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.
Strung Out
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's got to be, it's got to be that way, yes it does
Because it's true, oh, oh yeah, it's true
That I'm strung out, strung out on you, on you
Alright, if you say one, just tell me, boy
I'm gonna start walkin' and if you say talk
Tell me I'm gonna open my mouth and start talkin', boy
I'm strung out, well, oh yeah, I'm strung out on you
Oh ha, on you, baby, on you, on you
You, you, you, you, you
Yeah, now listen, I was in such a romance, hey, hey
And I stopped off in Paris, France, yes I did
It was a whole lot of people knew me, oh yeah
But don't you know, don't you know that wouldn't do me, no, no, no, no
And I stopped off in Spain, everything, everything remains the same
I just needed you, needed you, you, you, talkin' about you
I just needed you, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby
If you say, walk, darlin', I'll put on my best shoes and start walkin'
Hey, and I dare you to tell me to talk, all day and all night
I'm gonna be talkin', 'cause I'm strung out and well
I'm strung out on you, I'm strung out, strung out, baby, on you
Strung out on you, you, you, you, oh yeah, yeah
My goodness, I got a Jones, baby
Well, well, well, now listen now, now
Oh bay, oh yeah, well, well, now listen
I went to the family doctor, yes I did
And he used everything he had, yes he did
And he said, "Etta, your case is so sad, it's so sad"
You, you, I need you, I need you, you, you, you
Oh baby, I need you, I need you like the bees need the flowers
And like the trees need the sunshine
And I need only the one that I'm strung out, strung out on you
No, it's you, you, you, oh yeah, strung out on you
The Etta James song "Strung Out" is about a woman who is so in love with a man that she is addicted to him. She is willing to do whatever he says and feels like she can't live without him. She uses the phrase "strung out" to describe her intense feelings for him, which is a term that is typically used to describe drug addiction. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "strung out on you," emphasizing the theme of dependency.
The verses of the song further drive home the point of the singer's dependency on her lover. She is willing to do anything he says, whether it's walking or talking. She talks about her travels to Paris and Spain, but notes that nothing can compare to her need for her lover. The bridge of the song features the singer talking about her desperation to be with her lover, using flowery language to describe her need for him.
Overall, "Strung Out" is a powerful love song that drives home the feeling of addiction that can come with being in a relationship. The song emphasizes the intense emotional response that can come with love, and it showcases Etta James's powerhouse vocals.
Line by Line Meaning
I will do whatever you say
I am willing to obey your every command
It's got to be, it's got to be that way, yes it does
I understand that it's necessary to follow your instructions
Because it's true, oh, oh yeah, it's true
I trust that what you say is genuine and accurate
That I'm strung out, strung out on you, on you
I am hopelessly addicted to your presence and affection
Alright, if you say one, just tell me, boy
I am waiting for your next command or request
I'm gonna start walkin' and if you say talk
I will initiate the action you specify, whether it be walking or speaking
Tell me I'm gonna open my mouth and start talkin', boy
I am ready to comply with whatever you direct me to do
I'm strung out, well, oh yeah, I'm strung out on you
I am deeply and irrevocably in love with you
Oh ha, on you, baby, on you, on you
My intense feelings are focused solely on you
You, you, you, you, you
You are the only one who truly matters to me
Yeah, now listen, I was in such a romance, hey, hey
I was previously involved in a serious relationship
And I stopped off in Paris, France, yes I did
I went to Paris for a brief period of time
It was a whole lot of people knew me, oh yeah
I had a considerable amount of popularity and recognition
But don't you know, don't you know that wouldn't do me, no, no, no, no
Despite my notoriety, I found myself unfulfilled and unhappy
And I stopped off in Spain, everything, everything remains the same
My feelings did not change even when I traveled to Spain
I just needed you, needed you, you, you, talkin' about you
My strong desire for you is unwavering and persistent
I just needed you, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby
I crave your love and affection deeply, like nothing else
If you say, walk, darlin', I'll put on my best shoes and start walkin'
I am always ready and willing to do your bidding
Hey, and I dare you to tell me to talk, all day and all night
I would not mind spending all my time talking, as long as it's with you
I'm gonna be talkin', 'cause I'm strung out and well
I am comfortable expressing my feelings for you, since I am so devoted to you
I'm strung out on you, I'm strung out, strung out, baby, on you
I am completely and utterly infatuated with you
Strung out on you, you, you, you, oh yeah, yeah
My longing for your love is all-consuming and unrelenting
My goodness, I got a Jones, baby
My attraction to you is so intense, it's like an addiction
Well, well, well, now listen now, now
I am eager and attentive to hear what you have to say
Oh bay, oh yeah, well, well, now listen
I am paying close attention, as I am always interested in hearing from you
I went to the family doctor, yes I did
I sought out medical help for my excessive devotion to you
And he used everything he had, yes he did
The doctor employed all his expertise and knowledge in treating me
And he said, "Etta, your case is so sad, it's so sad"
The doctor expressed pity and concern about my emotional state
You, you, I need you, I need you, you, you, you
You are the only person I require for my emotional well-being
Oh baby, I need you, I need you like the bees need the flowers
I long for you constantly, like bees rely on flowers for sustenance
And like the trees need the sunshine
Your presence is as essential to me as the sunshine is to plant growth
And I need only the one that I'm strung out, strung out on you
You are the only person who can satisfy my emotional needs, since I am completely in love with you
No, it's you, you, you, oh yeah, strung out on you
My obsession and love for you are all-encompassing and unending
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHNNY GUITAR WATSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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.