to say.

Stare and stare
I look across the aisle at the process he wears
While people sitting back digging my nappy hair.
A sister standing, and no one even cares

Stare and stare folks!
Keep it up!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Curtis Mayfield's "Stare and Stare" address the issues of race, inequality and indifference in society. The first verse talks about the singer, who is observing people on a bus ride. He notices the way people judge him based on his nappy hair, and how they overlook a sister standing because she is not worthy of their attention. The second verse portrays a diverse group of people boarding the bus, but the divide between them is palpable, as they choose not to interact with each other. The singer laments the lack of brotherhood and goodwill in society, and how people are more focused on doing bad over doing good.

The refrain of "Stare and stare" emphasizes the theme of observation and judgment. Mayfield highlights the need for empathy and human connection, as depicted by the line "there's no one here we can trust". He also points out the futility of societal progress if people fail to look beyond the superficial differences of race and appearance.

Mayfield's powerful lyrics about racial discrimination and social inequality resonated with many African Americans during the time of writing, and continue to do so today. The song's message remains relevant and poignant as it evokes a sense of urgency for change and solidarity.

Line by Line Meaning

Stare and stare
Repeatedly looking at something without taking any action.

I look across the aisle at the process he wears
I observe the clothing and appearance of the person sitting across from me.

While people sitting back digg-ing my nappy hair.
I notice that some people are taking pleasure in criticizing my natural, unkempt hair.

A sister standing, and no one even cares
I see a woman who is ignored by everyone else on the bus, despite standing and not having a seat.

We're all just riding with our nose in the air.
We are all arrogantly ignoring the needs and struggles of others around us as we ride on the bus.

Another stop on the bus, some people boarding,
More passengers are getting on the bus at a new stop.

Different color then us, they hate to mingle,
The new passengers are of a different race or ethnicity, and they seem to not want to interact with the other riders.

But no one makes a fuss, the thing about it
Despite the difference in race, no one causes any trouble or fights on the bus.

There's no one here we can trust.
The lack of trust and unity among the passengers on the bus is noticeable.

Of all the sunday times of preaching
Despite all the religious sermons and teachings heard on Sundays,

Where all the folks that the scripts been reachin.
Few people seem to follow the positive messages or lessons from religion.

They're hard to find, like it's a crime to do of good and brotherhood
Individuals who act in a morally good or brotherly manner are rare and undervalued by others.

Seems no one will and the only thrill is doing bad
People seem to only find pleasure in doing things that are negative or harmful toward others.

And that's kind of sad.
The fact that negativity is favored over positivity is disheartening.

So all I'm trying to say, is what a way,
The overall message I am trying to convey is;

What a way to waste the day.
It is a shame to spend an entire day not appreciating and helping one another.

The black and the old faye working the same jobs for the pay
Black individuals and elderly individuals are working the same jobs as others to earn money.

But it seems here lately we have nothing to say.
Despite working together, there is no sense of community or conversation occurring between workers/society as a whole.

Writer(s): Curtis Mayfield

Contributed by Juliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

luvin2lrn

12y↑10

Wow!! I love this song and it's still relevant today! Just timeless music. Curtis was a true musical GENIUS!! This song makes you go deep within yourself. R.I.P Curtis. You may be Gone but you're still HERE!!