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.
The Makings Of You
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a great big expression of happiness
Boy, you couldn't miss
With a dozen roses
Such will astound you
The joy of children laughing around you
These are the makings of you
It is true, the makings of you
Little one would know
Or believe if I told them so
You're second to none
The love of all mankind
Should reflect some sign of these words
I've tried to recite
They're close but not quite
Almost impossible to do
Reciting the makings of you
The righteous way to go
Little one would know
Or believe if I told them so
You're second to none
The love of all mankind
Should reflect some sign of these words
I've tried to recite
They're close but not quite
Almost impossible to do
Reciting the makings of you
Curtis Mayfield's song "The Makings of You" is a love ballad dedicated to the idea of happiness and the simple pleasures that make life worth living. The opening lines speak of the sweetness of honeysuckles, which is a metaphor for the sugary happiness that we all crave. Curtis then goes on to say that a dozen roses will astound you because it is a symbol of true love and appreciation.
The joy of children laughing around you is also highlighted in this song as one of the makings of happiness. Children are innocent and their laughter is infectious. Curtis wants his listeners to be surrounded by the sounds of children's laughter because it is a reminder of what it truly means to be happy.
The chorus of this song mentions that these simple things are the makings of a person. These are the things that make a person good, kind and worthy of love. Curtis is urging his listeners to embrace these things and make them part of their own lives.
Overall, "The Makings of You" is a beautifully composed song that speaks to the power of simple pleasures in a person's life. It highlights the importance of love, happiness, and innocence and encourages listeners to embrace these ideals.
Line by Line Meaning
Add a little sugar, honeysuckle
By adding sweetness and pleasantness to life, you can make it better
And a great big expression of happiness
Being openly happy and joyful can have a positive impact on those around you
Boy, you couldn't miss
This combination of sweetness and happiness is so powerful that it cannot be ignored
With a dozen roses
Giving a generous and thoughtful gift can also contribute to one's happiness and well-being
Such will astound you
The power of these simple things to bring joy may surprise you
The joy of children laughing around you
The sound of children's laughter is a beautiful expression of happiness
These are the makings of you
These positive attributes - sweetness, happiness, generosity, and joy - make up the essence of who you are
It is true, the makings of you
This is a fundamental truth about the nature of human beings
The righteous way to go
Living a life guided by these principles is morally right and just
Little one would know
Young children may not yet fully understand or appreciate these values, but they can still benefit from them
Or believe if I told them so
It can be difficult to convey the power and importance of these values through words alone
You're second to none
There is no one else quite like you, with your unique combination of positive qualities
The love of all mankind
These values - sweetness, happiness, generosity, and joy - are universally appreciated and valued
Should reflect some sign of these words
The way we live our lives should reflect these values, and serve as a testament to their power
I've tried to recite
It can be difficult to put into words the impact that these values can have on our lives
They're close but not quite
Even the most eloquent words fall short of capturing the true essence and power of these values
Almost impossible to do
It's difficult, if not impossible, to fully express the makings of you through words alone
Reciting the makings of you
Attempting to put these values into words is like trying to capture the essence of a person in a poem or a song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Curtis Mayfield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Pride317
Lyrics
Add a little sugar, honeysuckle and
A great, big expression of happiness
Boy, you couldn’t miss with a dozen roses
Such would astound you
The joy of children laughing around you
These are the makings of you
It is true, the makings of you
The righteous way to go
Little one would know
Or believe if I told them so
You're second to none
The love of all mankind
Should reflect some sign
Of these words I've tried to recite
They are close, but not quite
Almost impossible to do
Reciting the makings of you
The righteous way to go
Little one would know
Or believe if I told them so
You're second to none
The love of all mankind
Should reflect some sign
Of these words I've tried to recite
They are close, but not quite
Almost impossible to do
Reciting the makings of you
@noneya12678
Add a little sugar, honeysuckle and
A great, big expression of happiness
Boy, you couldn’t miss with a dozen roses
Such would astound you
The joy of children laughing around you
These are the makings of you
It is true, the makings of you
The righteous way to go
Little one would know
Or believe if I told them so
You're second to none
The love of all mankind
Should reflect some sign
Of these words I've tried to recite
They are close, but not quite
Almost impossible to do
Reciting the makings of you
The righteous way to go
Little one would know
Or believe if I told them so
You're second to none
The love of all mankind
Should reflect some sign
Of these words I've tried to recite
They are close, but not quite
Almost impossible to do
Reciting the makings of you
@Sand381
I'm 24 and this song is so beautiful it makes me cry. Truly timeless
@jaydaallen4493
Same here
@mackin800
This reminds me of my mother. As a kid I would sit and stare at her knowing how deeply I loved her. She’s such a great woman.
@chalupaman2121
My grandmother died 2 days ago, my father decided to dedicate this song to her and I love it. She was the glue holding our family together, now without her we're all heartbroken, but at least this song gives us some comfort. (Me at least)
@hagegesamuel
I'm sorry for your loss. If you want, I can tell you to listen to Grandma's Hands by Bill Withers, it seems to go with what you are dealing with. Have a nice evening and I hope you will be okay. Peace.
@joywithjanahkakake5367
I feel your pain! I am an old schooler.
@Mula510
🙏🙏🙏
@joywithjanahkakake5367
May the Creator give you & your family strength!
@sherryharris870
May she rest in Heavenly Peace 🙏🌹
@shmay6148
Everything about this song is so heavenly. Those sweet violins coming in the echo like birds around the singer describing his state of pure joy and loving consciousness and then the horns bringing the crescendo the same way your heart bursts over love for someone and the harp to close out like a fairy tale. And don’t even get me started on the lyrics. And his soft gentle voice, as if that which he loves is so precious as to render only the most tender tones from his lips. This song to me is like something straight out of the heavenly realms.