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.
Nobody Loves You Like Me
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Climb the hightest mountain
Sail across the sea
Take a look in your social book
You'll find it
Nobody loves you like me, no, no, no.
Nobody loves you like me.
Travel across the desert
Climb up a big redwood tree
As a warn that's about to turn
You say that nobody loves you like me, no, no, no.
Nobody loves you like me.
(You can ha and discover
On the --- of a tower
But if for you don't choose
It's me you're gonna lose
Take a trip to the Sputnik
As the little doggie
Dont be this late cause--- in bed
Nobody loves you like me, no, no, no.
Nobody loves you like me.
The opening lines of Etta James's song 'Nobody Loves You Like Me' gives off the impression of someone who's deeply in love with someone but the person they love doesn't feel the same. The singer challenges the object of her affection to venture out into the world and search for a love that is stronger than hers, like climbing the highest mountain, sailing across the sea, or taking a look at their social circle, only for them to realize that nobody loves them like she does. The chorus is repeated several times to emphasize the singer's assurance that there is no one out there who loves their love interest more deeply, which serves as a call to action for them to reciprocate her feelings.
The second verse continues in the same vein, with the singer suggesting that the person leaves the country and travels across deserts or climb redwood trees, but no matter where they go, they will come to the realization that the love they receive is nothing in comparison to the love that she provides. The lyrics suggest that the object of the singer's affections is beginning to have doubts about their relationship and may be seeking a stronger emotional connection elsewhere, but the singer is certain that their love is unparalleled. The final lines encourage the person to go out and search freely but warns them that if they don't choose the love that she's offering, they will lose it.
Line by Line Meaning
Climb the highest mountain
Go to great lengths, face obstacles and hardships
Sail across the sea
Travel far away, explore beyond your comfort zone
Take a look in your social book, you'll find it
Check everywhere and everyone, but you won't find anyone who loves you like me
Nobody loves you like me, no, no, no.
Emphasis on the fact that no other person can love you more than me
Travel across the desert
Endure a long journey, face loneliness and harsh surroundings
Climb up a big redwood tree
Rise above the mundane, reach great heights
As a warn that's about to turn
Find a sign of impending change or danger
You say that nobody loves you like me, no, no, no.
Reassurance and emphasis on the fact that I am your true love
You can ha and discover on the --- of a tower
You can search high and low, but you won't find love like mine
But if for you don't choose
If you don't choose me
It's me you're gonna lose
You'll lose the love that only I can offer
Take a trip to the Sputnik
Embark on an impossible journey, dream the impossible dream
As the little doggie
No matter how small or insignificant you may feel
Dont be this late cause--- in bed
Don't wait until it's too late to realize that my love is the only true love for you
Contributed by Luke W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Douglas Iannucci
Wow. I'm a big Etta James fan, and this is the first time I've heard this.
69ssrszl1
Wonderful soul singer.
Maryann D'Amico
Love it!
Cosette Lamonsky
This is exactly how I'm feeling right now; I love Etta so much!!!
Leandro Machado
Etta James she’s pure gold ❤️
REM700sniper@playstation network
I have not heard this one in years.
Thanks for sharing it.
Always loved Etta James, she is still the best.
Cybervamp Stevens
RIP..Mrs. Etta James...our 1 of my favorites!!! you will be missed!!!
Hadas Hall
forget the film, Etta was tough as hell ,lived enough to wear out the Stones twice over and had a voice like no one else in Blues or Soul ....only Irma Thomas can come close . Beyonce is a sweetheart , I like her but I don't buy her music . Etta is fantastic , I want all her recordings ....a legend!
Kim Turner
love the blues here, she can sing almost anything!
GA Englund
She´s great.