Lloyd Price (born 9 March 1933 in Kenner, Louisiana - died 3 May 2021, New … Read Full Bio ↴Lloyd Price (born 9 March 1933 in Kenner, Louisiana - died 3 May 2021, New Rochelle, NY, United States) was a soul music star and early rock and roll pioneer who had a big hit with “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”, a track he wrote (featuring Fats Domino on piano) that topped the R&B charts for seven weeks in 1952. Staying with Specialty Records, Price then released "Oooh, Oooh, Oooh", "Restless Heart", "Tell Me Pretty Baby" and "Ain't It a Shame". He was then drafted and ended up in Korea from 1953-1956.

After returning from the military, Price became more financially savvy than many of his fellow early Rock n Roll and gritty R&B artists. In 1957, he decided to launch his own label KRC (Kent Record Company) and retain control of his masters, leasing his tracks to labels like Atlantic and later ABC-Paramount in an arrangement that likely inspired Ray Charles to do the same.

His first single after returning from Korea was "Just Because". That was followed by a massive hit, "Stagger Lee", which has appeared in many multi-artist collection albums and served as one of Price's best known songs. Television host Dick Clark insisted the violent content of the track, which lyrically describes a shooting based on a gambling fight, be toned down when Price appeared on the popular but highly sanitized show American Bandstand.

Price’s biggest year was likely 1959, during which he had four hit records: “Personality,” “Where Were You (On Our Wedding Day),” “I’m Gonna Get Married” and “Come Into My Heart.” His increasing entrepreneurial efforts soon included new record labels and starting the Turntable nightclub in New York City. Price's Double L Records, started with partner Harold Logan discovered Wilson Pickett, who got his career started on their label. Price's biggest hit for Double-l was a 1963 revival of the old standard "Misty", but his remaining efforts at hitmaking drew little national attention. He signed briefly to Monument in 1964 and then Reprise, and later to JAD and to his own Turntable imprint to no avail. By 1971, he was recording in Muscle Shoals his own cover version of BJ Thomas hit "Hooked On A Feeling" for Scepter but the arrangement failed to catch fire.

In 1974 Price was a partner of boxing promoter Don King who staged the famous music festival in Zaire featuring James Brown, B.B. King, Etta James, Bill Withers, The Spinners, and the Fania All Stars as documented in Spike Lee's film about the Ali vs Foreman fight "When We Were Kings"

Price continued touring with a 9 piece group in the 1970's, issuing some singles on the GFS label, but seemingly retired for awhile. He then returned to performing and touring in 1993, when Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Gary U.S. Bonds accompanied him on a European tour. He was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of fame in 1998, and can still occasionally be seen on PBS performing during oldies revue concerts, or during fundraising breaks such as during a recent Sam Cooke documentary special, and remains surprisingly youthful despite well over 50 years in the music business.

Won'tcha Come Home
Lloyd Price Lyrics

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Oh baby please come home
I'm sick and I'm all alone
I love and I miss you so
How much you'll never know
Oh I need you that's why I'm blue
Come on home, come on home

I never thought I'd feel this way

When you up and left that day
But things haven't been the same
All I ever hear is your name
Oh I need you that's why I'm blue
Come on home, come on home

I get so tired of being alone
I can't even reach you by telephone
Believe me baby when I call on you
I gotta whole lotta heartaches from missing you

Now tell me baby how long
Must I sing this song
Oh now stop this third degree
Honey it's killing me

Oh I need you that's why I'm blue
Come on home, come on home

I never thought I'd feel this way
When you up and left that day
But things haven't been the same
All I ever hear is your name
Oh I need you that's why I'm blue
Come on home, come on home

Come on home, come on home...

Overall Meaning

The song "Won'tcha Come Home" by Lloyd Price is a classic rhythm and blues track that speaks to the universal feeling of longing and despair when a loved one is absent. The lyrics convey the singer's desperation to have his partner back, as he admits to feeling sick and lonely without them. He professes his love and explains that he misses them deeply, but laments that he can't convey the extent of his feelings. He implores his lover to come back home, indicating that he needs them in his life to overcome his sadness.

The song continues with the singer's admission that he never thought he would feel this way, indicating that the loss of his lover has been a significant shock. He expresses that he is unable to escape the constant reminder of his partner, as all he ever hears is their name. The singer conveys the difficulties of being alone, highlighting how he can't even connect with his partner on the phone. He admits that he is heartbroken because he misses his lover so much and confronts his feelings of helplessness in the face of their absence.

Overall, "Won'tcha Come Home" is a beautiful and emotional song that anyone who has ever lost a partner can resonate with. The lyrics are poignant and heartfelt, and Lloyd Price delivers them with an intensity that captures the depth of the singer's emotions. The song is a perfect representation of classic R&B music, and it remains a beloved track to this day.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh baby please come home
I desperately want you to come back to me

I'm sick and I'm all alone
I'm feeling unwell and lonely without you

I love and I miss you so
I have strong feelings of love and longing for you

How much you'll never know
The depth of my feelings for you is inexplicable

Oh I need you that's why I'm blue
My sadness is a result of my need for you to return

Come on home, come on home
Please come back home to me

I never thought I'd feel this way
I never imagined that I would have such intense emotions

When you up and left that day
When you suddenly departed from me

But things haven't been the same
My life hasn't been as pleasant without you

All I ever hear is your name
You're always on my mind and in conversations

I get so tired of being alone
I'm exhausted from being by myself