Evelyn King was born on July 1, 1960, in New York, New York, and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is one of eight children. Her uncle Avon Long had played the part of Sportin' Life in the first Broadway revival of Porgy and Bess and worked with Lena Horne at the Cotton Club. Her father sang back-up for groups at Harlem's Apollo Theater. Her mother managed a group called Quality Red.
King was discovered as a young woman while working with her mother at Philadelphia International Records as an office cleaner. Producer Theodore T. Life overheard her singing in a washroom and began coaching her. She was eventually signed to a production deal with Life's Galaxy Productions and a recording contract with RCA Records.[5]
In 1990, King married smooth jazz guitarist Freddie Fox. In 1997, she lost three family members to various illnesses. In 1987 her daughter Johnniea was born with brain damage and other health problems, dying two years later.[6]
Career
Action
Evelyn "Champagne" King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Talk like yours will knock most any girl right off her feet
When will you deliver, words can't warm my night
Conversation's nice, but I need a man to hold me tight
Some days you just don't have to say it, say it, say it, say it, say it
'Cause sometimes words get in the way
So don't give me your lines
I want action
Oh, so tough
Action
If you really want my love
Like the way you think, the way you speak your mind
You want to get together, well, that suits me just fine
You call me up to tell me the things you'd like to do
You and I got time for love, but never follow through
You set me up, oh, so tough, so tough, so tough, so tough
Now I'm cravin' your love
It's time to show your head
I want to see action
Show me the real deal face to face, oh
Action
Got to know if you can keep up the pace
Don't say one thing and do another
Don't put yourself in the middle of a mine field and then run for cover
Action
It's your move
Action
Put it into action, let's see what you can do
Action
Action
Action, action, action, action, action, action, action, action
'Cause everybody needs love
And I want action
I'm all talked out
Action
Tell me what you're all about
They say that action speaks louder than words
Now tell me, are you gonna go for what you know
Or stand there lookin' absurd
Action
It's up to you, got to put it into
Action
Got to follow through, uh, huh, uh
Can't control temptation, much to my surprise
You're drivin' me crazy, I can't help but speak my mind
I'm so fascinated, you're makin' me come alive
So come on now, baby, I wanna be with you tonight
Action
It's up to you
You know what I wanna do
I'm all talked out
Tell me what you're all about
Ah...
Action
It's up to you
Action
You know what I wanna do
Action
I'm all talked out
Action
Tell me what you're all about
Action, action, action, action, action, action, action, act
"Action" by Evelyn "Champagne" King is a song about a woman who is tired of empty promises from her partner, and she wants him to back up his words with actions. She wants her man to take real steps towards building their relationship instead of just talking about it. The woman feels that talk is cheap and she wants to see some tangible effort from him. The lyrics suggest that the woman is looking for a committed, involved partner who is serious about building a future together.
The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song as it reveals the woman's frustration with empty promises. The second verse paints a picture of a man who talks a big game but never follows through. The chorus is a call for action, which the woman believes will demonstrate sincerity on the man's part. The bridge reinforces the idea that action speaks louder than words, and that the woman is looking for a partner who can follow through on his promises.
Line by Line Meaning
You make many promises, and they sound so sweet
You tell me everything I want to hear and it seems too good to be true
Talk like yours will knock most any girl right off her feet
Your charming speech can convince anyone to fall for you
When will you deliver, words can't warm my night
I need more than just empty promises to feel loved and satisfied
Conversation's nice, but I need a man to hold me tight
Talking is great, but physical affection is what truly makes me happy
Some days you just don't have to say it, say it, say it, say it, say it
Sometimes actions speak louder than words and you don't need to keep reminding me with empty promises
'Cause sometimes words get in the way
Your excessive talking can actually hinder us from making progress
So don't give me your lines
Stop trying to convince me with your smooth talking without any follow through
I want action
I'm tired of just hearing promises and I want you to actually follow through with your words
Oh, so tough
You make yourself seem so strong and reliable, but actions speak louder than words
If you really want my love
If you truly want my affection, you'll need to back up your words with action
Like the way you think, the way you speak your mind
I admire your opinions and your ability to express yourself
You want to get together, well, that suits me just fine
I'm interested in spending time with you too
You call me up to tell me the things you'd like to do
You make plans with me and share your desires, but never follow through
You and I got time for love, but never follow through
We have plenty of opportunities to be together, but you always fall short on delivering
You set me up, oh, so tough, so tough, so tough, so tough
You make yourself seem like a reliable and strong partner, but your actions don't align
Now I'm cravin' your love
I'm starting to desire your affection more and more
It's time to show your head
It's time for you to be honest and true to your words
I want to see action
I don't just want to hear empty promises, I want to see you follow through
Show me the real deal face to face, oh
I want to see your true intentions in person, not just hear about them
Got to know if you can keep up the pace
I need to see if you can match your words with action
Don't say one thing and do another
I need you to be honest and true to your word
Don't put yourself in the middle of a mine field and then run for cover
Don't start something you can't finish and then abandon me when things get hard
It's your move
The ball is in your court, it's up to you to take action
Put it into action, let's see what you can do
I'm ready for you to back up your words with actual deeds
Can't control temptation, much to my surprise
I find myself to be very attracted to you and it's hard to resist
You're drivin' me crazy, I can't help but speak my mind
You're making me feel so intensely that I have to express myself honestly
I'm so fascinated, you're makin' me come alive
You're making me feel so alive and intrigued that I can't help but be drawn to you
Action
I want to see you back up your words with action
You know what I wanna do
I want you to take action and do what you've promised
Contributed by Ruby J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Angela fisher
I don't know why people slept on this song. This is one of her best songs and one of my favorites.
laminage
She was so heavily identified with Disco it was kind of hard to live it down. I live in Canada and they never played her or any other R & B Songs on The Radio.
Robert Cummings
This 1984 hit is still a jam to me and I can still JAM to it in my early 50's! Evelyn is timeless!
Chris Mazelle
Robert Cummings 1983^
laminage
There were so many fantastic Singers like her back in the day but nobody of this Generation knows who she is or Teena Marie. (RIP). Hey did you know that was the name of a Character on The UK Soap Opera Emmerdale. I don't think the Writers realized what they did.
Chris Mazelle
laminage um, I'm 17. Soooo, don't say "this generation" cause there are some People who love the oldies.
laminage
I stand corrected. Many kids have no idea of R & B singers at least the ones I know
Robert Cummings
They need to know all the singers who paved the way for all the news ones It's sad that they never heard of these singers before.
HumanitiesProfessor
This underrated gem charted during the fall of my senior year of high school. My youth beckons. Epic times those were.
Ty Stephens
It's crazy seeing all the dancers I came through with! I remember have a great time making this video with the darling, divine Evelyn. So many faces and hearts to remember and a wonderful experience!! Wow, 1984!! 🎶💕❤🎵😊👍🏼