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)
Soulpower
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Soul power)
We got to have it
(Soul power)
Know we want it
(Soul power)
Got to have it
(Soul power)
Give it to me
(Soul power)
Hey, you need it
(Soul power)
We want it
(Soul power)
Got to have it
(Soul power)
I wanna get
Under your skin
If I get there
I got to win
You need some soul
Come on and get some
And then you'll know
Where I'm coming from
A man, a man
Unaccompanied can go along
But I'm still on the case
And my rap is strong
Go jump on my train
When I'm outta sight
Just check yourself and say
Yeah, you're right
Hey, hit me
Give it, put it there
Love me tender
Said love me slow
If that don't get it
Go back for more
Love me tender
Love me slow
If that don't get it
Go back for more
Lookie here, you gotta get
In the bracket
You know that I like it
All right
Lookie, all right
A ball on the ground
You gotta get down
Down, down, down, down
A ball on the ground
You gotta get down
Down, down, down, down
Good God
I got the attitude
What you need
(Soul power)
What we want
(Soul power)
I have (soul power)
What we want
(Soul power)
What we missing
(Soul power)
What we missing
(Soul power)
What we want
(Soul power)
What we need
(Soul power)
Hit me
Love me tender
Love me slow
I don't care if you
Come back for more
In the song "Soulpower", James Brown is advocating for the importance of soul music and its power to unite and energize people. The repeated lyrics "Know we need it... Got to have it... We want it" emphasize the urgent desire for this soul power. Brown's goal is to set the listener's soul free and to get them moving to the rhythm of the music.
Brown includes a call-and-response section of the song where he instructs the listener to "get in the bracket" and "get down" to the music. He also uses words like "attitude" and "rap" to signify that soul music is more than just a genre, but rather a way of life and a form of self-expression. Brown wants the listener to understand that soul music can be a powerful force for change.
Overall, "Soulpower" is a message of empowerment and unity through the power of soul music. Brown encourages the listener to embrace their soul and allow themselves to be inspired and energized by it.
Line by Line Meaning
Know we need it
(Soul power)
We are aware that we require soul power for something.
We got to have it
(Soul power)
We must possess soul power for something.
Know we want it
(Soul power)
We acknowledge that we desire soul power for something.
Got to have it
(Soul power)
We must obtain soul power for something.
Give it to me
(Soul power)
Provide me with soul power.
Hey, you need it
(Soul power)
Indicating that another person requires soul power.
We want it
(Soul power)
We desire soul power for something.
I wanna get
Under your skin
If I get there
I got to win
I aim to be close to you, and when that happens, I have to come out victorious.
You need some soul
Come on and get some
And then you'll know
Where I'm coming from
You require some soul power, obtain it, and you will understand my perspective.
A man, a man
Unaccompanied can go along
But I'm still on the case
And my rap is strong
Even an unaccompanied man can progress, but I'm still investigating, and my argument is convincing.
Go jump on my train
When I'm outta sight
Just check yourself and say
Yeah, you're right
Follow my lead once I'm far away, self-analyze and affirm that what I say is correct.
Hey, hit me
Give it, put it there
Love me tender
Said love me slow
If that don't get it
Go back for more
Give me soul power, love me gently, if it's insufficient, come back for more.
Lookie here, you gotta get
In the bracket
You know that I like it
All right
Listen, you need to be included in this category because I prefer it that way.
Lookie, all right
A ball on the ground
You gotta get down
Down, down, down, down
A ball on the ground
You gotta get down
Down, down, down, down
Good God
Hey, listen, there's a ball on the floor, get down and grab it, Good God!
I got the attitude
What you need
(Soul power)
What we want
(Soul power)
I have (soul power)
What we want
(Soul power)
I possess the mindset that's required; what you need and what we want is soul power.
What we missing
(Soul power)
What we missing
(Soul power)
What we want
(Soul power)
What we need
(Soul power)
We're lacking something which is soul power, and it's what we desire and need.
Hit me
Love me tender
Love me slow
I don't care if you
Come back for more
Provide me with soul power, love me gently, and if you want to, come back for more.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ŧħɇ_ǤȺŧø !
Huh!
Know we need it (soul power)
We got to have it (soul power)
Know we want it (soul power)
Got to have it (soul power)
Give it to me (soul power)
Hey, you need it (soul power)
Huh, we want it (soul power)
Got to have it (soul power)
I wanna get
Under your skin
If I get there
I've got to win
You need some soul
Come on and get some
And then you'll know
Where I'm coming from
Huh, a man
A man, they come and go along
But I'm still on the case
And my rap is strong
Huh, ha, hey!
Go jump on my train when I'm outta sight
Just check yourself, ha, and say
Yeah, you're right
Hah!
Hey, hit me
Hah, give it, put it there, hah
Love me tender
Said love me slow
If that don't get it, hah!
Go back for more
Huh, love me tender
Aah, love me slow
If that don't get it
Huh, go back for more
Hey!…
Tadashi Davis
Whoever dislikes this don't know music. Baseline tight, drummer keeping the pulse....Bobby Byrd holding the verse. James Brown polishing it off...just genius. Bridges like this don't hit like this no more....
Angel Chama
I like that Bobby Byrd holding the verse! Awesome!
WP Fay
It doesn’t get better than this. I miss that man and that unbelievable energy he brought to everything.
Al's 125 Pound Weight Loss Journey
James Brown is the root of all music that jams. You can't kill the root cause if you do all good music dies. Long live the greatest to ever do it!
Peter Noakes
This will never age...genius funk track from the master and his genius musicians- no one will ever touch them- pure class raw funk!
Matrix91
I love his voice
Tony Russi
one of the GREATEST records EVER!!
imtweetydiva29
This is the best version I've heard!Love it!👌👍👍👍
Emmanuel Dechanez
Hypnotic bass and addictive song !!! 🌞😃💓💗
Daniel de Souza
Que som🎼🎙Salve James Brown🤴🏿