Simon was born in Simmesport, Louisiana, United States. Similar to many other African-American artists from the era, Simon began singing in his father's Baptist church. He pursued his vocal abilities full-time once the family moved to Richmond (near Oakland, California) in the late 1950s. There Simon joined the Golden West Gospel Singers and became influenced by Sam Cooke and Arthur Prysock. With this, the group decided to turn secular and recorded "Little Island Girl" as the Golden Tones in 1959.
Hush Records label owners Gary and Carla Thompson urged Simon to record on his own, and in 1964 Simon scored considerable success on the Vee-Jay label with "My Adorable One". Simon scored again in 1965 on the Chicago based label with "Let's Do It Over", which landed a #13 spot on the US Billboard R&B chart. However, the Vee-Jay label folded soon after the latter song's release and Simon found himself traveling across the country singing.
Simon caught the eye of Nashville, Tennessee, R&B disc jockey John Richbourg during this time, and Richbourg not only became Simon's manager/record producer but also brought the singer to Monument Records' subsidiary label Sound Stage 7 in 1966. That year Simon released "Teenager's Prayer", which peaked at #11 on Billboard's R&B chart. Within the next two years, Simon released a string of hits: "(You Keep Me) Hanging On", "The Chokin' Kind" (Billboard Hot 100 #13), "Farther On Down The Road", and "Yours Love". "The Chokin' Kind" was written by Harlan Howard, spent 12 weeks in the charts, and had sold one million copies by 16 June 1969. In addition, Simon was given a Grammy Award in 1970 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
Under the encouragement of Richbourg, Simon moved to the Polydor distributed Spring Records label in 1970, which paired Simon with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The team scored a #3 R&B hit in 1971 with "Drowning In The Sea of Love" and a #1 R&B hit in the summer of 1972 with "Power Of Love". Both songs reached #11 on the Hot 100. "Drowning In The Sea of Love" sold over 1.5 million copies and the R.I.A.A. on 6 January 1972 gave a gold disc. "Power of Love", written by Gamble, Huff and Simon was Simon's third million seller, and the R.I.A.A. awarded gold disc status on 29 August 1972.
Simon continued to release R&B hits with "Pool Of Bad Luck", "Trouble In My Home", "Step By Step", "I Need You, You Need Me", "Music In My Bones", "Carry Me", and 1975's "Get Down, Get Down (Get On The Floor)", which gave Simon his third #1 R&B hit, and also a #8 Hot 100 hit. Simon's success escalated with his writing/producing the theme tune for the film, Cleopatra Jones in 1973.
In the late 1970s/early 1980s, Simon decided to remove his tenor/bass-baritone voice from the secular music world and devote it and his life to Christianity. Simon began evangelist preaching in Flossmoor, Illinois. In 1983, he produced the album Lay My Burden Down for former Davis Sisters second lead Jackie Verdell. Simon released a gospel album titled This Story Must Be Told in the late 1990s.
In 1999 Simon was inducted as a Pioneer Award honoree by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. Joss Stone covered "The Chokin' Kind" on her 2003 album, The Soul Sessions.
Simon has had a number of his songs sampled by other artists, including OutKast, who sampled "Before the Night is Over" in their hit "So Fresh, So Clean" and Lil' Kim, who sampled Simon's "It Be's That Way Sometimes" in "Magic Stick", featuring 50 Cent. Memphis Bleek sampled Simon's "Trace Your Love" for his track "Alright" on the 2005 534 album.
Chokin' Kind
Joe Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Didn't you know it babe
Didn't you know it
Why couldn't you be content
With the love I gave oh yeah
I gave you my heart
But you wanted my mind, oh yeah
Your love scared me to death, girlOh it's the chokin' kind
That's all it is
You can kill a man
With a bottle of poison or a knife
I know you can
And hurt him more to take his pride
And run his life
Oh it's a shame girl
Whatever you want girl
I surely hope you find, oh yeah
I tell you that hat don't fit my head
Oh, it's the chokin' kind
It makes me want to mmm mmm mmm mmm
Oh yeah, oh listen to me
When you fall in love again girl
Take a tip from me oh yeah
If you don't like the peach don't bite the tree
That's what you better do, honey
Find what you want girl
Keep it, treat it, sweet and kind, oh yeah
Oh let it breathe, don't make it the chokin' kind
Oh no, don't break your heart baby
Oh no, I know you love me really I do, honey
I tell you your love scares me to death girl
That's all it is
I got to say it again
It's that old chokin' kind
The lyrics of "The Chokin' Kind" by Joe Simon are about a man who is hurt by a woman's love. He gave her all his heart and love but she wasn't content with it. She wanted more and scared him to death with the intensity of her love, which he refers to as the "chokin' kind." The man warns her to take a lesson from him to find what she wants and treat it right, instead of suffocating it with her overwhelming love. He suggests that if she doesn't like something, she shouldn't go for it or it will end up choking her.
The song is a warning to not let love become dangerous or out of control. The "chokin' kind" can be interpreted as an obsessive and possessive kind of love, which can be suffocating and damaging, and ultimately lead to the downfall of the relationship. The lyrics, along with the soulful and bluesy melody, convey the intense emotions of the singer, making it a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
I only meant to love you
I simply wanted to love and care for you
Didn't you know it babe
Were you not aware of my love for you?
Didn't you know it
Were you not aware of my feelings?
Why couldn't you be content
Why were you not satisfied
With the love I gave oh yeah
With the affection and care I presented?
I gave you my heart
I devoted my entire self to you
But you wanted my mind, oh yeah
However, you desired my thoughts and beliefs more than my heart
Your love scared me to death, girl
Your love frightened me tremendously
Oh it's the chokin' kind
Your love was suffocating and overwhelming
You can kill a man
You can fatally harm an individual
With a bottle of poison or a knife
Through the use of poison or a sharp object
I know you can
I am aware of your capability
And hurt him more to take his pride
Moreover, you can harm someone's confidence and dignity to a greater extent
And run his life
You could control and manipulate them
Oh it's a shame girl
It's truly regretful, my dear
Whatever you want girl
Whatever it is that you desire
I surely hope you find, oh yeah
I truly wish you find it, undoubtedly
I tell you that hat don't fit my head
That approach does not suffice for me
Oh, it's the chokin' kind
It is indeed suffocating and overwhelming
It makes me want to mmm mmm mmm mmm
It makes me feel overwhelmed and speechless
Oh yeah, oh listen to me
Oh yes, please hear me out
When you fall in love again girl
If you ever end up loving someone again, dear
Take a tip from me oh yeah
Please take heed to my advice
If you don't like the peach don't bite the tree
If you do not like the outcome, do not engage in the activity that caused it
That's what you better do, honey
That is what I advise, my dear
Find what you want girl
Discover what satisfies you, my love
Keep it, treat it, sweet and kind, oh yeah
Handle it delicately, kindly, and affectionately
Oh let it breathe, don't make it the chokin' kind
Allow it the freedom to flourish and grow, do not suffocate and stifle it
Oh no, don't break your heart baby
Do not harm yourself in the process, my dear
Oh no, I know you love me really I do, honey
Oh no, I acknowledge that you do, dear
I tell you your love scares me to death girl
I inform you that your love terrifies me
It's the chokin' kind
It is indeed suffocating and overwhelming
That's all it is
That is simply the nature of it
I got to say it again
I must reiterate
It's that old chokin' kind
It is the same suffocating and overwhelming love as before
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harlan Howard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sybrandt- the nine pound steel refers to weight of the sledgehammer prisoners used on the chain gang.
on Nine Pound Steel [Clean]
Joe Simon's "Nine Pound Steel" is a soulful and emotional ballad about the pains of being incarcerated. Throughout the song, Simon sings about his experiences in prison and the mistakes he made that led to his imprisonment. The lyrics act as an apology and a plea for forgiveness to his loved ones, primarily his significant other who he calls "honey" and "darling."
The opening lines signify the physical and metaphorical barriers that separate Simon from his family and the outside world. As he looks through the walls of his cell, he sees the sun, representing freedom and hope. He acknowledges that he is in jail because of the wrong he has done and apologizes for his actions. He expresses regret for stealing from his significant other and not standing up like a man. He then repeats the phrase, "I've got to say good morning to a nine pound steel," which undoubtedly refers to the steel bars of his cell. The steel acts as a constant reminder of his mistakes and how he must confront them every day.
The song's chorus repeats, "Good morning to that old nine pound steel." Simon is essentially saying that he is forced to greet his prison cell every day, but he still has hope to eventually be released. He states that he is working like a slave, paying for his mistake and knows that someday he will be a free man. He pleads with his significant other, asking her to wait for him until he is released from prison. He acknowledges that the jail is cold, and he needs her love more and more every day.
Overall, "Nine Pound Steel" is a poignant and heartfelt song that showcases the pain and hardships of imprisoned life. Its lyrics express regret, apologies, hope, and the desire for love and freedom.