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)
The Boss
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Paid the cost to be the boss
Paid the cost to be the boss
I paid the cost to be the boss
Look at me you know what you see
You see a bad mutha
You see a bad mutha
Paid the cost to be the boss
Paid the cost to be the boss
Look at me you know what you see
You see a bad mutha
Told you so!
Told you so!
Havin' fun, got money to burn
Havin' fun, got money to burn
Havin' fun, got money to burn
Havin' fun, got money to burn
'Cause I paid the cost to be the boss
Paid the cost to be the boss
Paid the cost to be the boss
Caught, tracked, turned my back
Caught, tracked, turned my back
Paid the cost to be the boss
I'm a bad mutha,
I'm a bad mutha
Head for the turn around
Headin' for the turn around
Told you so!
Paid the cost to be the boss
The lyrics to James Brown's song "The Boss" seem to be an expression of his artistic and commercial success. He boasts about being a "bad mutha", a powerful figure who commands respect from others. The repetition of the line "Paid the cost to be the boss" implies that his success has come at a price, but that price was worth it.
The catchy hook "Havin' fun, got money to burn" suggests that Brown has reached a level of financial security where he can enjoy his success without worrying about the consequences. He tells his critics "Told you so!" as if to say that he knew he would succeed and that his success is no surprise. The lines "Caught, tracked, turned my back" imply that there were obstacles in his path, but he overcame them with his determination and talent.
Overall, the song is a celebration of James Brown's status as a legend in the music industry. It is a testament to his hard work, talent, and ability to overcome adversity and rise to the top of his field.
Line by Line Meaning
1 2 get down
An introduction inviting the listeners to groove to the music
Paid the cost to be the boss
Acknowledging that he has put in the hard work and made sacrifices to rise to the top
Look at me you know what you see
Confidently asserting that his success is apparent and undeniable
You see a bad mutha
Stating that he is a formidable and impressive individual
Told you so!
Asserting that his predictions have come true and his success is a testament to his skills and efforts
Havin' fun, got money to burn
Celebrating his success and wealth, and expressing that he can afford to enjoy life
Caught, tracked, turned my back
Acknowledging that he has faced challenges and obstacles along the way, and that he has overcome them
I'm a bad mutha
Repeating his earlier statement that he is a fearless and intimidating individual
Head for the turn around
Expressing that he is ready to face any challenge that comes his way and that he is constantly striving to improve
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHARLES BOBBIT, FRED WESLEY, JAMES BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Wanpmsb
One, two, get down
Paid the cost to be the boss
Paid the cost to be the boss
I've paid the cost to be the boss
Look at me
Know what you see
See a bad mother
Look at me
Know what you see
See a bad mother
Paid the cost to be the boss
Paid the cost to be the boss
Look at me
Know what you see
See a bad mother
Huh
Huh, told you so
Told you so
Havin' fun, got money to burn
Havin' fun, got money to burn
Havin' fun, got money to burn
Havin' fun, got money to burn
'Cause I paid the cost to be the boss
Paid the cost to be the boss
Paid the cost to be theโฆ
@geantillewitz9689
1-2-Vamos lรก!
Paguei o preรงo para ser o chefe
Paguei o preรงo para ser o chefe
Paguei o preรงo para ser o chefe
Olhe para mim
Vocรช sabe o que vรช
Vocรช vรช um filho da-
Olhe para mim
Vocรช sabe o que vรช
Vocรช vรช um filho da-
Paguei o preรงo para ser o chefe
Paguei o preรงo para ser o chefe
Heh!
Heh! Eu te disse!
Eu te disse!
Se divertindo, brincando por aรญ
Se divertindo, tendo dinheiro pra arrancar
Porque eu paguei o preรงo para ser o chefe
Paguei o preรงo para ser o chefe
Paguei o preรงo para ser o chefe
Pego, rastreado
Virou minhas costas, uuh!
Paguei o preรงo para ser o chefe
Eu sou um filho da-
Eu sou um filho da-
Dirija-se para dar a volta
Dirija-se para dar a volta
Eu te disse!
Paguei o preรงo para ser o chefe
@patrickwiita9851
Once in a while I strap on the headphones, close my eyes and listen carefully. The layering and timing of the different instruments is brilliant.
A true musical masterpiece indeed.
@billionaire33
Facts
@philiphatfield5666
Nothing more needs to be said; you are so right. Every sound that you hear on a James Brown record was put there by the Godfather himself----EXACTLY the way he wanted it!
@user-wp5xf8zg2n
I'm there brother
@jasonanthony9517
Beautiful
@moekhairy610
The bass
@joebro391
Can you imagine what it must have been like to hear this in 1973 when it was released? This is still such a slammin track
@Ken-iu2zp
True
@spencerbyfield1490
awakening
@KINGKONG-jc7xh
This tune is heavy
"GANGSTER SHIT"