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.
You Give Me What I Want
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You give me what I want, when I want it, uh-huh
And I give you what you need when you need it, baby, uh-huh, yeah yeah
So pretty baby, wanna thank-you, thank you for it, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Cause you give me what I want, when I want it Daddy, oo
Oh, you give me what I want when I want it, uh-huh
Say you wanna drink let's go down to the bar
Got a sleepy head you can sleep in my bed
Say you want some love, baby take my love now
Make you feel good and you know I know how
Wanna get around I'll go buy you a car
Get you a plane if the distance is far
Say you want some love, baby take my love now
Make you feel good and you know I know how, how!
I know how
You give me what I want, when I want it, uh-huh
Gimme love, baby, gimme love, baby, gimme love
Gimme, gimme, gimme love, oh, oh, oh
You give me what I want, when I want it, yeah baby
Cause I give you what you need when ya need it, yeah, yeah, baby
Say you wanna drink let's go down to the bar
Got a sleepy head you can sleep in my bed
Say you want some love, baby take my love now
Make you feel good and you know I know how
Wanna get around I'll go buy you a car
Get you a plane if the distance is far
Say you want some love, baby take my love now
Make you feel good and you know I know how, how! How, oo, oo, oo!
You give me what I want, when I want it, yeah baby
And I give you, baby what you need, when ya need it, oo
The lyrics to Etta James's song "You Give Me What I Want" are about a relationship built on mutual satisfaction. The singer talks about how her partner gives her what she wants, exactly when she wants it, and in return, she gives him what he needs at the right moment. The opening line reads "You give me what I want when I want it," repeated throughout the song, setting the theme of fulfillment and contentment in the relationship. The singer shows her gratitude to her lover and thanks him for his generosity.
The second verse of the track adds more depth to the lyrics, with the singer offering to buy her partner a car or even a plane if needed. She wants to provide her lover with whatever he desires, and he reciprocates the same for her. The lyrics indicate that the two have a strong bond built on mutual love, care, and fulfilment of each other’s desires. The song shows how a relationship can work when partners fulfill each other's desires and needs.
Overall, "You Give Me What I Want" is a joyful track about an ideal romantic relationship. The lyrics emphasize how mutual love and fulfillment of each other's needs and wishes can make a relationship successful and content.
Line by Line Meaning
You give me what I want, when I want it, uh-huh
You provide me with what I desire, precisely when I ask for it.
And I give you, baby what you need, when ya need it, oo
I reciprocate by catering to your necessities at just the right moment.
So pretty baby, wanna thank-you, thank you for it, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
My darling, I express my gratitude for your kind gesture of satisfying my desires.
Cause you give me what I want, when I want it Daddy, oo
It is due to you fulfilling my wishes at my request, my father figure.
Say you wanna drink let's go down to the bar
Should you desire a beverage, let us reconvene at the tavern.
Got a sleepy head you can sleep in my bed
If you are feeling drowsy, take repose in my sleeping quarters.
Say you want some love, baby take my love now
If you desire an amorous encounter, partake in my affection at present.
Make you feel good and you know I know how
I am well-versed in providing you with pleasure and satisfaction.
Wanna get around I'll go buy you a car
If you wish to travel, I will purchase an automobile for you.
Get you a plane if the distance is far
Should you need to cover a great distance, I will provide you with an aircraft.
Gimme love, baby, gimme love, baby, gimme love
Please provide me with affection, darling. Please provide me with affection, darling. Please provide me with affection.
You give me what I want, when I want it, yeah baby
You consistently provide me with my desired wishes.
Cause I give you what you need when ya need it, yeah, yeah, baby
This is due to my ability to sate your requirements at just the right moment.
Make you feel good and you know I know how, how! How, oo, oo, oo!
I am skilled at providing you with pleasure and satisfaction, and you are well-aware of my prowess in this regard.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TREVOR ANTHONY LAWRENCE, GABRIEL MEKLER
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.