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 Got The Feelin'
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, baby
I got the feelin'
You don't know what you do to me
People are heavy, down in misery
Hey, yeah, alright
Hey, hey, good lord
I got the feelin', alright
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby
I got the feelin' baby
Baby, sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down
My heart, I'm around the town
I'm level with the ground
Baby, I said level with the ground
Well baby, you treat me, you treat me bad
No, no, I know no
No you don't mean it now
Sometimes I roam
But, I'll be coming back home
Sometimes, I seem to be fly
I just don't know when to say bye bye
Hey baby
Baby, I got that feelin' baby
I have it, alright
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, I'm on now
Come on now
Oh, oh, oh
In this song, James Brown sings about the feeling he gets from a woman, whom he addresses as "baby." He starts off with the repetition of "I got the feelin'," which suggests that he is overwhelmed by this emotion that he's feeling. He then goes on to sing about how this woman makes him feel, which is a mixture of "up" and "down" emotions. Sometimes he's "up" and sometimes he's "down," but he can't help but feel like he's always "around the town." He then addresses the fact that the woman he's singing to sometimes treats him badly. Yet, despite the bad treatment, he still feels like he can't let go of her.
Brown's incredible vocals and the catchy tune of this song create an upbeat and happy mood. But when you listen closely to the lyrics, you can tell that there's something deeper going on. Brown is clearly struggling with his emotions and the unpredictable nature of his relationship with this woman. Despite this, he can't resist the feeling she gives him, and he keeps coming back for more.
Overall, "I Got The Feelin'" is a classic example of James Brown's soulful style. It's a song that manages to be both light-hearted and deep at the same time. It's no wonder that it's still a popular tune today!
Line by Line Meaning
I got the feelin'
I am experiencing a strong emotion
Baby, baby
An affectionate term of endearment
You don't know what you do to me
Your actions have a profound effect on me
People are heavy, down in misery
Others are weighed down by sadness
Hey, yeah, alright
An enthusiastic expression of agreement
Hey, hey, good lord
An exclamation or plea to a higher power
I got the feelin', alright
I am still feeling strong emotions
Baby, baby, baby
A continued expression of affectionate endearment
Baby, sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down
I experience fluctuating emotions
My heart, I'm around the town
My emotions are all over the place
I'm level with the ground
I am feeling stable and grounded
Baby, I said level with the ground
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Well baby, you treat me, you treat me bad
Your actions towards me are negative
No, no, I know no
A firm rejection of something
No you don't mean it now
Your actions are not genuine
Sometimes I roam
I occasionally wander away
But, I'll be coming back home
I will return to my starting point
Sometimes, I seem to be fly
I experience moments of euphoria
I just don't know when to say bye bye
I have difficulty letting go of certain things
Come on now
An invitation to act or start something
Oh, oh, oh
An expression of excitement and enthusiasm
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind