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
World Of Trouble
Lou Rawls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO,
SUPPOSED TO BE ONE WOMAN'S MAN,
BUT I AM IN LOVE WITH TWO.
ONE IS MY TREASURE,
ONE IS MY TREAT,
BOTH SUCH A PLEASURE,
'CAUSE THEY'RE BOTH SO SWEET.
I CAN'T PUT EITHER OF THEM DOWN,
THAT'S WHY I'M SLIPPIN' 'ROUND
LIVIN' DOUBLE IN A WORLD OF TROUBLE.
YES, IT'S A WORLD OF TROUBLE,
I AIN'T HAPPY NOW,
'CAUSE I GOT ONE MORE WOMAN
THAN THE LEGAL LAWS ALLOW.
JUDGES WOULD JAIL ME,
PREACHERS WOULD SHOUT,
BAD TALK WOULD NAIL ME,
IF THE TRUTH GOT OUT.
POLITE SOCIETY WOULD FROWN,
CLAIM I'M JUST A CLOWN,
LIVIN' DOUBLE IN A WORLD OF TROUBLE.
I DO NOT DARE REVEAL
THE NEED I DEEPLY FEEL.
TO MY PROPER FRIENDS IT WOULD SCARE 'EM,
THEY WOULD CHALK IT UP TO GREED,
BUT WHAT I DEEPLY NEED
IS A NEW KIND OF TWO WOMAN HAREM.
I'VE GOT A WORLD OF TROUBLE,
A WOMAN AND A WIFE,
THE KIND OF SITUATION
THAT CAN COST SOMEBODY'S LIFE.
OH, BUT I'M GONNA BEAR IT,
'LONG AS I CAN,
NO, I DON'T WANT TO SHARE IT
WITH NO OTHER MAN.
ALL OF MY FUTURE'S IN A FOG,
I'M JUST A DIRTY DOG
LIVIN' DOUBLE IN A WORLD OF TROUBLE.
The lyrics to Lou Rawls's song World of Trouble tell the story of a man who is torn between two women. The singer explains that he is supposed to be faithful to one woman, but he cannot help falling in love with another. He describes both women as sweet and pleasurable to be around, making it difficult to choose between them. He acknowledges that he is living a double life and is aware of the consequences that come with it. Society would condemn him, and he could lose everything he has worked for, including his freedom and possibly his life.
The song is a reflection of the complexities and challenges that come with love and relationships. The singer is struggling with his feelings, and he knows that he is doing something wrong. He is also aware that his actions have the potential to hurt the people he cares about. Despite this, he cannot bring himself to choose between the two women. The lyrics highlight the internal conflict and turmoil that come with living a double life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'M IN A WORLD OF TROUBLE,
I am facing an extremely difficult situation.
DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO,
I am at a loss for solutions to my problem.
SUPPOSED TO BE ONE WOMAN'S MAN,
I am expected to be loyal to one woman.
BUT I AM IN LOVE WITH TWO.
However, I have fallen in love with two women.
ONE IS MY TREASURE,
One woman holds a special place in my heart.
ONE IS MY TREAT,
The other woman is also special to me.
BOTH SUCH A PLEASURE,
Both women make me very happy.
'CAUSE THEY'RE BOTH SO SWEET.
I am attracted to their personalities and qualities.
I CAN'T PUT EITHER OF THEM DOWN,
I cannot choose one over the other.
THAT'S WHY I'M SLIPPIN' 'ROUND
That is why I am being deceitful.
LIVIN' DOUBLE IN A WORLD OF TROUBLE.
I am living a double life and it is causing me a lot of stress.
YES, IT'S A WORLD OF TROUBLE,
My situation is incredibly difficult.
I AIN'T HAPPY NOW,
I am unhappy with the way things are.
'CAUSE I GOT ONE MORE WOMAN
I am unhappy because I am in love with one more woman
THAN THE LEGAL LAWS ALLOW.
than what is legally permitted.
JUDGES WOULD JAIL ME,
If my situation was discovered by the authorities, I would face legal consequences.
PREACHERS WOULD SHOUT,
Religious leaders would condemn my behavior.
BAD TALK WOULD NAIL ME,
I would be subject to harsh criticism from others if people found out about my actions.
IF THE TRUTH GOT OUT.
If my secret was exposed to the public.
POLITE SOCIETY WOULD FROWN,
Respected members of society would disapprove of me.
CLAIM I'M JUST A CLOWN,
They would view me as foolish or ridiculous.
I DO NOT DARE REVEAL
I am afraid to share
THE NEED I DEEPLY FEEL.
The strong desire I have for this lifestyle.
TO MY PROPER FRIENDS IT WOULD SCARE 'EM,
I am fearful that my close friends will be alarmed by my true feelings.
THEY WOULD CHALK IT UP TO GREED,
They would view my actions as being motivated by selfishness.
BUT WHAT I DEEPLY NEED
However, what I truly need is
IS A NEW KIND OF TWO WOMAN HAREM.
To live my life with multiple love interests.
I'VE GOT A WORLD OF TROUBLE,
My situation is incredibly challenging.
A WOMAN AND A WIFE,
I have two women in my life, one being my spouse.
THE KIND OF SITUATION
This type of lifestyle is
THAT CAN COST SOMEBODY'S LIFE.
Extremely risky and could lead to dire consequences.
OH, BUT I'M GONNA BEAR IT,
I will endure this situation.
'LONG AS I CAN,
As long as I can continue living with both women in my life.
NO, I DON'T WANT TO SHARE IT
I don't want to have to share my two lovers
WITH NO OTHER MAN.
with any other man.
ALL OF MY FUTURE'S IN A FOG,
I am uncertain about the direction of my future.
I'M JUST A DIRTY DOG
I am aware of the wrongdoing of my actions and feel guilty.
LIVIN' DOUBLE IN A WORLD OF TROUBLE.
I am living two parallel, deceitful lives that have caused me a lot of emotional distress.
Contributed by Avery L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rietta Richardson
I am shocked there’s only a few comments about this Classic Jam!! I grew up listening to Lou Rawls and this is a superior Jam!! The man’s voice is Amazing…silky, sultry, and smooth! He can’t be touched!
Rapsolady
Just listening (again after a long time) to his album "Legendary" including this song...at the beginning him talking about Chicago. I had a long relation with a man from Chicago South Side and in fact lived with him for a short while. So this song always makes me think of Chicago, one of my favorite cities. So I agree with you...he is so wonderful and is so good for my heart.
groundhog713
Lou singing the blues. RIP Lou...
Willie Robinson
One of my best 👌 👍 😁
Andrew Gravely
OMG ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Linie Person
Say no more !
Melva Baldain
Contact a local lawyer
Linie Person
Say less