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)
Tell Me What You're Gonna Do
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna hold your hand
I wanna love, love
And make you understand
Tell me what you gonna do, hey
And when [Incomprehensible]
Don't cry, sigh
I said, you don't love nobody
And you don't need nobody
You don't want nobody
But you always pickin' on me
Tell me what you gonna do
And when walk you home
You wanna love, love
Then leave me all alone
I said, you don't love nobody
And you don't need nobody
You don't want nobody
But you always pickin' on me
Tell me what you gonna do
And when walk you home
You wanna love, love
Then leave me all alone
In James Brown’s "Tell Me What You’re Gonna Do," the singer is pleading with his lover to be honest about their intentions in the relationship. He asks them to share their plans for the future, which he believes will help him understand what they want from him. Brown croons that he wants to hold their hand and love them, hoping that they will understand that his love is real. However, he senses that they are not completely committed to the relationship, and this lack of transparency is causing frustration and confusion.
Brown implores his lover not to cry or sigh and to never die, perhaps indicating that he sees a future for them if they can communicate honestly. However, he observes that they don't love anybody, need anybody, or want anybody, but they continue to pick on him. The singer is asking for reciprocity and honesty in a relationship that seems to be one-sided, where Brown is the only one putting in the effort. The song ends with Brown lamenting that after walking his lover home, they want to love him and then leave him all alone.
Overall, "Tell Me What You’re Gonna Do" is a song about the challenges of communication and being on the same page in a relationship. Brown’s lyrics touch on themes of love, commitment, and honesty, which are all necessary for a healthy and functional partnership.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me what you gonna do, yeah
The singer wants to know what the person is planning to do
I wanna hold your hand
The singer wants physical contact with the person
I wanna love, love
The singer wants to express deep affection for the person
And make you understand
The artist wants the person to comprehend their feelings
Tell me what you gonna do, hey
Reiteration of the first line
And when [Incomprehensible]
It is unclear what will happen in this situation
Don't cry, sigh
The singer requests that the person does not express sadness or disappointment
Don't ever die
The artist requests that the person does not leave or abandon them
I said, you don't love nobody
The artist accuses the person of not truly loving anyone
And you don't need nobody
The artist accuses the person of not needing anyone's love or support
You don't want nobody
The singer accuses the person of not desiring love or companionship
But you always pickin' on me
The artist feels targeted or harassed by the person despite their lack of interest in others
Tell me what you gonna do
Reiteration of the first line
And when walk you home
When the singer escorts the person home
You wanna love, love
The person desires affection
Then leave me all alone
The person wishes to be alone after receiving affection
Tell me what you gonna do
Reiteration of the first line
And when walk you home
Reiteration of a previous line
You wanna love, love
Reiteration of a previous line
Then leave me all alone
Reiteration of a previous line
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind