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.
We Got To Have Peace
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To keep the world alive
And war to cease
We got to have joy
True in our hearts
With strength we can't destroy
Through our voice the world knows
There's no choice
We're begging to save the children
The little ones
Who just don't understand
Give them a chance
To breed their young
And help purify the land
People hear us
Through our voice the world knows
There's no choice
And the people in our neighborhood
They would if they only could
Meet and shake the other's hand
Work together for the good of the land
Give us all an equal chance
It could be such a sweet romance
And the soldiers who are dead and gone
If only we could bring back one
He'd say, "We got to have peace
To keep the world alive
And war to cease
We got to have joy
True in our hearts
With strength we can't destroy
People hear us
Through our voice the world knows
There's no choice
And the people in our neighborhood
They would if they only could
Meet and shake the other's hand
Work together for the good of the land
Give us all an equal chance
It could be such a sweet romance
And the soldiers who are dead and gone
If only we could bring back one
We got to have peace
We got to have peace
Let the world know
Peace, peace, peace
We got to have peace
People hear us
Through our voice the world knows
There's no choice
Save the children
Save the children
Save the children
And the people in our neighborhood
Who would if they only could
Meet and shake the other's hand
Work together for the good of the land
Give us all an equal chance
It could be such a sweet romance
And the soldiers who are dead and gone
If only we could bring back one
We got to have peace
We got to have peace
Let the people singin'
Peace, peace, peace
We got to have peace
I sing peace, peace, peace
We got to have peace
Peace, peace, peace
We got to have peace
"We Got To Have Peace" is a timeless classic by soul legend Curtis Mayfield that was released in 1971, during a time when the world was caught in the violent grips of the Vietnam War. With powerful and poignant lyrics, Mayfield urges for peace and reconciliation to avoid conflicts and wars that result in loss of life, property, and progress. He speaks to the need for peace to keep the world alive while cautioning that we must work towards peace at all costs. The lyrics are a call to action, imploring listeners to find joy, true strength and to be voices uniting together as one, so the world can know there is no other option but to have peace.
Mayfield takes the message of the song further by seeking to draw attention to the plight of children who suffer devastating effects of war, urging the world to come together to create a better future for children. He also calls for unity in neighborhoods, with people working together towards the good of the land. The chorus repeats the phrase, "We got to have peace," emphasizing the need for peace, and the need for people to make it happen. While Mayfield also highlights the soldiers who have died on the battlefield, he uses their memories to encourage those living to make sure that their ultimate sacrifice wasn't in vain.
Overall, the song is a potent and moving tribute to the value of peace, and a call to all people to do their part in creating an environment where people can live safely and thrive without fear of violence or harm.
Line by Line Meaning
We got to have peace
It is imperative that we bring peace to the world.
To keep the world alive
Peace is necessary to ensure the survival of our planet.
And war to cease
We must put an end to war and violence.
We got to have joy
We need to embrace happiness and positivity in our lives.
True in our hearts
We must genuinely feel joy to bring about positive change.
With strength we can't destroy
Our joy must be strong and resilient, able to withstand hardships.
People hear us
Our voices can make a difference if we speak out against injustice.
Through our voice the world knows
Our words have the power to inspire and bring forth change.
There's no choice
There is no alternative but to demand peace and unity.
We're begging to save the children
We must protect and nurture the young generation.
The little ones
Children who are innocent and vulnerable.
Who just don't understand
They need guidance and support to develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Give them a chance
Provide them with opportunities to grow and succeed.
To breed their young
To raise their own children and create a better future for them.
And help purify the land
To restore and preserve the environment for future generations.
And the people in our neighborhood
The individuals living around us.
They would if they only could
They have the potential to make a difference if given the opportunity.
Meet and shake the other's hand
To come together and establish goodwill and understanding among one another.
Work together for the good of the land
Collaborate and make decisions that benefit both the community and the environment.
Give us all an equal chance
Ensure that every person has the same opportunities and rights regardless of their background.
It could be such a sweet romance
A beautiful and harmonious relationship could be formed if we all work together.
And the soldiers who are dead and gone
Those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in wars.
If only we could bring back one
If we could resurrect even one of them, they would advocate for peace.
Let the world know
Spread the message of peace and unity worldwide.
Save the children
Take actions to protect and nurture the young generation.
And the people in our neighborhood
The individuals living around us.
Who would if they only could
They have the potential to make a difference if given the opportunity.
Let the people singin'
Encourage everyone to use their voices to promote peace.
I sing peace, peace, peace
The singer advocates for peace and encourages others to do the same.
Peace, peace, peace
The message of peace is repeated to emphasize its importance.
Lyrics ยฉ Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CURTIS MAYFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rhino
PEOPLE NEVER GIVE UP, a compilation of Curtis Mayfield's most impactful protest and civil rights-themed songs curated by Curtisโ son Cheaa and wife Altheida Mayfield, is available now. Curtisโ music is a clarion call to action to build a more equal society, and get your groove on at the same time. Listen here https://Rhino.lnk.to/PeopleNeverGiveUpNAYT
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@KeN-nj6uw
I hope for a world with no war and racism.
@navinlamervich9874
I never heard before or since a sound so gloriously spiritual as the saxophone completing Curtis here. Incredible! I have been trying to discover the artist playing that instrument,doing that artistry. Must be our god in him/her manifesting, speaking to us directly for a few seconds
@bertspierings7922
We're all God's children. That's why need peace more than ever.
@J.A.Hansen
We got to hang in there,and get back into this kind of spirit.
Old school R and B and Soulmusic is de real thing,cause it goes straight from your ears into your heart,spirit and soul...People of the world,get on board of that soultrain๐ตโ๐๐๐โฎ
@avidnongetit8710
You and I are from the same cloth. I think the same way about music
@jee-d784
God sent curtis to us as a messenger, so he will always be โ๐ป