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)
Turn Me Loose I'm Dr. Feelgood
James Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turn me loose, let me go
I'm Dr. Feelgood
Turn me loose, let me go
I'm Dr. Feelgood
Turn me loose, let me go
Turn me loose, let me go
I'm Dr. Feelgood
Wake me up and make [Incomprehensible]
Back it up now, I'm getting warm
If you need me, I'm Johnny on the spot
I'm the one to put you out
Turn me loose, let me go
I'm Dr. Feelgood
Turn me loose, let me go
I'm Dr. Feelgood
I know what, I touch
Took time, it hurts too much
Give it up, material things
Give it up, [Incomprehensible]
Give it up, one time
Give it up, two times
Give it up, three times
Give it up, four times
Give it up, crying time
Give it up, party time
Give it up, hard time
Got a job but no cash
It's a mess, a lot of trash
Deadly doctor on the blow
You get the medicine, I got the cure
Turn me loose, let me go
I'm Dr. Feelgood
Turn me loose, let me go
I'm Dr. Feelgood
Give it up, one time
Give it up, two times
Give it up, three times
Give it up, four times
Give it up, crying time
Give it up, party time
Give it up, hard time
Turn me loose, let me go
I'm Dr. Feelgood, say it
Turn me loose, let me go
I'm Dr. Feelgood
The song "Turn Me Loose I'm Dr. Feelgood" by James Brown is an upbeat and energetic tune that exemplifies the idea of letting loose and releasing oneself from any inhibitions. The main message conveyed in the song is that Dr. Feelgood is a powerful and potent figure who is capable of curing all ills and providing a means of escape from the struggles and hardships of life. The chorus of the song, "Turn me loose, let me go, I'm Dr. Feelgood", reinforces this idea of releasing oneself from the burdens of life and allowing Dr. Feelgood to take control and provide a source of relief.
The lyrics also allude to a sense of power and confidence that Dr. Feelgood possesses, as he is described as "the one to put you out" and has "the medicine" to cure any ailment. The line "Got a job but no cash, it's a mess, a lot of trash" suggests that even those who are employed and have responsibilities still feel the weight of life's struggles and may need a release from it all.
Overall, the song can be interpreted as a call to embrace one's inner Dr. Feelgood and let go of any stress or negativity, trusting in the power of music (and specifically in James Brown's music) as a means of escape and release.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn me loose, let me go
I'm Dr. Feelgood
I need to be set free, I am Dr. Feelgood who knows what I am doing
Wake me up and make [Incomprehensible]
Back it up now, I'm getting warm
If you need me, I'm Johnny on the spot
I'm the one to put you out
I'm ready to help, make me aware of what you need and I will be there to solve it
I know what, I touch
Took time, it hurts too much
Give it up, material things
Give it up, [Incomprehensible]
I am skilled, it may have taken time but I have mastered the art. Material things don't matter, so let them go
Give it up, one time
Give it up, two times
Give it up, three times
Give it up, four times
You need to give up what's holding you back, and keep doing it until you can do it properly
Give it up, crying time
Give it up, party time
Give it up, hard time
No matter the situation, let it go and live your life without worry
Got a job but no cash
It's a mess, a lot of trash
Deadly doctor on the blow
You get the medicine, I got the cure
Things may not be good now, but with my expertise, I can help. You have a problem? I have the solution
Turn me loose, let me go
I'm Dr. Feelgood, say it
Turn me loose, let me go
I'm Dr. Feelgood
I am here to help, so let me do what I do best as Dr. Feelgood
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHARLIE MIDNIGHT, DAN HARTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind