Died: May 17, 2002 in Conway, AR
Died: May 17, 2002 in Conway, AR
Styles: Northern Soul, Soul, Soul-Blues, Early R&B
Biography
Some folks still get them mixed up, so to get it straight from the outset, Little Johnny Taylor was best known for his scorching slow blues smashes "Part Time Love" (for Bay Area-based Galaxy Records in 1963) and 1971's "Everybody Knows About My Good Thing" for Ronn Records in Shreveport, LA. This Johnny Taylor was definitely not the suave Sam Cooke protégé who blitzed the charts with "Who's Making Love" for Stax in 1968; that's Johnnie Taylor, who added to the confusion by covering "Part Time Love" for Stax. Another similarity between the two Taylors: both hailed from strong gospel backgrounds.
Little Johnny came to Los Angeles in 1950 and did a stint with the Mighty Clouds of Joy before going secular. Influenced by Little Willie John, he debuted as an R&B artist with a pair of 45s for Hunter Hancock's Swingin' logo, but his career didn't soar until he inked a pact with Fantasy's Galaxy subsidiary in 1963 (where he benefited from crisp production by Cliff Goldsmith and Ray Shanklin's arrangements).
The gliding mid-tempo blues "You'll Need Another Favor," firmly in a Bobby Bland mode, was Taylor's first chart item. He followed it up with the tortured R&B chart-topper "Part Time Love," which found him testifying in gospel-fired style over Arthur Wright's biting guitar and a grinding, horn-leavened downbeat groove. The singer also did fairly well with "Since I Found a New Love" in 1964 and "Zig Zag Lightning" in 1966.
Taylor's tenure at Stan Lewis' Ronn imprint elicited the slow blues smash "Everybody Knows About My Good Thing" in 1971, and a similarly witty hit follow-up, "Open House at My House," the next year (both were covered later by Z.Z. Hill for Malaco). While at Ronn, Little Johnny cut some duets with yet another Taylor, this one named Ted (no, they weren't related either). Though he recorded only sparingly during the 1980s and 1990s, he remained an active performer until his death in 2002. ~ Bill Dahl, All Music Guide http://music.msn.com/music/artist-biography/little-johnny-taylor/
Please Come Home For Christmas
Little Johnny Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It seems in my mind I can fake it.
I can fake everything,
Drifting, drowning, slipping awy from myself.
Everyday I misplace me.
Where do I fit in?
What's my role in this world?
When everything I say seems to be the wrong thing.
I am broken.
Choking on air.
I am lost.
Rip me open,
See what might be there.
'Cause I don't know who I am.
Who I am.
Am I happy?
Is that what you see?
I can't find what's inside of me.
Where do I fit in?
What's my role in this world?
When can I breathe?
When everything I say seems to be the wrong thing.
I am broken.
Choking on air.
I am lost.
Rip me open,
See what might be there.
'Cause I don't know who I am.
Who I am.
Drag me down, take me out.
Don't let me show you my soul on a dare.
But still I just can't hide from myself anymore.
Like i'm not really here.
So now I gotta be what's inside of me.
Deeper than the stars, pull my heart.
What is good enough?
Do i measure up?
I am broken.
Choking on air.
I am lost.
Rip me open,
See what might be there.
'Cause I don't know who I am.
Who I am.
The lyrics of this song by Little Johnny Taylor, called "Please Come Home For Christmas," are not the same as those listed here. The lyrics you have provided appear to belong to a different song entirely, possibly called "Broken" by an unknown artist. Therefore, I cannot provide an interpretation of these lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm happy, so happy,
I feel like I should be happy, but I'm not.
It seems in my mind I can fake it.
I'm good at pretending to be happier than I am.
I can fake everything,
I'm good at hiding my true emotions.
Drifting, drowning, slipping away from myself.
I feel like I'm losing touch with who I really am.
Everyday I misplace me.
I feel like I'm losing myself more and more each day.
Where do I fit in?
I'm not sure where I belong.
What's my role in this world?
I don't know what my purpose is.
When can I breathe?
I feel suffocated by life and its expectations.
When everything I say seems to be the wrong thing.
I feel like I can't do anything right.
I am broken.
I feel like I'm falling apart.
Choking on air.
I feel like I can't breathe.
I am lost.
I feel like I'm directionless.
Rip me open, see what might be there.
I want to understand myself better, even if it's painful.
'Cause I don't know who I am. Who I am.
I'm struggling to understand my identity.
Drag me down, take me out.
I feel weighed down by life.
Don't let me show you my soul on a dare.
I don't want to reveal my true emotions to others.
But still I just can't hide from myself anymore.
I can't ignore my true self any longer.
Like I'm not really here.
I feel disconnected from myself and the world.
So now I gotta be what's inside of me.
I need to embrace who I truly am.
Deeper than the stars, pull my heart.
I want to explore the depths of my emotions.
What is good enough?
I feel like I'm not measuring up to some undefined expectation.
Do I measure up?
I'm constantly questioning my self-worth and value.
Writer(s): Charles Brown, Gene C Redd
Contributed by Eva A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@redbeautiful3492
Wow, I remember this being played at my house when I was a kid. Where is that new wonder years show from a black prospective
@cassiejohnson7460
Great