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.
Merry Christmas Baby
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Merry Christmas, baby, you really did treat me nice
Bought me a hi-fi for Christmas, now I'm living in paradise
Well, I'm feelin', mighty fine, I got good music on my radio
Well, I feel so fine, I got good music on my radio
Yes, I want to hug and kiss you baby
While you're standing beneath the mistletoe
Left all these pretty presents that you see before me
Merry Christmas baby, you really been good to me.
I will always love you baby
Now I'm happy as I can be
Etta James's "Merry Christmas Baby" is a delightfully cheerful tune about the joy of receiving thoughtful gifts from a lover during the Christmas season. The lyrics are a reflection of the happiness that is felt when one is showered with love and affection. The singer in the song is expressing her gratitude towards her lover for treating her with kindness and showering her with gifts that make her feel special. She is excited about her new hi-fi system and the good music that she can now play on her radio. Additionally, she is looking forward to embracing her lover while standing under the mistletoe. These lyrics express emotions of love, joy, and appreciation towards a significant other which are the essence of the holiday season.
The lyrics also depict the arrival of Santa Claus bringing gifts to the singer at three in the morning. He left behind many pretty presents for her. The song portrays the beauty and magic that surrounds the holiday season. It is a time of love and celebration, and the singer is enjoying every bit of it. The song is a celebration of the joys of life that can be magnified by special moments shared with loved ones. As the song ends, she professes her love for her partner indicating that she feels fulfilled and happy to have a loving partner to share her life with.
Interestingly, "Merry Christmas Baby" was initially titled "Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)" and was first released by Joey Ramone in 2002. This song was written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Mike Love in 1974, but their version remained unreleased for over a decade. Since then, numerous artists have recorded the song, including Otis Redding and Elvis Presley. The song has been used in various films, including "The Family Man" (2000), "Die Hard" (1988), and "Trading Places" (1983).
Line by Line Meaning
Merry Christmas, baby, you really did treat me nice
I am wishing you a Merry Christmas because you have been extremely kind to me.
Bought me a hi-fi for Christmas, now I'm living in paradise
You gave me a wonderful gift of a quality sound system, and now I feel like I'm in heaven.
Well, I'm feelin', mighty fine, I got good music on my radio
Listening to great music on my radio has put me in a fantastic mood.
Yes, I want to hug and kiss you baby, While you're standing beneath the mistletoe
Seeing you under the mistletoe makes me want to give you a loving embrace and a kiss.
Santa came down the chimney, 'bout a half past three, Left all these pretty presents that you see before me
Santa Claus visited at 3:30 in the morning and left all the lovely gifts you see in front of me.
Merry Christmas baby, you really been good to me.
Once again, I want to express how grateful I am that you have been good to me.
I will always love you baby, Now I'm happy as I can be
I will forever love you, and thanks to you, I am as content as I could possibly be.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lou Baxter, Johnny Dudley Moore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Valarie Hueske
Such a talent. Love anything she sings.
Genetta Lacey
Lady of the blue's. Voice of an angel. Masterpiece.
m1nn1s
Maybe the 'Earth Angel' Marvin Berry was signing about in the song with the Starlighters! 😇
Dennis Haynes
Wish She were still here 😪