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)
Make It Funky Part 1
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bobby, I don't know but whats it ever I play
Its got to be funky!
Yeah!
One-two-three
(Make it funky) huh!
(Make it funky) I got-ta
(Make it funky)
Tell me it is
(Make it funky)
So it is
(Make it funky)
Got to do it now
(Make it funky)
I got to do it now
(Make it funky)
Oh yes!
(Make it funky)
Oh yes I got-ta (make it funky)
I got the need to (make it funky)
I want ta say now (make it funky)
Oh yes I got to do it now
(Make it funky)
Oh yes I got-ta do it now
(Make it funky)
The drum beat (make it funky)
Got-ta hear the drum beat (make it funky)
Funky with the beat (make it funky)
The beat (make it funky)
Ha! (make it funky)
Good Lord! (make it funky)
Aint it nice ha-ha-ha (make it funky)
Good Lord!(make it funky)
Take me home! (make it funky)
To the bridge (make it funky)
So funky I can't help it!
Neck bones-candy yams-turnips
Its for the snake!
Its for the snake!
Drift straight
Crackin bread, ha ha
The lyrics of James Brown's song 'Make it Funky Part 1' refer to the importance of funk music in the context of the African-American community. The opening dialogue between James Brown and Bobby Byrd highlights the need for the music to be funky because funk represents a unique and important aspect of black culture. Brown emphasizes the importance of the drumbeat, as it is the core of any funk tune. In the following lines, he repeats the phrase "make it funky" several times, which emphasizes the urgency with which he approaches the creation of music. He continues to speak about the importance of the beat and the instruments used in funk, urging the musicians to "get down" and produce a sound that is "so funky I can't help it!"
This song emphasizes the importance of funk music and the African-American musical tradition. Brown's funky, repetitive beats and his calls to "make it funky" made the song an instant hit in the genre, and it also inspired numerous other musicians to experiment with this type of music. The song emphasizes the importance of the drumbeat, which anchors the entire song, as well as the other instruments and musicians who contribute to the overall sound, highlighting the collaborative nature of music-making. Overall, the lyrics of 'Make it Funky Part 1' underline the significance of funk music in preserving black culture and heritage.
Line by Line Meaning
What you gonna play now?
What type of music are you going to play next?
Bobby, I don't know but what's it ever I play. It's got to be funky!
I am not sure what music I will play, but it is essential that it is funky.
Yeah!
I agree!
One-two-three
A countdown before starting the music.
(Make it funky) (Make it funky) huh! (Make it funky) I got-ta (Make it funky) Tell me it is (Make it funky) So it is (Make it funky) Got to do it now (Make it funky) I got to do it now (Make it funky) Oh yes! (Make it funky)
The repetition of the phrase 'make it funky' stresses the need to make the music funky, urgent and immediate.
Oh yes, I got-ta (make it funky) I got the need to (make it funky) I want ta say now (make it funky) Oh yes, I got to do it now. (Make it funky) Oh yes, I got-ta do it now (Make it funky)
The artist expresses the desire to make the music funky and emphasizes the immediate action needed to do so.
The drum beat (make it funky) Got-ta hear the drum beat (make it funky) Funky with the beat (make it funky) The beat (make it funky) Ha! (make it funky) Good Lord! (make it funky) Ain't it nice ha-ha-ha (make it funky) Good Lord! (make it funky) Take me home! (make it funky) To the bridge (make it funky)
The artist is highlighting the importance of a funky drumbeat and urges everyone to make the music more funky. The reference to 'the bridge' is an indication that the song is about to transition into a different section.
So funky I can't help it!
The artist is exclaiming that the music is so funky that it is impossible not to dance to it.
Neck bones-candy yams-turnips It's for the snake! It's for the snake!
These lyrics are a reference to a traditional Southern US meal, but the 'snake' mentioned could also be a metaphorical snake in the grass. The artist may be warning listeners against the dangers of complacency or evil intentions lurking beneath the surface.
Drift straight Crackin bread, ha ha
The ending lyrics are nonsensical and may be intended to add a humorous element to the song and encourage listeners to have fun and enjoy themselves.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dontribblet8768
NO HIP HOP WITHOUT THIS BROTHER HEAR, Y'ALL BETTER RECOGNIZE !!! YEAH !!
@edcavanna576
Too funky. My parents walked out to this track at my wedding. I’ve come from good stock!
@DoeRecompense
Listening to this makes your day better. You'll have an ugly look on your face but you can't help it because James Brown is "MAKING IT FUNKY!!!"
@mocancer8485
That's a fact
@perk2997
12 minutes and 51 seconds of pure unadulterated Funk. How in the world do a 1000 people dislike this song. That is totally mind blowing. There is none greater the Mr Brown. He influenced them all from Michael, to Rick, to Prince not to mention George, Bootsy and P Funk. There should be some kinda penalty for disliking this. RIP GOAT. You changed music forever.
@stilodrom
let´s send those thumb down assholes to North Korea
@noniway8013
Omg always loved the horns. Man I was blessed growing up with this jazzy funk.
@mocancer8485
Noni Way Aint this jam great with tbose
@JamesWilliams-yx2ze
The Greatest Innovator in the history of music itself, THE LATE GREAT JAMES BROWN!!!!
@geraldjackson263
This song gets me up out of a bad day and into the funk, imma 80s baby idk where I would be without the funky good music