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.
Holding Back The Years
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thinking of the fear I've had so long
When somebody hears
Listen to the fear that's gone
Strangled by the wishes of pater
Hoping for the arm of mater
Get to me sooner or later
I'll keep holding on
(I'll keep holding on)
I'll keep holding on
(Keep holding on)
I'll keep holding on
(Never let you go away)
I'll keep holding on
Holding back the years
Chance for me to escape from all I know
Holding back the tears, yeah
There's nothing here has grown
I've wasted all my tears
Wasted all those years
Nothing had the chance to be good
Nothing ever could, yeah, yeah, yeah, alright
I'll keep holding on
(I'm gon' keep holding on)
I'll keep holding on
(Holding and holding and holding)
I'll keep holding on
(I'll keep holding, babe)
I'll keep holding on
(So tight)
I wasted all my tears
Wasted all those precious years
Nothing had the chance to be good
Nothing ever could, yeah, yeah and I'll
I'll keep holding on
(I'm gonna hold on, babe)
I'll keep holding on
(I'm gonna hold, hold, hold, hold on)
I'll keep holding on
(Can't let you go)
I'll keep holding on
(I keep holding and holding and holding on)
I'll keep holding on
(I can't let you go for nobody)
I'll keep holding on
(I'm gonna keep holding and holding, baby)
I'll keep holding on
(I, I)
I'll keep holding on
(I'll keep holding, holding on)
I'll keep holding on
(I'll keep holding on)
In "Holding Back The Years," Etta James sings about her fear and the emotional struggles she faces in her life. The first verse describes her long-standing fear and the need for someone to listen to her. The second verse reveals that hopelessness and the impact of unfulfilled wishes from her parents have left her feeling drained. Throughout the choruses, she reiterates her determination to hold on, both to her emotions and to the people she loves.
These lyrics reflect James' personal struggles, including her addiction and emotional turmoil caused by a rocky relationship with her mother. The phrase "Holding back the years" is a metaphor for the emotional distance she has kept from herself and those around her, as a way to avoid confronting her pain. She feels trapped and unable to escape her pain, but through the song, she acknowledges her strength and resilience to keep trying.
In conclusion, "Holding Back The Years" is a powerful, emotive piece about the complexities of confronting one's fears and pain. The song speaks to the universal human experience of wanting to hold on to what we cherish while navigating life's challenges. It's a poignant reminder to keep holding on and to never give up hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Holding back the years
The pain of the past is still affecting me in the present.
Thinking of the fear I've had so long
Reflecting on the anxiety I've experienced for a significant amount of time.
When somebody hears
If someone listens to me
Listen to the fear that's gone
Hear me out about the issues that used to scare me.
Strangled by the wishes of pater
Feeling overwhelmed by my father's expectations.
Hoping for the arm of mater
Longing for comfort from my mother.
Get to me sooner or later
Either now or in the future.
Nothing ever could, yeah
Despite longing for comfort, I have never received it.
I'll keep holding on (I'll keep holding on)
I will persevere through my struggles.
Keep holding on (Keep holding on)
I will not give up.
Never let you go away (Never let you go away)
I will not let go of hope or the possibility for comfort.
Chance for me to escape from all I know
An opportunity to leave behind my painful past.
Holding back the tears, yeah
Suppressing my pain instead of expressing it.
There's nothing here has grown
No progress has been made in my life.
I've wasted all my tears
I have spent too much time being unhappy.
Wasted all those years
Too much time has been spent being unproductive and unhappy.
Nothing had the chance to be good
I was unable to turn anything in my life to be productive in a positive way.
I'll keep holding on (I'm gon' keep holding on)
Despite my struggles, I will still strive to keep going.
I'll keep holding on (Holding and holding and holding)
Persisting with tenacity and strength.
I'll keep holding on (I'll keep holding, babe)
I will firmly grasp onto hope despite difficulty.
So tight
I won't let go of hope and opportunity.
Can't let you go
Will not give up on hope and life progress.
I'm gonna hold on, babe
Holding firmly to future hope.
Hold, hold, hold, hold on
Persisting with tenacity and strength in life.
I, I
An affirming declaration of tenacity and courage
Contributed by Bailey L. 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.