I'll Take You There
Mavis Staples Lyrics

Ah, ha
Beginning of the song, no meaning inferred.

I know a place
The singer knows of a place where things are better than they currently are.

Ain't nobody cryin'
At this place, there is no crying or sorrow.

Ain't nobody worried
There is no worrying or anxiety at this place.

Ain't no smilin' faces
Contrary to expectation, there aren't even any people smiling at this place.

Mm-mm, no, no
The lack of smiles/frowns is reiterated.

Lyin' to the races
Suggests that people are cheating to compete, which is not a worry in this place.

Help me, come on, come on
The artist is asking for help to reach this place.

Somebody, help me, now
The call for help is more urgent.

(I'll take you there)
The artist is confident that this place is attainable with assistance and is inviting listeners to join.

Help me, y'all
A plea for help from multiple people.

Oh, mm-mm (I'll take you there)
Reiteration of the previous line.

Oh, oh, mercy
Exclamation of amazement that this place exists.

(I'll take you there)
Reiteration of the offer to lead listeners to this place.

Oh, let me take you there
A request for permission to lead the listener to this place.

(I'll take you there)
Reiteration of the offer to lead the listener to this place.

Oh-oh-ho, let me take you there
Further reiteration of the offer to lead the listener to this place.

(I'll take you there)
Further reiteration of the offer to lead the listener to this place.

Play it Mary, play your
The singer is urging Mary to play her piano to inspire and uplift the listeners.

Play your piano now
Clarification of the previous line.

All right
An exclamation of encouragement or approval.

Ah, do it, do it
Further encouragement for Mary to play her piano.

Come on now
An additional exclamation of encouragement.

Play on it, play on it
Repeat of the previous lines to further encourage Mary to play her piano.

Big Daddy, now
A request for Big Daddy to join in providing uplifting encouragement to the listener.

Daddy, Daddy, Daddy
Further encouragement for Big Daddy to contribute.

Play your, um
A call for Big Daddy to play his instrument.

Ooh, Lord
A general exclamation of amazement, joy or awe.

All right now
An expression of encouragement and enthusiasm.

Baby, little lady, easy now
The singer is encouraging the listener to relax and take it easy.

Help me now
A repeat of the plea for assistance with reaching the promised place.

Come on, little lady
An appeal to a female listener to join the artist on the journey to the promised place.

All right
An expression of encouragement and enthusiasm.

Dum-dum-dum-dum
No specific meaning inferred.

Doin' sockin' soul
Engaging in energetic, soulful entertainment or music making.

Aah, oh, aah
Sounds of vocalizations expressing strong emotions like surprise, joy or enthusiasm.

(I'll take you there)
Reiteration of the offer to guide the listener to the aforementioned place of joy and peace.

Ain't nobody cryin' there
Reiteration of the fact that sadness and sorrow are absent in this place.

(I'll take you there)
Reiteration of the promise to take the listener to the desired place.

Ain't nobody worried, y'all
Reiteration of the fact that worry is absent in the promised place.

(I'll take you there)
Reiteration of the commitment to aid in reaching this place of joy.

No smilin' faces
Clarification that, while it may be expected that there would be many smiles at the promised place, there aren't.

(I'll take you there)
Reiteration of the willingness to help the listener attain their goal of finding the promised place of cheer.

Uh-uh
Response to lack of expected smiles.

(Lyin' to the races)
Reminder of the games people play to win, which isn't a factor at the desired place.

(I'll take you there)
Reiteration of the promise to help the listener reach the promised place.

Oh, oh, no
Exclamation of surprise or incredulity about the absence of the expected happiness.

Oh
A general exclamation expressing a clear emotion, like wonder, surprise, or enthusiasm.

(I'll take you there)
A restatement of the thing that we know 'there is a place'. The line is an assurance that the promise is still being held to.

Oh, oh, mercy
An exclamation of excitement in anticipation of taking the listener to the promised joyous place. It could also suggest that the journey to the promised place has begun.

(I'll take you there)
The singer is reassuring the listener that following on this journey will lead them to the promised place.

I'm callin' callin' callin' for mercy
On the journey to the promised place, the artist is calling out for mercy as it is likely that the journey is troublesome or strenuous.

Mercy, mercy
Repetition of the call for mercy.

(I'll take you there)
The singer is assuring the listener that once the journey has been accomplished, it will bring happiness to them.

You gotta, gotta, gotta let me
The singer is requesting for voluntary submission or acquiescence to their offer to lead the listeners to the place of happiness.

Let me take you, take you
The artist is encouraging the listener to use their offer to be taken to the happy place.

Take you over there
The artist is encouraging and proposing that the listener must be willing to be taken to the place of happiness.