Taylor was born as Cora Walton on a farm just outside Memphis, Tennessee. In 1954, Taylor left Memphis for Chicago with her husband, truck driver Robert "Pops" Taylor. In the late 1950s she began singing in Chicago blues clubs and was spotted by Willie Dixon in 1962, leading to wider performances and her first recording contract. In 1965, Taylor was signed by Chess Records, for which her single Wang Dang Doodle (written by Dixon, and a hit for Howlin' Wolf five years earlier) became a major hit, reaching number four on the R&B charts in 1966 and selling a million copies. Taylor recorded many versions of this Dixon-penned song over the past several decades and added more material, both original and covers, but never repeated that initial chart success.
National touring in the late 1960s and early 1970s improved her fan base, and she became accessible to a wider record-buying public when she signed with Alligator Records in 1975. Recording over a dozen albums for that label (many nominated for Grammy awards), she came to dominate the female blues singer ranks, winning 24 W. C. Handy Awards -- more than any other artist. After her recovery from a near-fatal car crash in 1989, the 1990s found Taylor in movies such as Blues Brothers 2000. She opened a blues club on Division St. in Chicago in 1994, but closed it in 1999. Taylor released a new album in 2007 called "Old School."
Koko Taylor influenced such musicians as Bonnie Raitt, Shemekia Copeland, Janis Joplin, Shannon Curfman, and Susan Tedeschi.
Koko Taylor died on the afternoon of June 3rd 2009 (at the age of 80), while recovering from surgery to repair gastrointestinal bleeding. Koko Taylor is still referred to by fellow blues musicians and her fans as the "Queen of the Blues".
I Got What It Takes
Koko Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah I got what it takes to make a good man deny his name
I got that same thing that make a bulldog break his chain
Yeah I got what it takes to make a rabbit whip a pack of hounds
Yeah I got what it takes to make a rabbit whip a pack of hounds
I got that same thing that make a lion lay down with a lamb
Yeah I got what it takes to make the kid love
I got that same thing that make a lion lay down with a lamb
I got it - I got what it takes
Yeah I got it - I got what it takes
Yeah I got it - I got what it takes
Yeah I got it - I got what it takes
Ain't it a shame the whole world's fighting about the same thing
Oh yeah
In "I Got What It Takes" by Koko Taylor, the singer is confident in her abilities to allure and captivate others, including good men, bulldogs, rabbits, and even lions. She proclaims that she has what it takes to make a good man deny his name, which may suggest that her charm and charisma are so strong that a man would be willing to leave behind his identity for her. Similarly, the singer insists that she can cause a bulldog to break free from its chain and a rabbit to triumph over a pack of hounds, emphasizing her unparalleled power.
The line "I got that same thing that make a lion lay down with a lamb" is a biblical reference to Isaiah 11:6, which prophesizes about a peaceful world where "the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together." Thus, by stating that she also possesses this power, the singer implies that she has the ability to bring peace and unity to even the most unlikely companions.
In the final verse, the singer claims that she can make a child love her and even repeats the line about lions and lambs. This suggests that her power is not just limited to romantic relationships, but extends to all areas of life, including familial and platonic relationships. Overall, the song underscores the sheer magnetism and influence that some people possess, which is enough to make anyone deny their previous ways and follow in their footsteps.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah I got what it takes to make a good man deny his name
I possess a power so irresistible that even a good, upstanding man would be willing to undergo a drastic change in identity to be with me.
I got that same thing that make a bulldog break his chain
My charm and attractiveness is so strong that it can unsettle even the most resilient of beings, like a bulldog breaking free of its chain.
Yeah I got what it takes to make a rabbit whip a pack of hounds
My grace and power is so awe-inspiring that even the hunter can become prey, like a rabbit whipping a pack of hounds.
I got that same thing that make a lion lay down with a lamb
My spirit and energy is so warm and calming that even the most savage beasts can be tamed, like a lion laying down with a lamb.
Yeah I got what it takes to make the kid love
I am full of the traits that can bring out the love inside even the most callous of people, like a child.
I got it - I got what it takes
It is true that I possess everything necessary to make someone willingly submit to my desires.
Ain't it a shame the whole world's fighting about the same thing
It is truly sad that so many people are struggling and fighting with each other for the same thing that I possess in spades.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HEZEKIAH JENKINS, CLARENCE WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@holidaysidewinder
will never forget the moment i first heard her voice come out of the stereo on this track... on a 45. Blew my mind.
@gebremenfeskidus9567
KOKO, SHAKEY, and BUDDY GUY!!! Good Grief it don't get better than this!!!
@MarinCipollina
Mad props to the great Koko Taylor, the woman with a voice big enough to stop a stampede.
@leomayes3557
Rest easy grandmother. Ill forever love you and cherish the sweet memories and love you gave me. Thank you for everything. Mission accomplished ❤️❤️❤️🕊🕊🕊🌠🌌 #LillieBHarris
@snsharbaby81
Great Song KoKo!!!!!!
@milesnoah6
greatest version of this song! should be wayyy more than 524 veiws
@Wahcawatoglawin
My friend always turns me on to cool music..😎
@krabbykenny7933
lawd have mercy, sing it Koko
@theresamacdonald3551
❤