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.
Here I Am
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The way that you make me feel.
A burning deep down inside,
A love that I cannot hide.
Our love is you and me baby,
That makes the world go round.
And if you've been doin' lovin' with me,
Layin' all my troubles down,
Come and take me.
Here I am, baby,
Come and take me,
Take me by the hand.
Show me,
Here I am, baby.
It always ends up this way,
Me begging you every day.
A love that I cannot have,
You broke my heart into half.
Our love is you and me baby,
That make's the world go round.
And if you've been doin' lovin' with me,
Layin' all my troubles down,
Here I am, baby,
Come and take me,
Here I am, baby,
Come and take me,
Take me by the hand.
Show me,
Here I am, baby.
When I'm down I can always call you,
For a helpin' hand.
I know you'll do the best you can.
But it don't take much from me,
Just my cup of joe.
Oh there's love inside me,
I believe there's one to be explodin',
It's tough for me, oh baby,
I can do worry,
Tell me all your troubles.
You won't ever have to worry now,
Just one more thing, ask everybody,
Everybody you see,
You'll find yourselves lost and alone on a darkened street,
Here I am, baby,
Come and take me.
Here I am, baby,
Come and take me,
Take me by the hand.
Show me,
Here I am, baby
The lyrics of Here I Am by Etta James showcase the depth of emotions of a woman who is deeply in love with someone but can't seem to get their attention or affection. She expresses disbelief at the intensity of her own emotions towards this person and the burning feeling inside of her that she can't hide. The chorus emphasizes her willingness to surrender herself completely to this person and let them take control of her life. The lyrics go on to detail the frustration and heartbreak that she experiences because of the unrequited love.
The repetition of the line "Our love is you and me baby, that makes the world go round" reflects the desperation of a person who wants the object of their affection to reciprocate their feelings. The lyrics also hint at the fact that the singer has been rejected before, and that this is a pattern that keeps repeating. However, despite the heartache and disappointment, she still reaches out to the person, asking them to take her hand and show her the way.
In conclusion, Here I Am is a soulful and emotional ballad about unrequited love and the pain of continually reaching out to someone who doesn't reciprocate those feelings. Etta James's powerful voice and the song's moving lyrics make it a classic in the world of soul music.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't believe that it's real,
I am in disbelief that our love is true.
The way that you make me feel.
Your actions bring me great happiness.
A burning deep down inside,
There is a strong passion within me that ignites every time I think of you.
A love that I cannot hide.
I have an intense love for you that cannot be concealed.
Our love is you and me baby,
Our love is solely between you and me and nobody else.
That makes the world go round.
Our love is something that keeps the world turning.
And if you've been doin' lovin' with me,
If we have been sharing love with each other,
Layin' all my troubles down,
All of my worries and stresses have been lifted.
Here I am, baby,
I am here and available for you,
Come and take me.
Please come and claim me for yourself.
Take me by the hand.
Lead me where you want me to go,
Show me,
Guide me,
It always ends up this way,
Our relationship keeps repeating this pattern,
Me begging you every day.
I am constantly pleading with you for affection and attention.
A love that I cannot have,
I am unable to fully obtain your love, and it hurts me deeply.
You broke my heart into half.
My heart has been shattered due to your actions.
When I'm down I can always call you,
Whenever I am feeling low, I know I can count on you to be there for me.
For a helpin' hand.
You are always willing to lend me a hand.
I know you'll do the best you can.
I trust that you will always give your all.
But it don't take much from me,
I do not require much from you for me to be content.
Just my cup of joe.
All I need is a cup of coffee.
Oh there's love inside me,
I have a great deal of love within myself,
I believe there's one to be explodin',
I am confident that there is someone out there who will ignite the love inside of me.
It's tough for me, oh baby,
It is not easy for me, dear,
I can do worry,
I tend to worry a lot.
Tell me all your troubles.
Please share with me all of the things that are troubling you.
You won't ever have to worry now,
You no longer need to worry or fret.
Just one more thing, ask everybody,
One last request, please ask everyone you encounter,
Everybody you see,
Every person that crosses your path.
You'll find yourselves lost and alone on a darkened street,
If you fail to ask those around you, you may end up feeling isolated and alone.
Here I am, baby,
I am ready and waiting,
Come and take me.
Please come and claim me for yourself.
Take me by the hand.
Lead me where you want me to go,
Show me,
Guide me,
Here I am, baby.
I am here and available for you.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADAM GREEN, JORDANA SHAPIRO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
João Guimarães
é a melhor gravação de "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)".
Frédéric Bach
You like? This song is so powerful, it grabs you by the b*lls and doesn't let go until it's over. It drags you across the floor, throws you against the wall and kicks you out of the window, and then you pick yourself up and ask for more...
KebDrajver
Thank you very much for this upload, been waiting for this song!
Samih Mahmoud
i loved it <3
64JBran
Horn section is fantastic!!! Especially the big guy on the trombone!!
Bobby Murray
@Roxanne Kilby - Hi Roxanne, thank you for the kind words. I am playing rhythm but that's my old pal and Etta's bandleader Josh Skair playing the lead.
Roxanne Kilby
@Bobby Murray you on guitar too... xoxoxo
Bobby Murray
Lee Thornburg!
Pia i
Danke für den hammer upload :D
Tan Ya
Great song, even greater album.