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.
Fire
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fire
Fire
Im on fire
Fire
Fire
Fire
lord you set me on fire
your touch is all it takes baby to start the fire in me
you the one who can turn me on like a tv
when you look at me baby you know my lips cant speak
like a cube of ice on a red hot stove i melt from your
burning heat
Im on fire
fire
fire
oh im on fire
fire
fire
fire
lord you set me on fire
when you talk that sweet talk i burn like water on fire
when you kiss my lips boy, burn like a read hot wire
fire
fire
fire
lord im on fire
you make my body shiver boy
you make my head go bad
you make my liver quiver babe
make my eyes get red
my knees get weak when i see you
your love is much to strong
and when you take me in your arms you know tommorow is
my home
i said fire
fire
fire
im on fire
i siad fire oh yeah
i said fire child
you light me on fire boy
like im burning yeah
The lyrics to Etta James's song "Fire" explore the intense passion and desire that the singer feels towards her lover. She compares their connection to a physical flame, describing how his touch ignites the fire within her. She is entranced by his sweet talk and kisses, which make her feel as though she is burning from the inside out. Even her body language responds to his presence; her knees quake, her liver trembles, and her eyes grow red.
Throughout the song, the singer's obsession with fire highlights the all-consuming nature of her love. Like a cube of ice on a hot stove, she melts under the heat of his passion. She is powerless to resist him, and every moment with him is electric and intense. Despite the danger that comes with such intense passion, the singer cannot help but feel drawn to him, like a moth to a flame.
Overall, the lyrics of "Fire" are a testament to the power of desire and the overwhelming emotions that come with infatuation. The intensity and passion of the singer's feelings are conveyed through vivid imagery and metaphor, painting a picture of a love that is both exhilarating and dangerous.
Line by Line Meaning
Fire
The song begins with the repetition of the word 'fire' to express the intensity of the emotions the singer is feeling.
Fire
The repetition continues to emphasize the passion and heat of the relationship the singer is describing.
Fire
Once again, the repetition of 'fire' underscores the all-consuming nature of the love the singer is experiencing.
I'm on fire
The singer compares herself to a burning flame, expressing her overwhelming attraction to her lover.
Fire
As before, the repetition emphasizes the power and intensity of the relationship.
Fire
The repetition once again drives home the passionate nature of the feelings being described.
Fire
The singer acknowledges that it is her lover who has ignited the passion within her, emphasizing the power of his touch.
Lord you set me on fire
The singer refers to her lover as 'Lord' to express both his power over her and her total surrender to him.
Your touch is all it takes baby to start the fire in me
The singer emphasizes how powerful her lover's touch is in eliciting her passionate response.
You the one who can turn me on like a tv
The singer likens her lover's ability to arouse her to the ease with which a TV can be switched on.
When you look at me baby you know my lips can't speak
The singer is so overcome with emotion that she is rendered speechless by her lover's gaze.
Like a cube of ice on a red hot stove I melt from your burning heat
The imagery here is of an ice cube melting on a hot stove, emphasizing how completely the singer is consumed by her lover's passion.
When you talk that sweet talk I burn like water on fire
The singer is so responsive to her lover's words that she instantly feels the heat of his passion.
When you kiss my lips boy, burn like a red hot wire
The singer likens the feeling of being kissed by her lover to the intense sensation of an electric shock.
You make my body shiver boy
The singer emphasizes the physical effect her lover has on her, indicating her complete surrender to his will.
You make my head go bad
The passion is so intense that the singer is almost overwhelmed by it.
You make my liver quiver babe
The singer's body responds to her lover so strongly that even her internal organs are affected.
Make my eyes get red
The singer's eyes well up with tears in response to the overwhelming emotion she is experiencing.
My knees get weak when I see you
The singer is so taken with her lover that she is physically unable to remain standing in his presence.
Your love is much too strong
The singer feels overwhelmed by the power of her lover's passion.
And when you take me in your arms you know tomorrow is my home
The singer implies that she is so lost in her lover's passion and care that she feels completely at home with him.
I said fire
The repetition of 'fire' once again emphasizes the passion of the relationship.
Fire oh yeah
The singer exclaims her excitement and passion for her lover.
I said fire child
The singer affectionately refers to her lover as 'child,' emphasizing her feelings of nurturing and care for him.
You light me on fire boy, like I'm burning yeah
The singer declares that her lover has ignited her passion completely, melting away any prior restraint or reservations she may have had.
Writer(s): Allen Ravenstine, David Lynn Thomas, Tony Maimone, Chris Cutler, Scott Krauss, James E. Jones Copyright: Ubu Projex
Contributed by Alice Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.