Etta James (1938-2012) was a U.S. blues, soul, R&B, rock & roll, and jazz … Read Full Bio ↴Etta James (1938-2012) was a U.S. blues, soul, R&B, rock & roll, and jazz singer and songwriter. She is the winner of four Grammies, seventeen Blues Music Awards, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (in 1993), the Blues Hall of Fame (in 2001), and the Grammy Hall of Fame (in both 1999 and 2008).

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.

Someone to Watch Over Me
Etta James Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's a saying old, says that love is blind
Still we're often told, "seek and ye shall find"
So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind

Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet
He's the big affair I cannot forget
Only man I ever think of with regret

I'd like to add his initial to my monogram
Tell me, where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?

There's a somebody I'm longin' to see
I hope that he, turns out to be
Someone to watch over me

I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
I know I could, always be good
To one who'll watch over me

Although he may not be the man some
Girls think of as handsome
To my heart he carries the key

Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me

Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me

Someone to watch over me

Overall Meaning

In this classic jazz standard, Etta James sings about her yearning for someone to watch over her. The song starts by referencing the old saying that love is blind but still encourages the listener to "seek and ye shall find." Etta then goes on to talk about a certain lad that she has had in mind but has not yet found. This certain lad is the "big affair" that she cannot forget, the only man she ever thinks of with regret. Etta wants to add this man's initial to her monogram, but she needs the shepherd to find her lost lamb.

The second part of the lyrics has Etta confessing that she is a little lamb lost in the wood. She talks about how she could always be good to the one who watches over her. Although this person may not be conventionally handsome, he carries the key to her heart. Etta then asks the listener to tell this person to put on some speed and follow her lead because she needs someone to watch over her.

Overall, the song's lyrics are about the universal human desire for someone to love and care for them. Etta's beautiful voice, combined with the haunting melody, makes this song a timeless classic.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a saying old, says that love is blind
Love can be irrational and unpredictable.

Still we're often told, "seek and ye shall find"
People encourage us to search for love since it can result in finding someone special.

So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind
I am determined to find a specific man who has been on my mind.

Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet
I have been searching in various places, but I have not found him.

He's the big affair I cannot forget
He is the significant person in my life whom I cannot forget.

Only man I ever think of with regret
He is the only man that I think of with a tinge of regret.

I'd like to add his initial to my monogram
I want his name or initial to become a part of my identity.

Tell me, where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?
I am lost and in need of guidance, and I am asking where the man I want is to help me.

There's a somebody I'm longin' to see
There is someone whom I am eager and desperate to meet.

I hope that he turns out to be Someone to watch over me
I hope that he can become a protector, guardian, and caretaker in my life.

I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
I am vulnerable and lost in life's challenges.

I know I could always be good
I am aware that I am capable of being virtuous and obedient.

To one who'll watch over me
I desire someone who can watch me and provide safety, comfort, and security.

Although he may not be the man some girls think of as handsome
Others may not perceive him as attractive, but I see him that way.

To my heart he carries the key
He holds the key to my heart and has the power to make me happy.

Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
I am asking someone else to request that he hurry in meeting me.

Follow my lead, oh, how I need someone to watch over me
I am leading the pursuit, and I require someone who can be there for me and take care of me.

Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
I am repeating my request to have him come quickly.

Follow my lead, oh, how I need someone to watch over me
I am iterating my need for someone who can guard and protect me.

Someone to watch over me
The repeated chorus is an expression of my desire and desperation to find someone who can watch over me and keep me safe.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: IRA GERSHWIN, GEORGE GERSHWIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Faiçal Nagat

2y↑1

There's a somebody I'm longing to see
I hope that she turns out to be
Someone who'll watch over me
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
I know I could always be good
To one who'll watch over me

Although I may not be the man some
Girls think of as handsome
To her heart I'll carry the key
Won't you tell her please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me

Won't you tell her please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me

All comments from YouTube:

n woods

3y↑4

Of the 1000’s of covers of this tune by many greats, this is my fave. The intermingled alto sax is stunning. The last minute (outro) is pure gold.

Does anybody know the alto sax soloist? It might be Red Holloway but I’m not sure.