Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. He first came to national public attention in the mid-1950s as the lead singer of the Famous Flames, a rhythm and blues vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd. With the hit ballads "Please, Please, Please" and "Try Me", Brown built a reputation as a dynamic live performer with the Famous Flames and his backing band, sometimes known as the James Brown Band or the James Brown Orchestra. His success peaked in the 1960s with the live album Live at the Apollo and hit singles such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World".
During the late 1960s, Brown moved from a continuum of blues and gospel-based forms and styles to a profoundly "Africanized" approach to music-making, emphasizing stripped-down interlocking rhythms that influenced the development of funk music. By the early 1970s, Brown had fully established the funk sound after the formation of the J.B.s with records such as "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and "The Payback". He also became noted for songs of social commentary, including the 1968 hit "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud". Brown continued to perform and record until his death from pneumonia in 2006.
Brown recorded 17 singles that reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts. He also holds the record for the most singles listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that did not reach No. 1. Brown was posthumously inducted into the first class of the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013 as an artist and then in 2017 as a songwriter. He also received honors from several other institutions, including inductions into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In Joel Whitburn's analysis of the Billboard R&B charts from 1942 to 2010, Brown is ranked No. 1 in The Top 500 Artists. He is ranked seventh on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown
Studio albums
Please Please Please (1958)
Try Me! (1959)
Think! (1960)
The Amazing James Brown (1961)
James Brown and His Famous Flames Tour the U.S.A. (1962)
Prisoner of Love (1963)
Grits & Soul (1964)
Showtime (1964)
Out of Sight (1964)
James Brown Plays James Brown Today & Yesterday (1965)
Mighty Instrumentals (1966)
James Brown Plays New Breed (The Boo-Ga-Loo) (1966)
James Brown Sings Christmas Songs (1966)
Handful of Soul (1966)
James Brown Sings Raw Soul (1967)
James Brown Plays the Real Thing (1967)
Cold Sweat (1967)
I Can't Stand Myself When You Touch Me (1968)
I Got the Feelin' (1968)
James Brown Plays Nothing But Soul (1968)
Thinking About Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things (1968)
A Soulful Christmas (1968)
Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud (1969)
Gettin' Down to It (1969)
The Popcorn (1969)
It's a Mother (1969)
Ain't It Funky (1970)
Soul on Top (1970)
It's a New Day - Let a Man Come In (1970)
Hey America (1970)
Sho Is Funky Down Here (1971)
Hot Pants (1971)
There It Is (1972)
Get on the Good Foot (1972)
Black Caesar (1973)
Slaughter's Big Rip-Off (1973)
The Payback (1973)
Hell (1974)
Reality (1974)
Sex Machine Today (1975)
Everybody's Doin' the Hustle & Dead on the Double Bump (1975)
Hot (1976)
Get Up Offa That Thing (1976)
Bodyheat (1976)
Mutha's Nature (1977)
Jam 1980's (1978)
Take a Look at Those Cakes (1978)
The Original Disco Man (1979)
People (1980)
Soul Syndrome (1980)
Nonstop! (1981)
Bring It On! (1983)
Gravity (1986)
I'm Real (1988)
Love Over-Due (1991)
Universal James (1993)
I'm Back (1998)
The Merry Christmas Album (1999)
The Next Step (2002)
Christmas In Heaven
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In heaven
It's here
With you
And darling
Belive me
I don't know, I don't know
Oh Heaven
At Christmas
And it's Christmas
All here
Yes it's Christmas
And Heaven and heaven
Is here
With you
You kiss me
And I hear angels
Singing
The soft night
And winter snow
And the mistletoe
And everything and everything and everything
seems right, right
That heaven
At Christmas
And it's Christmas
All with you
Yes it's Christmas
In Heaven
And heaven
And heaven
is with you
Heaven with you
Whoa!
Heaven with you
Heaven, heaven, heaven
Heaven!
Heaven with you
Heaven...
The lyrics to James Brown's "Christmas in Heaven" express a feeling of joy and contentment that comes with being with a loved one during the holiday season, even if they are no longer alive. Brown sings about how he feels like he is in heaven when he is with this person, and how their kiss makes him feel as though he is surrounded by angels singing. The lyrics are poetic and romantic, and convey a sense of magic and wonder that is often associated with Christmas.
The line "I don't know, I don't know what I do" is particularly poignant, as it suggests that Brown is not sure how he has been able to find happiness during an otherwise difficult time. It could be interpreted as a nod to the fact that Christmas can be a difficult time for many people, especially those who have lost loved ones. Overall, the lyrics to "Christmas in Heaven" are a powerful reminder of the importance of cherishing the time we have with the people we love, both in life and in death.
Line by Line Meaning
It's christmas
It's that time of year when the world celebrates the birth of Christ
In heaven
Among the host of angels and saints living in paradise above
It's here
It's arrived, after a year of waiting, with all the excitement and joy that accompanies it
With you
I feel your presence by my side, comforting me and making every moment special
And darling
My dear one, my love, my cherished companion
Belive me
Take my words to heart, trust what I say
I don't know, I don't know
I have no idea how it's possible for me to experience so much joy while feeling your absence
Oh Heaven
The divine realm, the abode of God and the angels where all our deepest desires are fulfilled
At Christmas
During this festive season, when the world is filled with cheer and merriment
And it's Christmas
And the celebration of the Savior's birth is being observed everywhere, even in heaven
All here
Everything is present, all the decorations, lights, trees and fruits of the season
Yes it's Christmas
Without any doubt, it's a season to be jolly, a time of great delight and happiness
And Heaven and heaven
Not just heaven above, but also the state of perfect happiness and contentment within oneself
Is here
Is fully present, experienced with all our senses and emotions
You kiss me
Your tender loving touch on my lips fills me with immense pleasure and security
And I hear angels
The celestial beings above sing songs of praise and adoration for the Christ Child
Singing
Their harmonious voices resonate through the air, echoing the message of peace and goodwill
The soft night
The calming breeze blowing in the cold, moonlit night, adding to the magic of the season
And winter snow
The white blanket of snow covering the earth, making everything look pure and serene
And the mistletoe
The symbol of love and togetherness, hanging over our heads to indicate the possibility of romance
And everything and everything and everything
All the smallest details and the grandest gestures alike contributing to the atmosphere of joy and happiness
seems right, right
Everything feels perfect, this is the way things should be, this is the essence of Christmas
Heaven
The ultimate destination where all faithful souls go eventually to find eternal rest and glory
In Heaven
Experiencing the wonder of Christmas in that perfect place of bliss, beyond our earthly existence
And heaven
The same heaven that we aspire to reach, present here with us in all its magnificence
And heaven
Repeating the message of the divine presence and its profound effect on our lives
is with you
But above all, I feel your love showering down on me, making me feel like I'm in heaven on earth
Heaven with you
A beautiful, evocative line expressing the idea of experiencing heaven with the person you love
Whoa!
An exclamatory word indicating a sudden burst of emotion and excitement
Heaven with you
Reiterating the central theme of the song, the idea of celebrating Christmas in the company of our beloved ones in the presence of God
Heaven...
A pause, a moment of reflection, an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the present moment
Contributed by Micah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.