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)
I Don't Know
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't mind your love
I don't mind the one
You're thinking of
But I know, I know
You're going to miss me
I don't mind
Your lovesick soul
I don't mind your
Care growin' cold
But I know, I know
You're going to miss me
I don't mind
This is all my song
I don't mind
Goodbye, so long
But I know, I know
You're going to miss me
Goodbye, so long
I don't mind
The lyrics to James Brown's song "I Don't Know" are a poignant meditation on lost connections and fading memories. The opening verse is addressed to the singer's brother, who apparently lives near the ocean and finds solace in its calming presence. The sky is falling and heaven is unknown, but the brother takes comfort in the fact that the clouds were never alone, perhaps implying that he is not alone in his struggles either. The second verse is addressed to the singer's lover, who sleeps by the music and breathes in his air. Despite the comforting presence of music and love, the people are saying that the lost must be strong. The lover's ears are ringing with the man of a song, who may be a reference to the singer himself. The chorus then asks the haunting question, "Will I remember your name?" without providing an answer. The final verse is addressed to the singer's mother, who gave him his name and brown hair. The man next to him says he's Moses in black, perhaps meaning that he is a spiritual leader or guide. The whole world is sad now, so the singer is going back, perhaps implying that he is returning to his roots, both literally and figuratively.
Overall, the lyrics to "I Don't Know" convey a sense of uncertainty and loss, but also a glimmer of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. The song suggests that even when memories fade and connections are lost, there is still something enduring and meaningful that can be clung to.
Line by Line Meaning
Send my regards
Greetings to my loved ones.
To my brother down there.
To my sibling, who may be in a difficult place.
He walks by the ocean,
He seeks solace by the sea.
The pain disappears.
His troubles subside in this peaceful environment.
The sky is now falling,
The world is in chaos.
Heaven's unknown.
Uncertainty about what comes after life.
And you find that
Realization dawns.
The clouds were never alone. -singing
Difficult times are universal.
To my lover down there.
To the person I love in the midst of challenges.
She sleeps by the music,
She finds peace in melodies.
She breathes in my air.
I am her source of comfort.
The people are saying,
Others offer encouragement.
The lost must be strong.
Those facing adversity must persevere.
But her ears are now ringing,
She's hearing a different message.
Her man of a song.
Her lover is the source of comfort, just as music can be.
Will I remember your name?
Will you be significant in my memory?
I don't know.
It's difficult to predict the future.
To my mother down there.
Greetings to the one who birthed me.
She gave me my name
I am who I am because of her.
And my brown-colored hair.
Physical attributes that are a part of me.
The man to my says
The person I'm talking to claims.
He's Moses in black.
He's a leader and a symbol of hope, like the biblical prophet.
And the whole world is sad now,
The state of the planet is grim.
So I'm going back. -singing
I'm returning to where I come from.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID FAULKNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RhodeRunner440
The world needs more James brown right bout now
goodkawz
Hearing it now I’m thinkin’ Lots more of JB’s stuff should have been mainstream R&R top 40 hits !
Michael Burton
@Steve yes, yes, yes i agree🎤
Steve
As great as you and I think of his songs, his music was outside the norm for the 50s in America.
FUNNYMAN ERICWHITE
Awesome 🔥
Lynn Walker
My favorite James Brown song of all time.
Patrick Bradley
I am a former member of the James Brown production
byron washington
This is one of the songs from there first sessions and of course Please Please Please, I definitely can tell they were just starting out and James hadn't gained full control.The back ground harmonies were not on point they were not hitting the proper notes but they had to start off somewhere Lol.
Richard Leonard
This is why I loved James.
Capt Larry -
Here we hear the Gospel Roots of The Famous Flames.. clearly.