an American jazz, funk, blues and j… Read Full Bio ↴(September 11, 1955 - July 25, 2008)
an American jazz, funk, blues and jazz fusion guitarist.
Died on July 25, 2008 from complications related to throat cancer.
Over the course of his career, from his mid ‘70s run with The Brecker Brothers to his various stints as a “hired gun” for everyone from Gil Evans and David Sanborn to Billy Joel and James Brown, Hiram Bullock earned his reputation as a bona fide guitar hero. But all along, Hiram has also been developing his skills as a singer/songwriter and charismatic live performer. His style is not easily categorized, since his playing is a creative blend of rock, funk, blues, and jazz. It is easy to say, however, that his music is fun !
Hiram Bullock was born in Osaka, Japan and came to America at the age of 2. As a child, he studied piano at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland, playing his first recital at the age of 6. He learned to play the saxophone at age 11, and began playing the bass guitar in junior high school rock bands as a teenager. He switched to guitar at age 16, admittedly “to meet more girls”. Hiram attended the University of Miami music school, where he studied with Pat Metheny and Jaco Pastorius, and where he met many of the musicians that he would play with throughout his professional career. One of his steady nightclub gigs was with the singer Phyllis Hyman, and this eventually led him to New York.
Almost immediately after arriving in the Big Apple, Hiram’s international career began. He first played with David Sanborn, meeting producer Phil Ramone and playing on many gold and platinum albums. His credits include: The Brecker Brothers, David Sanborn, Paul Simon, Chaka Khan, Pete Townsend, Bob James, Sting, James Brown, Miles Davis, Kenny Loggins, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, Burt Bacharach, Roberta Flack, Spyro Gyra, Eric Clapton, Al Green and James Taylor. He has worked with many others; a full discography can be found on the discography page of this website.
Hiram gained a huge following as the barefoot guitar player on Late Night with David Letterman. From the inception of the show until 1984, he was a regular member of the World’s Most Dangerous Band, led by Paul Shaffer. Other television work includes being a member of the house band on Saturday Night Live, and working as the musical director on David Sanborn’s critically acclaimed Night Music show. He was also seen acting the part of a musician in Under Siege (starring Steven Segal); he wrote 6 of the internal songs in the film.
Hiram’s career as a solo artist began in 1983. He has produced all of his albums, which include many of his own songs. His albums span many different genres of music, from the contemporary jazz of “From All Sides” to the rock of “World of Collision”; from the latin-influenced “Carrasco” to the organ-trio jazz of “Late Night Talk”. The style that Hiram’s fans have come to expect in live performances is exemplified by the group-oriented funky rock of “Color Me”, and continued with “Try Livin’ It” and his latest release, “Too Funky 2 Ignore”. He is also known as a dynamic performer, who gives his all for the sake of the show.
Got To Give It Up
Hiram Bullock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'cause I was too nervous to really get down.
But my body yearned to be free.
I got up on the floor, boy,
so somebody could choose me.
No more standin' upside the wall.
I have got myself together, baby,
now I'm havin' a ball.
somebody watchin' might wanna make romance.
Move your body, move baby, and dance all night,
To the groovin', I feel all right.
Havin' a party, ooh, invite all your friends;
But if you see me stop by, let me in.
Baby, just party all night long.
Let me slip into your erotic zone.
(We heard that!)
Move it up,
Turn it around, ooh, shake it down
Ooh, you can bump me when you want to, babe.
This is such a groovy party, baby.
Dancin' face to face and everybody's screamin'
this is such a groovy place.
All the young ladies are so fine.
You're movin' your body leaves me no doubt;
know what you're thinkin', baby, you want to turn me out.
Think I'm gonna let you do it?
Keep on dancin' oh, Keep on dancin' oh.
Ooh, look so good, yeah, keep on dancin'
Oh, now sugar, got to give it up.
Keep on dancin', gotta give it up.
Keep on dancin' . . . . .
The lyrics to Hiram Bullock's song "Got to Give It Up" describe the experience of the singer at a party, reflecting on their memories of feeling too nervous to dance and stand by the wall. However, the singer's body yearns to be free and to dance, and they eventually do so once they feel more confident. As the song progresses, the singer invites listeners to dance and party all night long and to keep on dancing. The lyrics also suggest the possibility of romantic connections forming through dancing and physical contact.
Overall, this song celebrates the joy and liberation of dancing, and encourages listeners to let loose and enjoy themselves. The lyrics also convey a sense of community and togetherness, with everyone at the party dancing and having a good time.
Interestingly, "Got to Give It Up" was also the title of a song by Marvin Gaye that was released in 1977. There have been legal disputes over whether or not Hiram Bullock's song refers to and samples from Marvin Gaye's song. Despite these controversies, "Got to Give It Up" has become a popular and beloved song in its own right, and has been covered by a number of different artists.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to go out to parties and stand around;
In the past, I would go to parties and just stand around because I was too nervous to dance.
'cause I was too nervous to really get down.
The reason I didn't dance was because I was too nervous and self-conscious.
But my body yearned to be free.
Despite my nerves, my body really wanted to be able to express itself through dancing.
I got up on the floor, boy,
I eventually overcame my nerves and started to dance on the dance floor.
so somebody could choose me.
I wanted to dance with someone else and be chosen to dance together.
No more standin' upside the wall.
I stopped standing against the wall and started dancing on the dance floor.
I have got myself together, baby,
I gained the confidence to start dancing without feeling self-conscious or nervous anymore.
now I'm havin' a ball.
I'm now really enjoying dancing and having a lot of fun.
Long as you're groovin' theres' always a chance
As long as you're dancing, there's a possibility that someone might be watching you and wanting to dance with you.
somebody watchin' might wanna make romance.
Someone might be attracted to you and want to initiate a romantic encounter with you.
Move your body, move baby, and dance all night,
You should move your body and dance all night long to the beat and rhythm of the music.
To the groovin', I feel all right.
When I dance to the music, I feel really good and happy.
Havin' a party, ooh, invite all your friends;
We're throwing a party and you should invite all of your friends to come and dance with us.
But if you see me stop by, let me in.
If you see me outside, please let me into the party.
Baby, just party all night long.
Let's dance and party together all night long.
Let me slip into your erotic zone.
I want to become intimately involved with you and be close to you in a sexual sense.
(We heard that!)
The people around us heard what I just said and are reacting to it.
Move it up,
Let's step up the dancing and partying energy.
Turn it around, ooh, shake it down
Let's really get into the groove and shake our bodies to the rhythm.
Ooh, you can bump me when you want to, babe.
You can dance and bump into me whenever you want because I'm into you.
This is such a groovy party, baby.
This is a really cool and awesome party that we're at.
Dancin' face to face and everybody's screamin'
We're dancing with each other face to face and everyone around us is cheering and excited.
this is such a groovy place.
This party is definitely the place to be because it's so fun and happening.
All the young ladies are so fine.
All of the young women at the party are really attractive and beautiful.
You're movin' your body leaves me no doubt;
The way you're dancing and moving your body is really turning me on and making me sure of my feelings for you.
know what you're thinkin', baby, you want to turn me out.
I can tell what you're thinking and that you want to have sex with me and make me feel pleasure.
Think I'm gonna let you do it?
Do you really think I'm just going to let you use me for your own pleasure?
Keep on dancin' oh, Keep on dancin' oh.
Keep dancing and partying all night long, don't stop.
Ooh, look so good, yeah, keep on dancin'.
We look really good when we're dancing and having fun, so let's keep doing it.
Oh, now sugar, got to give it up.
I have to let go and give in to our intense sexual attraction before it becomes too much to handle.
Keep on dancin', gotta give it up.
We should keep dancing and enjoying ourselves, but we also need to acknowledge and give in to our sexual desires.
Keep on dancin' . . . . .
Let's keep on dancing and enjoying ourselves all night long.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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