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)
Money Won't Change You
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Done take your money, I don't care no more
I know you're happy, try to get along
Money won't change you
Money won't change you
Money won't change you
But time will take you on
If everybody had once been hurt
Then you know how it mean to be treated like dirt
Go ahead, baby, tell the world
That you're my woman and my only girl
Money won't change you
Money won't change you
I said, "Money won't change you
But time will take you on"
I [Incomprehensible] you're happy
[Incomprehensible] know you're happy
And now you're gone
Money won't change you
Money won't change you, mama
Money won't change you
I said, "Money won't change you
But time will take you on"
Lookie here, lookie here
Look here
I said, "One time, one time"
Oh, yeah, hold out, hold out
Hold out, hold it, slow it down, hold on
Get it, get it, get it, get it
Get it, get it, get it, get it
Get it, get it, get it, get it
Get it, get it
Get on up, get on up
Get on up, get on up
Come on, baby
Come on, baby
Everybody stand up
Everybody stand up
Raise your hands
Raise your hands
The song "Money Won't Change You" by James Brown is a classic R&B narrative about a lover leaving and taking their money with them. The song is layered with messages about human emotions and relationships, creating a commentary about how money can't solve everything. The repetition of the chorus line "Money won't change you" emphasizes the message that money doesn't make the person and that time will eventually take its toll.
The first verse sung by Brown states that his lover has left, taking her money with her, and he doesn't care anymore. He knows his lover is happy and wishes her well, but he emphasizes that money won't change her. In the second verse, Brown explains how he's been treated badly and that if everyone else had gone through this too, they would understand. He then asks his lover to tell the world that she is his woman and his only girl. The song ends with an upbeat tempo and calls for everyone to dance and raise their hands.
Line by Line Meaning
Told me, darling, that you had to go
You mentioned that you had to leave me and move on.
Done take your money, I don't care no more
You can leave with your money, and I won't be bothered anymore.
I know you're happy, try to get along
I am aware that you found happiness, and I urge you to carry on with your life.
Money won't change you
Material possessions can't change one's character or identity.
Money won't change you
The value of currency cannot transform a person's inner being.
Money won't change you
Wealth is not a factor that will redefine someone.
But time will take you on
With time, life will move on, and changes will occur naturally.
If everybody had once been hurt
If everyone had experienced emotional pain at least once in their life,
Then you know how it mean to be treated like dirt
You would understand the feeling of being disrespected and rejected.
Go ahead, baby, tell the world
Feel free to announce to the world that you are mine.
That you're my woman and my only girl
Declare that you belong to me, and I am the only one for you.
I [Incomprehensible] you're happy
I am not sure what you are saying, but I understand that you are content.
[Incomprehensible] know you're happy
I don't know what your words mean, but I recognize that you are satisfied.
And now you're gone
You have left my life, and I have to accept it.
Money won't change you
Material wealth cannot modify your true self.
Money won't change you, mama
Mama, money cannot alter the essence of who you are.
Money won't change you
Regardless of how much money you acquire, you remain the same person.
I said, "Money won't change you
I stated earlier; wealth can't alter your true character.
But time will take you on
However, time grants us the opportunity to evolve and transform.
I said, "One time, one time"
I am emphasizing this point once again.
Oh, yeah, hold out, hold out
Don't give up, persevere even when things get hard.
Hold out, hold it, slow it down, hold on
Be patient, take it slowly, and persevere even when things are slow or challenging.
Get it, get it, get it, get it
Go for it, strive to achieve your goals.
Get on up, get on up
Rise above, aim higher, and soar.
Come on, baby
You can do it, come on.
Everybody stand up
Everyone should rise from their seats.
Raise your hands
Lift your hands up in triumph or agreement.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Brown, Nat Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind