James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California, on 25th January 1938, to an unmarried fourteen-year-old mother, Dorothy Hawkins. According to Etta, her mother claimed that her father was the white Rudolph "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, and that they received financial support from him on the condition that they keep his paternity a secret. This seems unlikely, though it has not been definitively disproved. Etta was born in Los Angeles in 1938. At the time, Wanderone was known to be managing a pool hall in Washington, D.C. and had not yet become known to be the cross-country traveller he later became.
She received her first professional vocal training at five years old from James Earle Hines, musical director of the Echoes of Eden choir at St Paul Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Her family moved to San Francisco in 1950, and she teamed up with two other girls to form a doo-wop singing group. When the girls were fourteen, band leader Johnny Otis had them audition. They sang an answer to Hank Ballard's "Work with Me, Annie" called "Roll Wwth Me Henry". Otis particularly liked the song, and against her mother's wishes, James and the trio went to Los Angeles to record the song in 1954. The song was recorded on the label Modern Records. By this time, the trio renamed the song "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" and released it in 1955. James named her vocal group The Peaches. Richard Berry, a Los Angeles doo-wop luminary, is featured on some of their records.
"The Wallflower" reached number two on the rhythm and blues charts in February 1955, but was undercut in the wider market by a rushed-out cover version by Georgia Gibbs on Mercury Records; in fact, the very first time Gibbs was recorded in studio, they used the first take recorded and it became number one on the top 100 songs nationally. The song's royalties were divided between Hank Ballard, Etta James, and Johnny Otis, and its huge success attracted the attention of the R&B world, resulting in James going on tour with Little Richard. On the tour, though, according to James, she witnessed and experienced situations to which minors are not usually privy, and she allegedly acquired a drug habit.
Soon after the success of "Wallflower", The Peaches and James parted company, but this did not halt her career. Shecontinued to record and release albums throughout much of the decade, and enjoyed more success. Her follow-up, "Good Rockin' Daddy", became another fifties hit. Other songs however, such as "Tough Lover" and "W-O-M-A-N" failed to gain any significant success. James toured with Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Otis Redding in the fifties, and has cited Watson as the most significant influence on her style..
In 1960, James signed a recording contract with Chess Records. She went on to have the biggest success of her career from this label, recording her biggest and most memorable hits. Chess went into high gear with James, releasing many duets with her then boyfriend, the married Harvey Fuqua, who was the lead singer of the Moonglows. One of her duets with Fuqua, "If I Can't Have You", became a hit on the R&B charts in 1960. As a solo artist however, she had more enduring success. One of her first singles released by Chess in 1960 was called "All I Could Do Was Cry"; this blues number became a big hit on the R&B charts in 1960. Leonard Chess, one of the founders of Chess Records, helped James along the way. He saw the potential for her to go in a more pop-oriented direction, and she started recording more pop tunes for the label.
The year 1961 became a year of great change for James. In 1961 came the release of one of her first pop-oriented tunes called "At Last". The song became a big hit in 1961, reaching number two on the R&B charts. The song even went as far as twenty-two on the pop charts that year. It became her signature song. Other songs, such as "Trust in Me", also became hits, and the 1962 tune "Something's Got a Hold On Me" showed more of James' gospel side, a genre she had sung since childhood.
She had other big hits in the 1960s, but mainly on the R&B charts: the song "Pushover" in 1963 and "Stop the Wedding", "Fool That I Am", and "Don't Cry Baby", were hits for her between 1961 and 1963. Her 1963 album Etta James Rocks the House, recorded at Nashville's "New Era" club, also gave her career a boost. James then became one of the most successful R&B artists of the 1960s, having many more top ten and top twenty hit singles. Performing in Memphis, Tennessee helped make her into a blues icon.
In 1967, James released her next hit single, "Tell Mama", and it became a top ten hit on the R&B charts. After a dry period of no hits for almost four years, the song once more made James a household name. The follow-up, "Security", was also a success, and proved that James had staying power on the charts again. Whilst less success came for James after this hit, she was still on the charts regularly and, despite the death of Leonard Chess, stayed with the Chess label into 1975. Towards the end of the Chess years though, she went into more rock-based songs. She recorded for many other labels, and continued to release albums, such as 1978's Deep In the Night on Atlantic Records.
Despite a dry period during the early to mid 1980s, James got back on track and began to record music again. She received accolades for her 1981 rendition of Randy Newman's "God's Song". Her 1988 album Seven Year Itch proved this comeback capability; the album showed more of her soul side. In 1989, she recorded the song "Avenue D" with David A. Stewart of Eurythmics. The song was featured on the soundtrack to the Robert Wise film Rooftops. She also performed with the Grateful Dead for two shows in 1982. In the 1990s she continued to record and perform. Her albums widely varied in styles and genres. Her 1992 album, The Right Time, was another soul album that was released by Elektra Records. She also began to record more jazz, which became the style for many of her 1990s albums.
Drug-related and romantic problems interfered with her career, but James managed to maintain a career throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. Later in life, she struggled with obesity, experiencing mobility and knee problems. In 2003, she underwent gastric bypass surgery.
In 2011, a vocal sample from Etta's "Something's Got a Hold on Me" was used in "Levels" by Avicii. "Levels" became a monster EDM hit, making Etta's "sometimes I get a good feeling" one of the most recognizable samples in 21st century music.
She died on 20th January 2012.
A Sunday Kind Of Love
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A love to last past Saturday night
And I'd like to know it's more than love at first sight
And I want a Sunday kind of love
Oh, yeah, yeah
I want a, a, a love that's on the square
Can't seem to find somebody
And I'm on a lonely road that leads to nowhere
I need a Sunday kind of love
I do my Sunday dreaming, oh, yeah
And all my Sunday scheming
Every minute, every hour, every day
Oh, I'm hoping to discover
A certain kind of lover
Who will show me the way
And my arms need someone
Someone to enfold
To keep me warm when Mondays and Tuesdays grow cold
Love for all my life, to have and to hold
Oh, and I want a Sunday kind of love
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
I don't want a Monday, Tuesday
A Wednesday or Thursday
Friday or Saturday
Oh, nothing but Sunday oh, yeah, yeah
I want a Sunday, Sunday
I want a Sunday kind of love
Oh, yeah
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday kind of love
Etta James's "A Sunday Kind of Love" is a song about searching for the perfect love that transcends the fleeting passion of Saturday night. The lyrics express the desire for a love that is founded on a deeper connection that extends beyond physical attraction. The singer longs for a love that is honest and genuine, and not just based on superficial appearance. The use of repetition in the song emphasizes the singer's desperation for this kind of love. The line "I want a Sunday kind of love" is repeated several times throughout the song, reinforcing the idea that the singer is looking for a different kind of love than what she has experienced before.
The lyrics also express the singer's loneliness and the feeling of being lost. The line "I'm on a lonely road that leads to nowhere" emphasizes the singer's need for someone to share her life with. She dreams and schemes on Sundays, hoping to find the kind of love she desires. The bridge of the song highlights the need for physical comfort and emotional security. The singer wants a love that will keep her warm when Mondays and Tuesdays grow cold. Overall, the lyrics to "A Sunday Kind of Love" convey a sense of longing, hope, and desperation for a love that is deep and lasting.
Line by Line Meaning
I want a Sunday kind of love
I desire a special type of love that lasts beyond Saturday and is only experienced on Sundays.
A love to last past Saturday night
I want a love so strong that it lasts beyond the weekend and persists into the following week.
And I'd like to know it's more than love at first sight
I seek to establish a deep, long-lasting connection with someone and want assurance that it's genuine and not infatuation.
Oh, yeah, yeah
These feelings are intense and significant to me.
I want a, a, a love that's on the square
I'm seeking an honest, sincere love that follows moral principles rather than one that's sneaky, complicated or messy.
Can't seem to find somebody
I'm having trouble finding a person who meets my requirements for love.
Someone to care
I want someone who deeply cares about me and my well-being.
And I'm on a lonely road that leads to nowhere
I'm feeling isolated and dejected, and my attempts to find love have been fruitless.
I need a Sunday kind of love
I require that special, ubiquitous love that can only be found on Sundays to fill the void within me.
I do my Sunday dreaming, oh yeah
During Sundays, I indulge in fantasies and aspirations.
And all my Sunday scheming
I'm planning and devising schemes for my aspirations on Sundays.
Every minute, every hour, every day
I'm fixated on achieving my goals and dreams during every moment of every day.
Oh, I'm hoping to discover
I hope to find someone who fulfils my desires.
A certain kind of lover
I'm looking for a specific type of lover with certain qualities and traits.
Who will show me the way
I'm seeking someone who can guide me in love and life.
And my arms need someone
I require someone to embrace and hold me.
Someone to enfold
I want someone to wrap their arms around me in a loving embrace.
To keep me warm when Mondays and Tuesdays grow cold
I want someone who can keep me mentally and physically warm and comfort me during difficult times.
Love for all my life, to have and to hold
I desire a love that lasts a lifetime, and I want to cherish and preserve that love.
Oh, and I want a Sunday kind of love
I yearn for that special type of love that can only be found on Sundays.
I don't want a Monday, Tuesday
I don't want a love that is stagnant or dull, mimicking the regularity of weekdays.
A Wednesday or Thursday
I don't want a love that is predictable and average like two days of the week.
Friday or Saturday
I don't want a love that is fleeting or momentary, like the two days when fun is had, but it's short-lived.
Oh, nothing but Sunday oh yeah yeah
I want nothing less than that special and beautiful love that can only be experienced on Sundays.
I want a Sunday, Sunday
I need and crave that kind of love each and every Sunday.
I want a Sunday kind of love
I desire a unique, deeply emotional, strong and enduring love that can only be found on Sundays.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Anita Nye, Barbara Belle, Louis Prima, Stanley Rhodes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joannloves8232
SONG LYRICS
I want a Sunday kind of love
A love to last past Saturday night
And I'd like to know
It's more than love at first sight
And I want a Sunday kind of love
Oh yeah, yeah
I want a, a love that's on the square
Can't seem to find somebody
Someone to care
And I'm on a lonely road
That leads to nowhere
I need a Sunday kind of love
I do my Sunday dreaming, oh yeah
And all my Sunday scheming
Every minute, every hour, every day
Oh, I'm hoping to discover
A certain kind of lover
Who will show me the way
And my arms need someone
Someone to enfold
To keep me warm when Mondays and Tuesdays grow cold
Love for all my life to have and to hold
Oh and I want a Sunday kind of love
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
I don't want a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday
Or Thursday, Friday or Saturday
Oh nothing but Sunday, oh yeah
I want a Sunday
Sunday
I want a Sunday kind of love, oh yeah
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday kind of love
@SimpleModernWoman
coffee.
laundry.
gardening.
morning walk.
watering house plants.
dancing around the house.
podcasts, audiobooks, playlists.
meditating and practicing gratitude.
enjoying life's simple pleasures.
sunday kind of self-love. ❤️
@ralitsageorgieva3437
Imagine dancing to this with the love of your life on Sunday while making coffee and pancakes
@melaniegallegos6946
Omg lez be lovers pls 🙏💖
@vnsalafeliz
😢
@ralitsageorgieva3437
@@melaniegallegos6946 I am down ;))
@janejoud3665
no!
@m.a.4603
Damn you on that deep shit
@barbarasunday3514
I was very lonely till 22 years ago when I met a man with the last name Sunday.This song always makes me remember how blessed I am to have found him.
@kerrianjames7135
Bless you and your union. ❤
@jessicamcdade1813
The most beautiful story
@aztros8128
thank you for commenting this! love to hear stories like this!