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)
Get On
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dun' got wise
Of the way you do it
Dun' got wise
Of the way you do it
If I keep loving you
My life would be ruined
Of your running 'round, uh
Dun' got hip, lookie here
To your running 'round
But do you know one thing?
I'm gonna put you down
Oh, get it together
Get it together, lookie here
Get it together, get it together
You said that you wanted
A brand new bag
You said you wanted
Lookie here, a brand new bag
But you, you were just jiving
You wanted to feel dragged
You dropped out of school
Before you got it down
You hear me?
You dropped out of school
Before you got it down
Now you ain't hip
You're the biggest fool in town
Oh, get it together, unh
Get it together, get it together
Get it together, oh, mix it y'all
Do the underdog
Get on a log
Do the underdog
Get on a log
Get it, get it, sock it to 'em
Sock it to 'em
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Good God, one more time
One more time now
One more time
Now lookie here, maybe y'all
Let me tell 'em 'bout this little bit
Let me tell 'em 'bout this little bit
You may dance good
You may have fast feet
You may dance good
You may have fast feet
But you ain't slick
Your business is in the street
Now lookie here, mix it y'all
Bring it down but I want you to blow
Lemme hear you, uh, get
All right now, come on, oww, oh no
Sometime, sometime
Sometime, sometime
In James Brown's song Get It Together, the singer has become wise to the way his lover operates, and it’s not working for him. He’s hip to her running around and playing games with him. He knows that if he keeps loving her, it'll ruin his life. But he's still trying to get her to "get it together." He tells her that she may dance good and have fast feet, but she's not slick; her business is in the street. Brown uses the lyrics to describe the relationship, which has gone sour, and the singer is trying to get the partner back on track before things get worse.
The lyrics of the song are about a relationship that has gone sour as the woman is playing games with her partner. The man is tired of her lies but still wants her to change her ways. He sees through her ulterior motives and tells her that she is not as slick as she thinks; her business is in the street. Throughout the song, the singer is trying to get the partner back on track before things get worse.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh whee!
Expressing excitement, enthusiasm, or approval.
Dun' got wise
I have become aware or knowledgeable.
Of the way you do it
Of the manner or method in which you behave or act.
If I keep loving you
Continuing to love or have affection for you may be detrimental to me.
My life would be ruined
It would have a significant negative impact or effect on my life.
I dun' got hip, uh
I have become aware or knowledgeable.
Of your running 'round, uh
Of the act of you frequently engaging in activities outside of our relationship.
But do you know one thing?
A rhetorical question asked to prepare the listener for a statement or accusation.
I'm gonna put you down
I am going to end our relationship or stop engaging with you in the same way.
Oh, get it together
An exhortation to focus or concentrate on solving a problem or improving a situation.
Get it together, lookie here
An exhortation to focus or concentrate on solving a problem or improving a situation.
You said that you wanted
An acknowledgement of a previous statement or explanation.
A brand new bag
A new or different approach or philosophy.
But you, you were just jiving
An accusation of insincerity or dishonesty.
You wanted to feel dragged
You were interested in being part of something despite its potential negative effects.
You dropped out of school
You stopped attending school or education prematurely.
Before you got it down
Before you could fully understand or benefit from that education.
Now you ain't hip
You are not aware or knowledgeable.
You're the biggest fool in town
You are exceptionally unwise or foolish.
Oh, mix it y'all
An invitation to combine or blend various elements or ideas.
Do the underdog
A suggestion to perform a specific dance or activity.
Get on a log
A suggestion to perform a specific dance or activity.
Get it, get it, sock it to 'em
An exhortation to perform at one's best or demonstrate skill or ability.
Hey, hey, hey, hey
An exclamation of enthusiasm or approval.
Good God, one more time
An exclamation of excitement or anticipation.
Now lookie here, maybe y'all
Attention or address to the audience or listeners.
Let me tell 'em 'bout this little bit
An indication of a forthcoming statement or explanation.
You may dance good
An acknowledgement of skill or ability in a particular area.
You may have fast feet
An acknowledgement of physical prowess or agility.
But you ain't slick
An accusation of insincerity or dishonesty.
Your business is in the street
Your personal problems or issues are publicly known or visible.
Bring it down but I want you to blow
An instruction to reduce the volume or intensity of the music while maintaining a certain energy or passion.
Lemme hear you, uh, get
An exhortation to the band or audience to continue playing or dancing with enthusiasm.
All right now, come on, oww, oh no
An exclamation of excitement, urgency, or passion.
Sometime, sometime
An expression of uncertainty or ambiguity.
Sometime, sometime
An expression of uncertainty or ambiguity.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES BROWN, ALFRED JAMES ELLIS, BUDDY J. HOBGOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Germz760
great song,one of the greatest of all time! R.I.P James! stay on the scene up there brother!
marylain69
I sing this to my grandmother. She needs to have care everyday now, and in the morning she doesn't wanna get out of bed, so I start singing some James Brown to her and she gets out of bed.
James Howlett
amazing
gayle2020
That is so sweet. Play it for her sometime, she probably grooved off of it in her day :)
Alex M
Grandma's gotta know who's the boss.
Ryan Cepin
Mairylain69 your a sweetheart. ;)
Alyssa
God I love this song! Classic!
naluboii808
Got the best break beats in his songs, RIP
moretomonica
I'm going to use this song to wake my brother every morning haha
Chris Gonzalez
this is like my motivation music!!