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)
Living In America
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get up, ow
Ow
Knock it out this
Woo
Super highways, coast to coast
Easy to get anywhere
Just slide behind the wheel
How does it feel
When there's no destination that's too far?
And somewhere on the way you might find out who you are, woo
Living in America (ow)
Eye to eye, station to station
Living in America
Hand in hand, across the nation
Living in America
Got to have a celebration
Rock my soul, huh, ow, huh
Smokestack, fatback
Many miles of railroad track
All night radio, keep on runnin'
Through your rock 'n' roll soul
All night diners keep you awake
On black coffee and a hard roll, woo
You might have to walk a fine line (say it)
You might take the hard line
But everybody's workin' overtime
Living in America (huh)
Eye to eye, station to station
Living in America
Hand in hand, across the nation
Living in America
Yeah, got to have a celebration, woo
I (I) live in America
Say it loud
I live in America
Wait a minute
You may not be lookin' for the promised land
But you might find it anyway
Under one of those old familiar names
Like New Orleans (New Orleans), Detroit City (Detroit City)
Dallas, uh (Dallas), Pittsburgh, PA, (Pittsburgh, PA)
New York City (New York City), Kansas City (Kansas City)
Atlanta, woo (Atlanta), Chicago and L.A.
Living in America
Hit me
Living in America, yeah
I walked in and out
Living in America
I live in America
Say it loud, It'll make you proud, uh
Said, I live in America
Hey, I know what it means, ah
Living in America
Eddie Murphy, eat your heart out
To the bridge, ay
Living in America
Hit me
I said now, eye to eye
Station to station
Living in America
Oh, so nice with your bad self (uh)
Living in America
Whoa, I feel good
The lyrics of James Brown's song "Living in America" express the vibe of the country where everything appears to be flourishing, people work long hours, regardless of differences in race, and enjoy everything America has to offer. Brown praises his country for its progress, cleanliness, transportation links, diversity, and freedom. The song highlights the convenience of highways in the United States, which allows people to reach their destinations without any hassle. Moving from one place to another is seen as an adventure to find oneself, where discovering oneself becomes a byproduct. Brown relays that this dream land is a place where you can work hard enough to reclaim what's yours. He emphasizes the value of all kinds of ways of life, including the previously underprivileged African American community. The phrase "I live in America" is repeated many times to emphasize that Brown is proud of where he comes from.
Line by Line Meaning
Super highways, coast to coast
The vast network of well-connected highways across the United States
Easy to get anywhere
It's easy to drive anywhere due to the great highways
On the transcontinental overload
The highways go from one coast to another with heavy traffic
Just slide behind the wheel
The act of getting into a car to drive great distances
How does it feel
Asking how it feels to be on the great American highways
When there's no destination that's too far?
The highways go everywhere you need to go, no matter the distance
And somewhere on the way you might find out who you are, woo
While traveling on these highways, you may learn more about yourself
Living in America (ow)
Celebrating a life in this country
Eye to eye, station to station
People all over the country are connected, regardless of where they are
Hand in hand, across the nation
Everyone in the country sticks together and works together
Got to have a celebration
Celebrating America and being proud to be an American
Smokestack, fatback
Describing the industrial and agricultural sites that make up America
Many miles of railroad track
The trains and railways that transport goods and people across the country
All night radio, keep on runnin'
The non-stop radio stations that keep people entertained and informed all night long
Through your rock 'n' roll soul
Rock and roll music is a quintessential American cultural product
All night diners keep you awake
The diners and restaurants that stay open all night to feed people who are traveling
On black coffee and a hard roll, woo
The traditional American breakfast of coffee and pastries to start the day
You might have to walk a fine line (say it)
Acknowledging that life in America can be difficult and challenging
You might take the hard line
Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions
But everybody's workin' overtime
Everyone is working hard to make America a better place
I (I) live in America
Announcing pride in being an American
Say it loud
Encouraging people to express their pride in being an American
Wait a minute
Pausing for effect or to make a point
You may not be lookin' for the promised land
Acknowledging that not everyone is searching for something more in life
But you might find it anyway
Life can be unpredictable, and you might find something great when you're not even looking for it
Under one of those old familiar names
Alluding to cities that are well-known or have historical significance in America
Like New Orleans (New Orleans), Detroit City (Detroit City)
Examples of famous American cities
Dallas, uh (Dallas), Pittsburgh, PA, (Pittsburgh, PA)
More examples of famous American cities
New York City (New York City), Kansas City (Kansas City)
Even more famous American cities
Atlanta, woo (Atlanta), Chicago and L.A.
Additional famous American cities that people might find themselves in
Hit me
Encouraging people to enjoy the moment and celebrate being in America
Oh, so nice with your bad self (uh)
Complimenting someone for being cool and confident while living in America
Whoa, I feel good
James Brown expressing his own pride and happiness about America
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charlie Midnight, Dan Hartman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Audios2010
Rest in Peace Carl Weathers! I know James is up there introducing you through the gates of heaven!!
@JakeLeslie1986
He was definitely one of the best.
R.I.P 😢🇺🇸🥊
@Dionysos_____Alters
Just found out. So sad. RIP Apollo Creed
@Oneminuteman38
Great actor and always will be a raider
@skysautter8240
Yup
@jasongonzalez6861
Damn Straight! A God among men! The relationship that he had as and with a fictional character moved me!
@VampireFan-rf5kb
RIP to both James Brown and Carl Weathers. 😢😢😢❤️❤️❤️
@dannythomas417
And Burt Young, Tony Burton, Burgess Meredith, and everybody else from the franchise.
@VampireFan-rf5kb
@@dannythomas417 Them too. ❤️😢
@davidbond2025
Amen