Lou Rawls, who learned of gospel music through his grandmother in Chicago, became a successful singer, primarily from the 1950s through the 1980s. He was a high school classmate of music giant Sam Cooke, and they sang together in the Teenage Kings of Harmony, a '50s gospel group.
After graduating from Chicago's Dunbar Vocational High School, he sang briefly with Cooke in the Teenage Kings of Harmony, a local gospel group, and then with the Holy Wonders. In 1951, Rawls replaced Cooke in the Highway QC's after Cooke departed to join The Soul Stirrers in Los Angeles. Rawls was soon recruited by the Chosen Gospel Singers and himself moved to Los Angeles, where he subsequently joined the Pilgrim Travelers
After graduating from Chicago's Dunbar Vocational Career Academy, Rawls enlisted in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. He left the "All-Americans" three years later as a sergeant, and hooked up with The Pilgrim Travelers as he traveled to Los Angeles. In 1958, while touring the South with the Travelers and Sam Cooke, Rawls was in a serious car crash. Rawls was pronounced dead before arriving at the hospital, where he stayed in a coma for five and a half days. It took him months to regain his memory, and a year to fully recuperate. Rawls considered the event to be life-changing.
Alongside Dick Clark as master of ceremonies, Rawls was recovered enough by 1959 to be able to perform at the Hollywood Bowl. He was signed to Capitol Records in 1962, the same year he sang the soulful background vocals on the Sam Cooke recording of "Bring it on Home to Me." Rawls himself charted with a cover of the song in 1970 (with the title shortened to "Bring It On Home").
Rawls' first Capitol solo release was Stormy Monday (a.k.a. I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water), a jazz album. On August 21, 1966, he opened for The Beatles at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.
Though his 1966 album Live! went gold, Rawls would not have a star-making hit until he made a proper soul album, appropriately named Soulin', later that same year. The album contained his first R&B #1 single, "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing". In 1967 Rawls won his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, for the single "Dead End Street."
In 1969, the singer was co-host of NBC's summer replacement series for the Dean Martin Show along with Martin's daughter, singer Gail Martin.
After leaving Capitol in 1971, Rawls joined MGM, at which juncture he released his Grammy-winning single "Natural Man." He had a brief stint with Bell Records in 1974, where he recorded a cover of Hall & Oates' "She's Gone." In 1976, Rawls signed with Philadelphia International Records, where he had his greatest album success with the million-selling All Things in Time. The album produced his most successful single, "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", which topped the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts and went to number two on the pop side, becoming Rawls' only certified million-selling single in the process.
Subsequent albums, such as 1977's When You've Heard Lou, You've Heard It All yielded such hit singles as "Lady Love". Other releases in the 1970s included the classic album Sit Down And Talk To Me.
In 1982, Rawls received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
On the night of September 29, 1977, Rawls performed the national anthem of the United States prior to the Earnie Shavers-Muhammad Ali title fight at Madison Square Garden. He would be requested to sing the anthem many times over the next 28 years, and his final performance of it came on October 23, 2005. The crowd at that performance may not have known that Rawls was extremely ill with cancer, but he reportedly delivered an electrifying performance to kick off Game Two of the 2005 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros.
In 1980, Rawls began the "Lou Rawls Parade of Stars Telethon" which benefits the United Negro College Fund. The annual event, known since 1998 as "An Evening of Stars: A Celebration of Educational Excellence", consists of stories of successful African-American students who have benefited from and/or graduated from one of the many historically black colleges and universities who receive support from the UNCF, along with musical performances from various recording artists in support of the UNCF's and Rawls' efforts. The event has raised over US$200 million in 27 shows for the fund through 2006.
In January 2004, Rawls was honored by the United Negro College Fund for his more than 25 years of charity work with the organization. Instead of hosting and performing as he usually did, Rawls was given the seat of honor and celebrated by his performing colleagues, including Stevie Wonder, The O'Jays, Gerald Levert, Ashanti, and many others. His final television performance occurred during the 2005-2006 edition of the telethon, honoring Stevie Wonder in September 2005, just months before entering the hospital and after having been diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year. This program, aired in January, 2006, contains his final public television performance, where he performed two classics, "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," and a final ode to Frank Sinatra with, "It Was A Very Good Year."
At the time of Rawls' death, news and UNCF figures noted the significance of Rawls' final performance, "It Was a Very Good Year." The song is a retrospective of one's life and its lyrics include, "When I was seventeen, it was a very good year. It was a very good year for small town girls and soft summer nights...And now those days grow short, it is the autumn of years, and now I think about life as vintage wine from fine old kegs, from the brim to the dregs, it pours sweet and clear, it was a very good year."
Rawls appeared in a segment of the first season of Sesame Street, to sing the alphabet. He dismissed the concept of using cue cards for the performance, but reversed such decision when he forgot the order of the letters.
Throughout Rawls' singing career, he had the opportunity to appear in many films, television shows, and commercials. He can be seen in such films as Leaving Las Vegas, Blues Brothers 2000, and Angel, Angel, Down We Go. He had a supporting role in the Baywatch spin-off, Baywatch Nights. He also appeared in the western television series, Big Valley, (starring legend Barbara Stanwyck, along with Lee Majors and Linda Evans) where he played a hired hand. Here, he delivered the memorial line: "Ain't a horse that can't be rode; ain't a man that can't be throwed".
Rawls lent his rich baritone voice to many cartoons, including Hey Arnold! as the voice of Harvey The Mailman, Garfield, and The Proud Family. For many of the Film Roman Garfield specials, Rawls would often compose songs for them, which he would then sing usually doing a duet with Desiree Goyette. He also was famously in American sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
For many years, he was a spokesperson for the Colonial Penn Life Insurance Company. He was also a spokesman for Budweiser, helping promote the brand on radio and TV to African-American markets much as Ed McMahon did for the white audience. Budweiser was a key sponsor for the Rawls telethon and UNCF.
Rawls was also a regular guest host on "Jazz Central", a program aired on the BET Jazz cable channel.
He appears as "Dr. Rawls" in a dream on an episode My Wife and Kids, where he breaks into a parody version of "You'll Never Find", which a frightened Damon Wayans is afraid of having a colonoscopy the following day. Rawls uses the scope as a microphone in the scene. Rawls appears as a commentator in the second half of the unrated commentary of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
Rawls was also a guest star during the second season of The Muppet Show. He also made a brief appearance on the series finale of Martin. (The show's character Tommy is excited to see Lou Rawls at Nipsey's and mentioned that his favorite song is "Natural Man." Lou replied that he received a letter from a female claiming that she and her boyfriend broke up because of the song. This eludes to the episode where Tommy and Pam decide to move in together, but winded up fighting and ultimately breaking up because Tommy played the song "Natural Man" so much that it drove Pam crazy.)
The following is a list of Lou Rawls singles that made the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100. His first Hot 100 entry was "Three O'Clock in the Morning" in 1965, and his final was "Wind Beneath My Wings" in 1983. In addition to those two, nine other singles peaked at positions below the top 50 on the Hot 100, and additional singles reached the R&B, Adult Contemporary and Bubbling Under charts.
* "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing" - 1966, #13 (also #1 R&B)
* "Dead End Street" - 1967, #29
* "Show Business" - 1967, #45
* "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)" - 1969, #18
* "A Natural Man" - 1971, #17
* "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" - 1976, #2 (also #1 R&B and #1 Adult Contemporary); certified Gold for sales of one million copies
* "Lady Love" - 1978, #24
For What It's Worth
Lou Rawls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And what it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I've got to beware
Think it's time we stop children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's goin' down
There's battle lines being drawn
Young people speaking their minds
A-getting so much resistance from behind
And we stop, what's that sound
Everybody look what's goin' down
What a field day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singin' songs and a-carryin' signs
Mostly say "hooray for our side"
It's time to stop, hey what's that sound
Everybody look what's goin' down
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
Step outta line, the men come and take you away
You betta stop, hey what's that sound
Everybody look what's goin' now
Stop, hey what's that sound
Everybody look what's goin' now
You betta stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's goin' now
Stop, children
The song "For What It's Worth" by Lou Rawls talks about the societal unrest and turmoil that took place during the mid-60s in America. The lyrics start off with a warning about something happening, but no one knows what it is or what to make of it. There's a sense of foreboding and anxiety that's amplified by the man carrying a gun who warns the singer to be careful. The chorus highlights the need for people to take notice and pay attention to what's happening around them. The following verse acknowledges the rift between generations with the younger people speaking their minds while facing resistance from those who disagree with them. The verse ends, once again, with the need for people to stop and look at what's happening around them.
The third verse starts with the observation of the heat, referring to the police or authorities, having a field day with a thousand people on the streets with signs and singing songs. It highlights the divide in society with everyone thinking they're right, which ultimately led to more turmoil. The fourth and final verse talks about the paranoia that swept across society, and anyone stepping out of line risked being taken away. Lou Rawls ends the song as he began, highlighting that everyone should stop, look, and see what's happening around them.
Line by Line Meaning
There's something happening here
Things are happening and changing, but it's not clear as to what exactly it is.
And what it is ain't exactly clear
The change happening is unclear and creates confusion.
There's a man with a gun over there
A person with a gun is present, which can instill fear in others.
Telling me I've got to beware
Forcing others to be cautious and alert to the looming danger.
Think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
It is high time that action should be taken, and everyone should be alert to the unidentified sound.
Everybody look what's goin' down
Everyone needs to pay attention to their surroundings as it can be dangerous.
There's battle lines being drawn
People are taking sides and picking confrontations.
And nobody's right, if everybody's wrong
If everyone is blindly choosing sides and fighting, then no one's stand is justified to be right.
Young people speaking their minds
Younger generations are expressing their opinions and standing up for themselves.
A-getting so much resistance from behind
They are being met with oppositions from those who do not agree with them.
And we stop, what's that sound
We need to come to a halt and listen to the unidentified noise carefully.
Everybody look what's goin' down
Everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings as there is much happening and changing, and things have the potential to become dangerous.
What a field day for the heat
It's an excellent opportunity for law enforcement to take control and show their power.
A thousand people in the street
A lot of people have gathered in public areas and are vulnerable in the situation.
Singin' songs and a-carryin' signs
The people are raising their voices, holding placards and singing.
Mostly say "hooray for our side"
Most of the protests are accompanied by slogans and chants in favour of one side or the other.
It's time to stop, hey what's that sound
The noise is alarming, and it's high time that it is being heard and understood for what it is.
Paranoia strikes deep
The fear and unease run deep, which can lead to paranoia.
Into your life, it will creep
Paranoia will slowly seep into a person's mind and become the norm.
It starts when you're always afraid
The paranoia sets in when the individual is consistently in a state of fear, and that attitude is affecting their day-to-day life.
Step outta line, the men come and take you away
If a person deviates from the standard behaviour or doesn't conform to the authorities, they can be punished or taken away by those in power.
You betta stop, hey what's that sound
It's important to cease all activities and focus on the sound that is giving an off, generating an alarm.
Everybody look what's goin' now
Everyone should be aware of the situation as it is becoming dangerous.
Stop, hey what's that sound
Everyone should be aware of the situation as it is becoming dangerous.
Everybody look what's goin' now
Everyone should be aware of the situation as it is becoming dangerous.
You betta stop, now, what's that sound
It's essential to stop all activity and pay attention to the unidentified noise.
Everybody look what's goin' now
Everyone should be aware of the situation as it is becoming dangerous.
Stop, children
A warning to everyone, especially young people, to stop and pays attention to their surroundings.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Stephen Stills
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
LazyLion
this is such an underrated cover, virtually unknown, and it might be one of the best covers of a song ever lol
at the very least it's one of the best Buffalo Springfield covers I've ever heard.
Chairjockey Charlee
I love it!!!
Guillaume Viatour
great song, thanks!
RAMLIA1
♥ ♥ ♥
john hubbard
Magic thanks
littlewhitemonkey
cool username bro