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.
Amen / This Little Light Of Mine
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wella, oh yeah
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Do you know that this little girl of mine
I want you people to know
This little girl of mine
One day I looked at my suit
My suit was new
I looked at my shoes
and they were too
And that's why I, I, I, I,
Oh, I love that little girl of mine
Oh do you know that this little girl of mine
Makes me happy when I'm sad
This little girl of mine
Loves me, even when I'm bad
She knows how to love me right down to her teeth
If she does any wrong, you know she keeps it from me
And that's why I, I, I, I,
Oh, I love that little girl of mine
Do you know that this little girl of mine
Called me last night about eight
This little girl of mine
Told me that we had a date
She said that she'd meet me at a quarter to nine
Believe it or not, but she was right on time
And that's why I, I, I, I,
Oh, I love that little girl of mine
Do you know that this little girl of mine
Knows how to dress so neat
This little girl of mine
Stops the traffic on the street
When the fellas start whistling, well I don't mind
I can't blame them, `cause she is fine
And that's why I, I, I, I,
Oh, I love that little girl of mine
And that's why I, I, I, I,
Oh, I love that little girl of mine
The song "Amen/This Little Light of Mine" by Etta James is about a man who is deeply in love with his girlfriend. He wants everyone to know that his girl is special to him and that he loves her unconditionally. He talks about how he takes her everywhere he goes and how she makes him happy when he is sad. The singer shares that his girlfriend loves him even when he's bad, and she always knows how to make him feel better. He praises her for her beauty, style, and punctuality.
The song seems to be a celebration of love and the joy that comes with it. It also presents the idea of loyalty and commitment to a relationship. The singer is proud of his girlfriend and wants to show her off to the world. The verses are short and sweet and have a positive and uplifting tone that captures the essence of a loving and healthy relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Wella, oh yeah
Expressing excitement and positivity towards what's to come.
Do you know that this little girl of mine
Acknowledging the greatness of a loved one in the singer's life.
I want you people to know
The singer wants to share the joy of this special person with the world.
This little girl of mine
Reaffirming the importance of this loved one in the singer's life.
I take her everywhere I go
The singer cherishes the company of this person and wants them with him always.
One day I looked at my suit
Starting a story of a personal realization the singer had.
My suit was new
Making the assertion of a recent purchase, but not necessarily important to the story.
I looked at my shoes
Detailing the process of this personal realization.
and they were too
Making the assertion that the shoes were also new, but again, not pertinent to the story.
Oh do you know that this little girl of mine
Reiterating the importance of this loved one the story is ultimately about.
Makes me happy when I'm sad
Explaining how this special someone has a positive impact on the singer's life.
Loves me, even when I'm bad
Expressing the unconditional love that this special someone has for the singer, no matter their faults.
She knows how to love me right down to her teeth
Describing the great depth of love that this special someone has for the singer.
If she does any wrong, you know she keeps it from me
Explaining how this loved one is so considerate of the singer's feelings that she shields him from any wrongdoing she may have done.
Called me last night about eight
Starting another anecdote about the communication between the singer and this special someone.
Told me that we had a date
Revealing the detail of the communication, which was about an upcoming date the two have planned.
She said that she'd meet me at a quarter to nine
Detailing the specifics of the planned date.
Believe it or not, but she was right on time
Emphasizing how reliable and punctual this special someone is.
Knows how to dress so neat
Detailing the appearance of this special someone and how put-together they always look.
Stops the traffic on the street
Revealing how stunning and captivating this loved one truly is, even to strangers passing by.
When the fellas start whistling, well I don't mind
Acknowledging the allure this special someone has to others, but it doesn't bother the singer because he knows how great she is.
I can't blame them, `cause she is fine
Admitting that he too recognizes how attractive this special someone is.
Oh yeah
Exhibiting excitement and pleasure over the events and loved one in the story.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAY CHARLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Erik brodland
on I Just Want to Make Love to You
Love this song so much, it makes me think of my son's Beautiful mommy jasmin and her amazing.voice.