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)
Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Hi everybody, this is James Brown
This is a very, very unusual way to come to you
But I gotta start by saying thanks
Thanks for such a wonderful year
To you number two and for all the wonderful things
You know when I look at a beautiful day
I'll say God is there
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
I say it's happy because birds are tweeting
Sun is shining, the wind's blowing the breeze
The leaves are flying, everybody feels nice
Just say, oh God, thanks for all he wonderful things
You even see a little snow sometimes but you know, God only knows
How Christmas is gonna look, so one more time I'll say
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Now let's make our next year be as nice as this year
Now Christmas gotta be the kind of a Christmas
That we remember a long time ago
You remember when everybody used to look forward to it, Santa Claus
You'd wanna know what you gonna have the next day
You couldn't wait until Christmas morning to jump up
But that's the morning you wouldn't go to your table
You go straight to your little sack
Hanging on the mantle over the fireplace
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
You know I just enjoy this and I, I can't really can't find enough words
That would really make me express myself the good feelings that I have
But I wanna say thanks, thanks to God and now
Let's make Christmas the kind of a Christmas that we'd remember
You know, you made Christmas very, very beautiful for me
In my past years but let's make this Christmas beautiful for everybody
The kind of a Christmas that mom, dad, granddad
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
In this song, James Brown urges his audience to make Christmas more meaningful and memorable. He begins the song by expressing his gratitude to his listeners and to God for a wonderful year. Brown highlights how even the smallest things, like a beautiful day, are worth acknowledging and thanking God for. The lyrics are reminiscent of a time when people looked forward to Christmas with excitement and anticipation, eagerly waiting to see what Santa Claus had brought them. Brown is calling for that sense of joy and wonder to be reclaimed during the holiday season. He emphasizes that this year's Christmas should be celebrated with family and loved ones in order to make it meaningful and unforgettable.
Overall, Brown's message in this song is one of appreciation, gratitude, and the importance of creating lasting memories during the holiday season. It speaks to the sentimental and nostalgic aspects of Christmas and how these traditions can bring people together.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's make sure this Christmas has significance and meaning
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's ensure that this Christmas has real and lasting importance
Hi everybody, this is James Brown
Greetings, this is James Brown, addressing all of you
This is a very, very unusual way to come to you
This is a unique and different way for me to communicate with you
But I gotta start by saying thanks
I must begin by expressing my gratitude
Thanks for such a wonderful year
Thank you for making this year such a great one
Not only to you, to God, number one
My appreciation goes not just to you, but to God above all
To you number two and for all the wonderful things
I also want to acknowledge and thank you for all the amazing things
You know when I look at a beautiful day
When I observe a gorgeous day
I'll say God is there
I believe that God played a role in creating this beauty
I say it's happy because birds are tweeting
I describe it as happy due to the pleasant sound of chirping birds
Sun is shining, the wind's blowing the breeze
The sun shines and the breeze blows gently
The leaves are flying, everybody feels nice
Leaves rustle in the breeze, and everyone feels content
Just say, oh God, thanks for all the wonderful things
Simply express gratitude to God for all the blessings
You even see a little snow sometimes but you know, God only knows
There might even be a bit of snow, but only God knows how the holiday will turn out
How Christmas is gonna look, so one more time I'll say
We can't predict how Christmas will be, so I repeat my message
Now let's make our next year be as nice as this year
Let's strive to make next year just as wonderful as this year
Now Christmas gotta be the kind of a Christmas
This Christmas must be like those that we cherished in the past
That we remember a long time ago
The kind we hold dear in our memories
You remember when everybody used to look forward to it, Santa Claus
Remember how we all eagerly awaited Santa Claus on this special day?
You'd wanna know what you gonna have the next day
We were so curious about what gifts we would receive the following day
You couldn't wait until Christmas morning to jump up
We were so eager that we couldn't even sleep, and jumped up early on Christmas morning
But that's the morning you wouldn't go to your table
But instead of rushing to breakfast, we would head straight to our stockings
You go straight to your little sack
We would hurry to the small sack hanging on the fireplace mantle
Hanging on the mantle over the fireplace
The sack dangled from the mantlepiece above the fireplace
You know I just enjoy this and I, I can't really can't find enough words
I truly enjoy this holiday, and can't express how much enough
That would really make me express myself the good feelings that I have
I can't find the right words to convey all the positive emotions I'm experiencing
But I wanna say thanks, thanks to God and now
But I want to thank God, and express gratitude once again
You know, you made Christmas very, very beautiful for me
You made this holiday really special for me
In my past years but let's make this Christmas beautiful for everybody
In the past, you've made my Christmas special, but let's aim to do the same for everyone this year
The kind of a Christmas that mom, dad, granddad
The type of holiday that moms, dads, and grandparents will cherish
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's ensure that this Christmas has real and lasting importance
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's make sure this Christmas has significance and meaning
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's ensure that this Christmas has real and lasting importance
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's make sure this Christmas has significance and meaning
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's ensure that this Christmas has real and lasting importance
Let's make this Christmas mean something this year
Let's make sure this Christmas has significance and meaning
Lyrics ยฉ Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mr. Allie
Love how James Brown talks and breaks it down. And the screams set it off! Perfectly performed!!!
JVLeroy
My history teacher played songs like this around the holidays. Best damn teacher I ever had. I'll never forget. So Mr. Johnson if you're reading this, Merry Christmas! โ๐๐ ๐ฒ
mrstanbmw
James was and still is a Giant and will be forever in the Black Community, He was our voice. RIP Brotha Brown.
Glenda Bowen
TRUE DAT๐ฏ
Joyce Doull
He inspired me too. I'll always love him.
Rob Jones
JB died exactly ten years on Xmas Day.
This is one of his most heartfelt tracks he ever recorded.
What a magnificent tribute to a fantastic vocalist and performer.
Tablesaw
2020 ! We're all in this together. Need this song now more than ever.
Sylvia White
Absolutely love this song I look forward to listening to it every holiday
Allen Williams
No Christmas song ever went straight to my heart, gut, and Soul like that one...Namaste
iv1908
Best Christmas song! Love revisiting this with my parents and my newborn son! Very special time indeed... #Christmas2019