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)
Jam
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby please, baby please, please me (You don't have to go)
Baby please, baby please don't go (You don't have to go)
Don't go, I said baby, don't baby
I love you so (You don't have to go)
Baby, you know you broke my heart when you went away (You don't have to go)
I said, I said, I said I'll see you some other day (You don't have to go)
Don't go, no baby, no baby
I love you so (You don't have to go)
Take this pain from my heart
Baby, let me take you by the hand (You don't have to go)
Baby, baby let me, let me be your lover man (You don't have to go)
Baby please, baby please don't go (You don't have to go)
Don't go, I said baby, don't baby
I love you so (You don't have to go)
Please, please, please, please me (You don't have to go)
Baby please, baby please, please me (You don't have to go)
Baby please, baby please don't go (You don't have to go)
Don't go, I said baby, don't baby
I love you so (You don't have to go)
Please please me
The lyrics in James Brown's song "Jam" are a plea to a lover not to leave. The repetition of the phrase "please, please, please" emphasizes the desperation and urgency of the singer's request. The words "you don't have to go" are repeated throughout the song, suggesting that the lover may feel like they have no other choice. The singer expresses his love and devotion, asking the lover to stay with him and be his "lover man." He also acknowledges that the lover's departure has caused him pain and heartache.
The emotional intensity of the song is conveyed not only through the lyrics but also through the music. The rhythm is fast and energetic, with horns and drums driving the beat. At times, the instruments seem to be competing with the vocals for attention, adding to the sense of urgency.
It's interesting to note that "Jam" was originally released as the B-side to Brown's hit single "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" in 1965. While it was not as commercially successful as the A-side, it became a favorite among fans and has been covered by several other artists.
Line by Line Meaning
Please, please, please, please me (You don't have to go)
The singer is pleading for their loved one to stay and not leave them.
Baby please, baby please, please me (You don't have to go)
The singer is begging their loved one to stay and not go.
Baby please, baby please don't go (You don't have to go)
The singer is desperately asking their loved one to stay and not leave them alone.
Don't go, I said baby, don't baby
The singer is repeating their plea for their loved one to stay and not leave.
I love you so (You don't have to go)
The singer is expressing their deep feelings of love for their loved one and how much they don't want them to leave.
Baby, you know you broke my heart when you went away (You don't have to go)
The singer is telling their loved one how much it hurt them when they left.
I said, I said, I said I'll see you some other day (You don't have to go)
The singer is promising to see their loved one again if they stay.
Take this pain from my heart
The singer is pleading for their loved one to stay and remove the emotional pain of their departure.
Baby, let me take you by the hand (You don't have to go)
The singer is asking their loved one to hold their hand and not leave.
Baby, baby let me, let me be your lover man (You don't have to go)
The singer is offering to love and take care of their loved one if they stay.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: VELEZ, MONICA/GUERRA, FERNANDO/DE LA VEGA, LUNANO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind