James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American entert… Read Full Bio ↴James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American entertainer, record producer, and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honorific nicknames "the Hardest Working Man in Show Business", "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and "Soul Brother No. 1". In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction in New York on January 23, 1986.

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 Unite The Whole World At Christmas
James Brown Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If a bell could ring
And make the whole world sing
I wish you'd understand
This happiness is at hand

If a carol could rhyme
And make the darkness shine
Let's celebrate with a chime

And let the whole world unite at Christmastime

Now, lookit here
I can see the point of having a real swinging joint
With plenty of happy faces filling the air

Can we learn to love
So we don't have to worry
No hate
All good for all sisters and brothers

If a bell could ring
And make the whole world sing
Let's unite the whole world at Christmastime

I can see the point of having a real swinging joint
With plenty of happy faces filling the air

But look
Can we learn to love
So we don't have to worry
No hate
All good for all sisters and brothers

If a bell could ring
And make the whole world sing
Let's unite the whole wide world at Christmastime

If a bell could ring

Let the whole wide world sing
If a bell could ring...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to James Brown's "Let's Unite The Whole World At Christmas" convey a message of hope and unity during the holiday season. The song begins with the idea that if a bell could ring and make the whole world sing, everyone would understand that happiness is within reach. The idea of a ringing bell symbolizes a call to action for people to come together and celebrate, and the joy that this unity can bring.

The second verse continues the theme of coming together with the mention of carols that can make the darkness shine. The idea here is that even during difficult times, the holiday season can bring warmth and light to the world. The lyrics then call for a celebration with a chime, and suggest that the whole world can unite at Christmastime.

The third verse takes a more practical approach to achieving this unity, with James Brown suggesting that a real "swinging joint" with happy faces is needed to bring people together. He then poses the question of whether we can learn to love each other so that hate and worry disappear, and all people can be good to each other as sisters and brothers. The song ends on a hopeful note, reiterating the idea that if a bell could ring and bring everyone together, the whole world could unite at Christmastime.

Overall, "Let's Unite The Whole World At Christmas" presents a powerful message of hope and unity, reminding us that even in difficult times, the holiday season can bring people together in joy and love.

Let's Unite The Whole World At ChristmasJames Brown Lyrics

Let's Unite The Whole World At Christmas
James Brown Lyrics