Due to legal difficulties between Clinton and Revilot, The Parliaments' label, the name was abandoned in favor of Funkadelic, which consisted of the same group of people (that is, both the former Parliaments and their back-up band, now both combined in the name "Funkadelic"). The group signed to Westbound in 1968.
The group's self-titled debut album, Funkadelic, was released in 1970. The credits listed organist Mickey Atkins plus Clinton, Fulwood, Hazel, Nelson and Ross, though the actual recording also included several uncredited sessionmen then employed by Motown, as well as Ray Monette (of Rare Earth) and Bernie Worrell.
Bernie Worrell was officially credited starting with Funkadelic's second album, 1970's Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow, thus beginning a long collaboration between Worrell and Clinton (who had been friends for quite a while). Worrell would go on to produce many Parliament and Funkadelic albums, as well as play keyboard on albums by other members of P Funk.
After the release of Maggot Brain in 1971, Bootsy Collins and Catfish Collins joined the group. The brothers would go on to become major contributors to the P Funk sound. In 1972, this new line-up released America Eats Its Young, but many members left the group after that, due to internal squabbles, plus Hazel spending a year in jail for drug possession and assault and Tawl Ross experiencing a bad LSD trip and/or speed overdose, while Billy Bass quit due to financial concerns. Michael Hampton, a seventeen-year-old guitar prodigy, replaced Hazel.
1975 brought Funkadelic to Warner Brothers, and saw the release of Hardcore Jollies in 1976. The same year, Westbound released a compilation of archived tracks titled Tales of Kidd Funkadelic, which did significantly better than Hardcore Jollies and included "Undisco Kidd", a R&B Top 30 single. In 1977, Westbound capitalized on the success of Tales of Kidd Funkadelic by releasing The Best of the Early Years. Funkadelic recorded and released its magnum opus, One Nation Under a Groove in 1978. The title track spent six weeks at #1 on the R&B charts, while Parliament was enjoying success with "Flash Light" and "Aqua Boogie."
As the 1980s wore on, legal difficulties arising from the multiple names used by multiple groups, as well as a shakeup among Parliament's record label, Parliament and Funkadelic disintegrated. George Clinton recorded several solo albums (sometimes under the name George Clinton & the P-Funk Allstars).
Filmmaker Yvonne Smith of Berkeley, California-based Firelight Media produced Funkadelic: One Nation Under a Groove, a full-length documentary about the groundbreaking group, which aired on PBS in 2005.
ALSO......
Though it often took a back chair to its sister group Parliament, Funkadelic furthered the notions of black rock begun by Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, blending elements of '60s psychedelia and blues plus the deep groove of soul and funk. The band pursued album statements of social/political commentary while Parliament stayed in the funk singles format, but Funkadelic nevertheless paralleled the more commercial artist's success, especially in the late '70s when the interplay between bands moved the Funkadelic sound closer to a unified P-Funk style.
In the grand soul tradition of a backing band playing support before the star takes the stage, Funkadelic began life supporting George Clinton's doo wop group, the Parliaments. After having performed for almost ten years, the Parliaments had added a rhythm section in 1964 -- for tours and background work -- consisting of guitarist Frankie Boyce, his brother Richard on bass, and drummer Langston Booth; two years later, the trio enlisted in the Army. By mid-1967, Clinton had recruited a new backing band, including his old friend Billy "Bass" Nelson (born January 28, 1951, Plainfield, NJ) and guitarist Eddie Hazel (born April 10, 1950, Brooklyn, NY). After several temporary replacements on drums and keyboards, the addition of rhythm guitarist Lucius "Tawl" Ross (born October 5, 1948, Wagram, NC) and drummer Ramon "Tiki" Fulwood (born May 23, 1944, Philadelphia, PA) completed the lineup.
The Parliaments recorded several hits during 1967, but trouble with the Revilot label backed Clinton into a corner. He hit upon the idea of deserting the Parliaments' name and instead recording their backing group, with the added vocal "contributions" of the former Parliaments -- same band, different name. Billy Nelson suggested the title Funkadelic, to reflect the members' increased inspiration from LSD and psychedelic culture. Clinton formed the Funkadelic label in mid-1968 but then signed the group to Detroit's Westbound label several months later.
Released in 1970, Funkadelic's self-titled debut album listed only producer Clinton and the five members of Funkadelic -- Hazel, Nelson, Fulwood, and Ross plus organist Mickey Atkins -- but also included all the former Parliaments plus several Motown sessionmen and Rare Earth's Ray Monette. Keyboard player Bernie Worrell also appeared on the album uncredited, even though his picture was included on the inner sleeve with the rest of the band.
Worrell (born April 19, 1944, Long Beach, NJ) was finally credited on the second Funkadelic album (1970's Free Your Mind...and Your A** Will Follow). He and Clinton had known each other since the early '60s, and Worrell soon became the most crucial cog in the P-Funk machine, working on arrangements and production for most later Parliament/Funkadelic releases. His strict upbringing and classical training (at the New England Conservatory and Juilliard), as well as the boom in synthesizer technology during the early '70s, gave him the tools to create the horn arrangements and jazz fusion-inspired synth runs that later trademarked the P-Funk sound. Just after the release of their third album, Maggot Brain, P-Funk added yet another big contributor, Bootsy Collins. The throbbing bass line of Collins (born October 26, 1951, Cincinnati, OH) had previously been featured in James Brown's backing band, the J.B.'s (along with his brother, guitarist Catfish Collins). Bootsy and Catfish were playing in a Detroit band in 1972 when George Clinton saw and hired them.
The Clinton/Worrell/Collins lineup premiered on 1972's America Eats Its Young, but soon after its release several original members left the camp. Eddie Hazel spent a year in jail after a combination drug possession/assault conviction, Tawl Ross left the band for medical reasons relating to an overdose of LSD and speed, and Bill Nelson quit after more financial quarrels with Clinton. Funkadelic hired teenaged guitar sensation Michael Hampton as a replacement, but both Hazel and Nelson would return for several later P-Funk releases.
Funkadelic moved to Warner Bros. in 1975 and delivered its major-label debut, Hardcore Jollies, one year later to lackluster sales and reviews. The same year, Westbound raided its vaults and countered with Tales of Kidd Funkadelic. Ironically, the album did better than Hardcore Jollies and included an R&B Top 30 single, "Undisco Kidd." In 1977, Westbound released The Best of the Early Years while Funkadelic recorded what became its masterpiece (and arguably the best P-Funk release ever), 1978's One Nation Under a Groove.
During the most successful year in Parliament/Funkadelic history, Parliament hit the charts first with "Flash Light," P-Funk's first R&B number one. "Aqua Boogie" would hit number one as well late in the year, but Funkadelic's title track to One Nation Under a Groove spent six weeks at the top spot on the R&B charts during the summer. The album, which reflected a growing consistency in styles between Parliament and Funkadelic, became the first Funkadelic LP to reach platinum (the same year that Parliament's Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome did the same). In 1979, Funkadelic's "(Not Just) Knee Deep" hit number one as well, and its album (Uncle Jam Wants You) reached gold status.
At just the point that Funkadelic appeared to be at the top of its powers, the band began to unravel. As is sometimes the case, commercial success began to dissolve several old friendships. In 1977, original Parliaments members Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, and Grady Thomas had left the P-Funk organization to record on their own. In early 1981, they hit the R&B charts with a single called "Connections and Disconnections," recorded as Funkadelic. To confuse matters more, the original Funkadelic appeared on the charts at the same time, with the title track to The Electric Spanking of War Babies.
During 1980, Clinton began to be weighed down by legal difficulties arising from Polygram's acquisition of Parliament's label, Casablanca. Jettisoning both the Parliament and Funkadelic names (but not the musicians), Clinton began his solo career with 1982's Computer Games. He and many former Parliament/Funkadelic members continued to tour and record throughout the '80s as the P-Funk All Stars, but the decade's disdain of everything to do with the '70s resulted in critical and commercial neglect for the world's biggest funk band, especially one which in part had spawned the sound of disco. During the early '90s, the rise of funk-inspired rap (courtesy of Digital Underground, Dr. Dre, and Warren G.) and funk rock (Primus and Red Hot Chili Peppers) re-established the status of Clinton & co., one of the most important forces in the recent history of black music. ~ John Bush, Rovi
We Hurt Too
Funkadelic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah, la da da, la da da da-da
Just because it's said
That a man is not
Supposed to cry (supposed to cry)
Just because we conceal
What we feel
Oh, why don't they realize
That it's just a disguise
To hide the way that we feel
We hurt too
This is true
Why don't they
See through this
Pretending happiness
There are ?
And when they say good bye
We will drown only inside
By those same little tears
Oh, they know this is true
That
He made me and he made you
This is true
We hurt too
We hurt too
There is no difference
We're just like you
It's the same laughing and crying
Loving and dying
So remember every day
As you pass along life's way
What I said to you
That because you see no tears
It's not happiness I feel
When you say we're through
Oh, that you find
?
I feel ??
Th?
This is true
We hurt too
This is true
The song "We Hurt Too" by Funkadelic speaks about the societal pressure that forces men to conceal their emotions and not show vulnerability. The song starts off by stating that men are not supposed to cry even though they too experience emotions such as pain and sorrow. The lyrics go on to highlight how men are forced to put up a facade of happiness when they are actually sad and hurting inside. The song questions why others fail to recognise that this is a hidden truth, and that men hurt too.
The second half of the song speaks about how men, like everybody else, experience the same emotions of happiness, sadness, love, and grief. It highlights the universality of human emotion and how everyone, regardless of gender or any other differentiation, experiences the same sentiments. The ending of the song is particularly powerful as it explicitly calls out the society's failure to empathize with men's pain and how it leads to isolation and loneliness.
Overall, "We Hurt Too" is a powerful commentary on societal norms that dictate the way men have to portray their emotions publicly. It highlights the importance of empathy and understanding, and urges listeners to recognise that men too feel pain and sorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
La da da da-da
An introductory sound that sets the mood for the song.
Ah, la da da, la da da da-da
Another introductory sound that complements the first one.
Just because it's said
The statement that follows is about a belief that people hold.
That a man is not
The belief is about what men should not do.
Supposed to cry (supposed to cry)
The belief is that men should not cry.
Just because we conceal
The next lines explain what men actually do, despite the belief.
What we feel
Men hide their emotions.
When we hurt deep down inside
Men hide their pain, even when it goes deep within them.
Oh, why don't they realize
The singer wonders why people can't see beyond the disguise.
That it's just a disguise
The singer reiterates that men's behavior is a façade.
To hide the way that we feel
Men hide their emotions deep inside and don't let anyone know how they feel.
We hurt too
Despite what people believe, men hurt too.
This is true
The singer reaffirms the previous statement, emphasizing its truth.
Why don't they
The singer wonders why people can't see through the façade.
See through this
The façade is so convincing that people can't see what's truly happening.
Pretending happiness
Men pretend to be happy when they are really feeling sad.
There are ?
The next lines suggest that something specific is happening, but it is not clear what it is.
And when they say good bye
The singer talks about a specific scenario where men experience hurt.
We will drown only inside
Men's pain is internal, but it is no less real for that.
By those same little tears
The tears that men shed are not insignificant, even if they are not seen by others.
Oh, they know this is true
The singer suggests that people already know these things but choose to ignore them.
That
The follow-up describes the thing that people know to be true.
He made me and he made you
Everyone experiences pain, regardless of gender, and this is a fact of life.
This is true
The singer reaffirms the previous statement, emphasizing its truth.
We hurt too
Men's hurt is universal and not unique to any individual man.
We hurt too
The singer repeats this line to drive home the point.
There is no difference
Men and women are fundamentally the same and experience pain equally.
We're just like you
The singer is trying to reach out to the audience and establish a connection.
It's the same laughing and crying
Men's emotions are the same as women's emotions.
Loving and dying
Men experience the same emotions and struggles as women when it comes to love and death.
So remember every day
The singer wants the audience to take away a lesson from the song.
As you pass along life's way
The audience is encouraged to keep this in mind as they go through their daily lives.
What I said to you
The singer wants the audience to remember the message of the song.
That because you see no tears
The singer explains a common misconception about men's emotions.
It's not happiness I feel
Men may look happy on the surface, but that doesn't mean they are.
When you say we're through
The singer describes a particular scenario where men may feel hurt.
Oh, that you find
It is unclear what the singer is referring to with this line.
?
It is unclear what the singer is referring to with this line.
Th?
It is unclear what the singer is referring to with this line.
This is true
The singer repeats this line to emphasize a point.
We hurt too
The song's main message is reaffirmed one last time.
This is true
The song's main message is once again emphasized.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CLARENCE HASKIN, GEORGE S CLINTON, GRADY THOMAS, HASKIN CLARENCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind