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.
I'm Gonna Take What He's Got
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He cheat on me
He's mean to me
Ooh, but he could be so sweet to me
My friends say I should give him up
But oh, I need him, I need him a lot
That's why I'm gonna take it (take it, take it)
He disowns me
He's going to sleep
But when we're alone
He tells me "I'm his very own"
Yes, he's got what I need
But oh, I need what he's got
That's why I'm gonna take it (take it, take it)
Take what he's got
Oh, my friends say he's no good
He's not worth the time of day
For he could be an ice man, trash man, a junk man any kind of man
But nothing can drive me away, oh!
He cause me pain,
You make me wait sometimes out in the rain
You can make me feel ashamed
But I never dress the same
And I love him so much
Nothing can make me stop
That's why I'm gonna take it (take it take it)
Take what he's got
That's why I'm gonna take it (take it take it)
Take what he's got
Oh, give it up, give it up, right now
I'm gonna take it, baby
(Take it take it)
Take what he's got
The song "I'm Gonna Take What He's Got" by Etta James is a powerful love ballad that delves into the complexities of a dysfunctional romantic relationship. The lyrics explore the physical and emotional abuse that the subject of the song endures at the hands of her partner. Despite the mistreatment, she is unable to let go of the relationship and continues to stay with him. The opening line of the song, "He beat on me, he cheated on me, he's mean to me," immediately sets the tone and introduces the central theme of the song.
The subject of the song is torn between her love for her abusive partner and the advice of her friends who urge her to leave him. She acknowledges that he is not good for her, but still needs him and cannot bring herself to leave. The lyrics, "My friends say I should give him up, but oh, I need him, I need him a lot," capture this struggle. Despite the abuse and advice of her loved ones, she finds comfort in the moments when he is kind to her and holds on to those moments. The lyrics "He's got what I need, but oh, I need what he's got," speaks to this internal conflict.
The repetition of the chorus, "That's why I'm gonna take it (take it, take it), take what he's got," emphasizes the power dynamic in the relationship. The subject of the song is taking control in her own way by holding on to what her partner offers her, even if it is only fleeting moments of kindness. The song ultimately ends with the subject proclaiming that she will take what her partner has to offer and that nothing will make her stop.
Overall, "I'm Gonna Take What He's Got" is a poignant and emotive song that explores the complicated nature of love and abusive relationships. It highlights the difficult decision one must make when staying in a relationship that is not healthy, even in the face of sound advice from loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
He beat on me
He physically abuses me
He cheat on me
He is unfaithful in our relationship
He's mean to me
He is cruel and unkind to me
Ooh, but he could be so sweet to me
Despite his bad behavior, he can be charming and affectionate
My friends say I should give him up
My friends advise me to end our relationship
But oh, I need him, I need him a lot
Despite their advice, I feel a strong attachment to him
That's why I'm gonna take it (take it, take it)
I will do whatever it takes to keep him in my life
Take what he's got
I will take whatever he can offer me
He disowns me
He denies our relationship in public
He's going to sleep
He is emotionally distant from me
But when we're alone
He acts more loving in private
He tells me "I'm his very own"
He claims ownership over me
Yes, he's got what I need
I am dependent on him
But oh, I need what he's got
Despite his flaws, I cannot imagine my life without him
Oh, my friends say he's no good
My friends have a negative opinion of him
He's not worth the time of day
He is not deserving of my attention or affection
For he could be an ice man, trash man, a junk man any kind of man
For all his faults, I'll still choose him over anyone else
But nothing can drive me away, oh!
I am committed to him no matter what
He cause me pain,
He hurts me emotionally and physically
You make me wait sometimes out in the rain
He keeps me waiting and is unreliable
You can make me feel ashamed
He makes me feel embarrassed or guilty
But I never dress the same
I am still myself despite his attempts to change me
And I love him so much
I have deep feelings of affection for him
Nothing can make me stop
I am determined to stay with him, no matter what
Oh, give it up, give it up, right now
Others may try to convince me to leave him
I'm gonna take it, baby
I will continue to accept and tolerate his flaws
(Take it take it)
I will take whatever he is willing to give me
Take what he's got
I will take whatever he can offer me
Writer(s): Don Covay
Contributed by Julian P. 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.