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.
Wallflower
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To make you love me too?
You've got to roll with me, Henry (alright, baby)
Roll with me, Henry (don't mean maybe)
Roll with me, Henry (any old time)
Roll with me, Henry (don't change my mind)
Roll with me, Henry (alright)
Roll on, roll on, roll on
While the cats are ballin'
You better stop your stallin'
Its intermission in a minute
So you better get with it
Roll with me, Henry
You better roll it while the rollin' is on
Roll on, roll on, roll on
Oh, oh, ooh-wee
Henry, you ain't movin' me
You better feel that boogie beat
And get the lead out of your feet
Roll with me, Henry
Roll with me, Henry
Roll with me, Henry
Roll with me, Henry
Roll with me, Henry
You better roll it while the rollin' is on
Roll on, roll on, roll on
Roll on
Roll with me, Henry
Alright, baby
Well, I ain't teasin' (talk to me, baby)
You better stop your freezin' (alright, mama)
If you want romancin' (okay, sugar)
You better learn some dancin' (mm, mm)
Roll with me, Henry (alright)
You better roll it while the rollin' is on
Roll on, roll on, roll on
Roll with me, Henry (alright, baby)
Roll with me, Henry (don't mean maybe)
Roll with me, Henry (any old time)
Roll with me, Henry (don't change my mind)
Roll with me, Henry (alright)
You better roll it while the rollin' is on
Roll with me, Henry (alright, baby)
Roll with me, Henry (alright, baby)
Oh, oh, Henry (oh, mama)
Roll with me, Henry (mm, mm)
Roll with me, Henry
In Etta James's song "Roll with Me Henry" (also known as "The Wallflower"), the lyrics show a woman urging her partner to join her on the dancefloor. She pleads with him to roll with her and not waste any time because there's a party going on, and he's just standing there. The song is full of energy with repetitive beats and catchy lyrics that are perfect for a dance party.
The lyrics evoke a sense of urgency in the woman's desire to dance, almost like she's saying "if you love me, come and dance with me." She's pleading with her partner to feel the music and just let go. She tells him to stop stalling because the intermission is near and the party will be over before they know it.
One of the most interesting parts of the song is the history behind its creation. "Roll with Me Henry" was written by Johnny Otis, Hank Ballard, and Etta James (under her real name Jamesetta Hawkins). The song was originally called "Wallflower," but because that had already been used by two other songs, the artists changed the name. The song was also later covered by other artists like The Platters, The Righteous Brothers, and Cher.
Overall, "Roll with Me Henry" is an energetic, upbeat song that showcases Etta James's incredible vocals and the songwriting talents of three legendary artists. The lyrics are a call to let loose, dance, and enjoy life while we can. It's a song that still gets people moving today, decades after its initial release.
Line by Line Meaning
(Hey Baby, What do I have to do,)
Asking for advice on how to spark love in the other person.
(To make you love me too,)
Expressing the desire for mutual love.
You've got to roll with me Henry;
To cultivate a successful relationship, one must be willing to take risks and make a commitment.
(Alright baby)
Encouraging the partner to be enthusiastic and engaged in the relationship.
Roll with me Henry;
Reiterating the importance of taking risks and making a commitment.
(Don't mean maybe)
Emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
Roll with me Henry;
Once again urging the partner to take a chance.
(Any ole time)
Assuring the partner that the relationship is worth investing in at any moment.
Roll with me Henry;
Encouraging the partner once again to take action.
(Don't change my mind)
Reiterating the commitment to the relationship and not wanting to be convinced otherwise.
Roll with me Henry;
Once again urging the partner to take a risk and make a commitment.
You better roll it while the rollin' is on
Advising the partner that opportunities may not last forever and to seize the moment.
While the cats are ballin,
Taking advantage of the party atmosphere and lively mood to create a fun and exciting relationship.
You better stop your stallin,
Encouraging the partner to take action and not hesitate out of fear or indecision.
It's intermission in a minute,
Pointing out that there is limited time before a break, so act now.
So you better get with it,
Motivating the partner to take advantage of the moment and not waste it.
Roll with me Henry,
Urging the partner once again to take a chance and commit to the relationship.
You better roll it while the rollin' is on
Once again pointing out the urgency of taking action while opportunity still exists.
Ooh, ooh, ooh ooh wee,
Expressing a playful and flirtatious mood.
Henry, you ain't movin me,
Challenging the partner to take action and make a move to show his commitment.
You better feel that boogie beat,
Encouraging the partner to get into the same fun and lively mood to create excitement in the relationship.
And get the lead out of your feet,
Encouraging the partner to take action and not hesitate.
Well I ain't teasin'
Asserting that she is serious and committed to the relationship.
(Talk to me baby)
Encouraging communication and openness in the relationship.
You better stop your freezin'
Encouraging the partner to take action and overcome any fear or hesitation.
(All right, mama)
Acknowledging the partner's willingness to commit and take action.
If you want romancin'
Making it clear that romance and commitment are expected in the relationship.
(Okay sugar)
Acknowledging the partner's agreement and commitment to the relationship.
You better learn some dancin'
Encouraging the partner to put effort into the relationship and show commitment.
(Mmm-hmm mm-hmm)
Expressing approval and agreement with the partner's actions.
Roll with me Henry,
Urging the partner once again to commit and take action in the relationship.
(All right mama)
Acknowledging the partner's agreement and commitment to the relationship.
You better roll it while the rollin' is on,
Once again pointing out the urgency of taking action while opportunity still exists.
Roll on, roll on, roll on.
Emphasizing the importance of taking action and committing fully to the relationship.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hank Ballard, Etta James, Johnny Otis
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.