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)
It's Christmas Time -
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How you feeling, brother
(Feeling good)
You feel good
How you feel, man
(I feel alright)
I don't want no people
To know you're in here
How you feeling, brother
Hey, jam, sure getting down
Lookie here, ha
We're gonna have a
Funky good time
We're gonna have a
Funky good time
We're gonna have a
Funky good time
We're gonna have a
Funky good time
Now, take em up, Fred
We gotta take you higher
All right, gonna do it again
You wanna do it again
We gotta take you higher
Brother (yeah)
Now I want everybody to
Let Fred blow about two chords
(Mumbling) alright
I wanna get that fella
With the little horn over there
Fred, can you take us higher
(Yeah) take us higher
Fred, Fred, Fred
You know what
When I hear a groove like this
It say I got to take you higher
Yeah, baby, yeah, yeah
Like way up wonder
Lookie here
Someone got a groove like this
You know, you know, know
I need the grit, got the grit
Wanna eat, got to get
Need to get, go to grit
Now, Fred, you know
Hey, Fred Thomas, brother
I'm getting ready to
Wave y'all in
Know what, I feel so down
I need to get down
In order for me to get down
I got to get in deep
In order for me to get down
I got to get in deep
Need to get in deep
Down deep, down deep
Get on down
You like these
Think about making the big M
Lookie here, lookie there
You see over there
You better sing one word for us
What we gotta do
We gotta have a
Funky good time, oh, yeah
We gotta have a
Funky good time, oh, yeah
I didn't know you
Were singing, Fred
We gotta have a
Funky good time
We gotta have a
Funky good time
We gotta take you higher
Wait a minute, now
Who you say that was over there
Familiar looking cat
I know I seen him somewhere
Is that Maceo
He's doing everything over there
Maceo, is it who
Maceo, you know like
Maceo, won't you blow
Oh, yeah, Maceo
The lyrics to James Brown's song "Doing It to Death" are a call and response between Brown and his band, asking how everyone is feeling, and anticipating an energetic and funky performance. The lyrics are interchangeable and spontaneous, and they give a sense of the band's camaraderie and sense of improvisation. The song is a celebration of Black musicianship and the power of music to uplift and unite people.
The chorus, "We're gonna have a funky good time" is repeated throughout the song and serves as a unifying theme. Brown urges his band to "take us higher" and "get down deep" in order to fully immerse themselves in the music. He also nods to Maceo Parker, the celebrated saxophonist who played in Brown's band, asking him to "blow." The song showcases the band's virtuosity and ability to improvise on the fly, making it a classic example of the funk genre.
Overall, "Doing It to Death" is a quintessentially funky song that highlights the power of music to bring people together and inspire them to move their bodies.
Line by Line Meaning
Hit it
Begin the music
How you feeling, brother
Asking someone how they are
(Feeling good)
Answering that the person is doing well
You feel good
Confirming that they are happy
How you feel, man
Asking someone else how they're doing
(I feel alright)
Responding with the assurance that things are fine
I won't call your name
Keeping someone's identity safe or private
I don't want no people
Expressing a desire for confidentiality
To know you're in here
To keep someone's presence anonymous
Hey, jam, sure getting down
Acknowledging the fun atmosphere
Lookie here, ha
Showing enthusiasm or excitement
We're gonna have a
Expressing desire for
Funky good time
An enjoyable, funky experience
Now, take em up, Fred
Encouraging someone named Fred to increase the excitement level
We gotta take you higher
The desire to increase the energy level
All right, gonna do it again
Stating the intention to repeat the exciting moment
You wanna do it again
Asking if everyone is interested in doing it again
Brother (yeah)
Greeting a friend, acknowledging a relationship
Now I want everybody to
Requesting everyone's attention
Let Fred blow about two chords
Asking Fred to play a couple of chords on his horn
(Mumbling) alright
Giving encouraging but unclear words
I wanna get that fella
Referring to someone in the group
With the little horn over there
Describing the person's instrument
Fred, can you take us higher
Asking Fred to play even more excitingly
(Yeah) take us higher
Agreeing excitedly with the request
You know what
Starting a thought or suggestion
When I hear a groove like this
Referring to the music being played
It say I got to take you higher
It creates a desire to increase the excitement level
Yeah, baby, yeah, yeah
Expressing enthusiasm and agreement
Like way up wonder
Refers to an ultimate level of enjoyment
Lookie here
Expression of a unique or exciting discovery
Someone got a groove like this
Referring to the music being played
You know, you know, know
Affirming the agreement
I need the grit, got the grit
Referring to the necessary ingredients for something enjoyable
Wanna eat, got to get
Referring to wanting to achieve something
Need to get, go to grit
Referring to the requirement of working for something
Now, Fred, you know
Referring to someone named Fred
Hey, Fred Thomas, brother
Friendly greeting with someone else's name
I'm getting ready to
Referring to impending action
Wave y'all in
Waving to invite everyone to participate
Know what, I feel so down
Referring to an unsatisfying mood
I need to get down
In order to fix or resolve something
In order for me to get down
In order to achieve or accomplish something
I got to get in deep
In order to achieve or accomplish something
Need to get in deep
In order to achieve or accomplish something
Down deep, down deep
Referring to a great depth or seriousness
Get on down
Encouraging people to continue dancing
You like these
Referring to the music being played
Think about making the big M
Encouraging people to make a big commotion or impact
Lookie here, lookie there
Referring to excitement in discovering something
You see over there
Referring to something being pointed out in the area
You better sing one word for us
Requesting a vocal participation from someone else
What we gotta do
Referring to instructions or requirements
We gotta have a
Something that is necessary
Funky good time, oh, yeah
An enjoyable and fun-filled moment
I didn't know you
Implies a lack of knowledge
Were singing, Fred
Acknowledging that someone named Fred is participating vocally
Wait a minute, now
Stopping the current action to get everyone's attention
Who you say that was over there
Requesting information about someone or something
Familiar looking cat
Describing the person being pointed at
I know I seen him somewhere
Recalling a similar memory
Is that Maceo
Identifying the person being pointed at
He's doing everything over there
Referring to an individual's participatory actions
Maceo, is it who
Asking about the identity of a person
Maceo, you know like
Referring to Maceo in a familiar fashion
Maceo, won't you blow
Requesting for Maceo to play his horn
Oh, yeah, Maceo
Acknowledging and welcoming Maceo's participation
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind