Riperton grew up on Chicago's southside. As a child, she studied music, drama, and dance at Chicago's Lincoln Center. In her teen years, she sang lead vocals for the Chicago-based girl group, The Gems. Her early affiliation with the legendary Chess Records afforded her the opportunity to sing backup for various established artist such as Etta James, Fontella Bass, Ramsey Lewis, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Muddy Waters. While at Chess, Riperton also sang lead for the experimental rock/soul group Rotary Connection, from 1967 to 1971. In 1969 Riperton, along with Rotary Connection, played in the first Catholic Rock Mass at the Liturgical Conference National Convention, Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, WI. produced by James F. Colaianni. Riperton reached the apex of her short, but esteemed, career with her number-one hit single, "Lovin' You," on April 4, 1975. The single was the last release from her 1974 gold album entitled Perfect Angel.
In January 1976 Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a radical mastectomy.[3] By the time of diagnosis, the cancer had metastasized and she was given about six months to live. Despite the grim prognosis, she continued recording and touring. Riperton was one of the first celebrities to go public with her breast cancer diagnosis, but did not disclose that she was terminally ill. In 1977, she became spokesman for the American Cancer Society. In 1978, Riperton also received the American Cancer Society's Courage Award which was presented to her at the White House by President Jimmy Carter. She died at age 31 on July 12, 1979.[3][4]
Light My Fire
Minnie Riperton & Hose Feliciano Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you, yeah
Girl, we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
The time for hesitation is through
Darling we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire, yeah
Yeah, you know that it would be untrue
And you know that I would be a liar
If I was to go and tell you
Momma we couldn't get much higher
Well, come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire, yeah
Yeah, come on baby light, would you light my fire, yeah
Come on baby light my fire, would you, oh it's alright
Light my fire, light my fire, light my fire
Light my fire, light my fire, light my fire, girl
You better light my fire
Come on baby, you better light, you better light my fire
Minnie Riperton's "Light My Fire" is a cover of the classic rock song originally performed by The Doors in 1967. The lyrics of the song revolve around a call to action, urging a lover to ignite passion and desire. The refrain, "Come on baby, light my fire / Try to set the night on fire" urges the lover to take action and give themselves over to passion.
The opening lyrics, "You know that it would be untrue / You know that I would be a liar / If I was to say to you, yeah / Girl, we couldn't get much higher" set up the tone of the song, highlighting the need for honesty and authenticity in relationships. The singer is transparent in their desire for physical intimacy, urging their lover with the repeated refrain to "light my fire."
The lyrics also alludes to the danger and risks involved in giving into passion completely. The line, "And our love become a funeral pyre" suggests that the intense passion between the lovers could lead to a destructive end. However, the singer urges their lover to take the risk, acknowledging that there is no time for hesitation and "wallowing in the mire."
Overall, Minnie Riperton's version of "Light My Fire" captures the sense of urgency, danger, and passion of the original song, highlighting the need for honesty and authenticity in relationships, and acknowledging the risks involved in pursuing passion.
Line by Line Meaning
You know that it would be untrue
You are aware that if I said otherwise it would be a lie.
You know that I would be a liar
You know that I wouldn't tell the truth.
If I was to say to you, yeah
If I were to express myself, I would say.
Girl, we couldn't get much higher
Baby, we couldn't feel any more intense emotions.
Come on baby, light my fire
You need to ignite my passion now.
Try to set the night on fire
Let's create an intense and unforgettable experience.
The time for hesitation is through
We don't have time to waste anymore.
There's no time to wallow in the mire
There's no point in feeling down or depressed.
Darling we can only lose
We have nothing to gain from holding back.
And our love become a funeral pyre
If we don't act now, our love will become a distant memory.
Yeah, you know that it would be untrue
You know that what I'm about to say is not a lie.
And you know that I would be a liar
You know me well enough to know when I'm not telling the truth.
If I was to go and tell you
If I decided to explain myself further.
Momma we couldn't get much higher
Baby, we are already on an emotional high.
Well, come on baby, light my fire
Baby, don't waste any more time.
Yeah, come on baby light, would you light my fire, yeah
Baby, I'm begging you to ignite my passion now.
Come on baby light my fire, would you, oh it's alright
You can ignite my passion at your own speed, it's okay.
Light my fire, light my fire, light my fire
Ignite my passion and desire.
Girl, you better light my fire
You better ignite my passion soon, girl.
Come on baby, you better light, you better light my fire
Baby, I need you to ignite my passion now, don't hold back.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: John Densmore, Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Terrance bradford sr
This woman still bring tears to my eyes. Amazing. We love you Minnie....
Karen McGee
Mine too Terrance!
Marty Emmons
If there's a heaven, I hope she knows how much joy and happiness she is giving to me.
Cecelia Walker
Yesssss. Agreed
Lueldo Santino
Uma curta passagem , mas uma longa mensagem, foi-se muito cedo, um talento gigantesco, voz incomparável. Artistas assim, levam décadas pra surgirem outras semelhantes, mas até aqui ainda não surgiu uma voz assim , perfeita, delicada, uma rosa sem espinhos
César Delgado Villena
Por Dios. ¡Que gran regalo nos dejó Minnie!! Que hermoso su voz al cantar y hablar en español. 🌹💕
MasterKhem
She was soooooooo underrated!!!! It makes Me so angry that music this beautiful is overlooked.
Regina S
She was not underrated..
Marty Emmons
I feel the same way about Minnie Riperton. There's an episode of "Unsung" to confirm that she didn't get more recognition by the music industry. She grew up in Chicago about the same time as the Hutchinson sisters (The Emotions) and Yvette Stevens (Chaka Khan). I don't think these women get the recognition they deserve. The Emotions were featured in an episode of "Unsung" also. And Chaka Khan is so powerful that she doesn't care what shallow people think. I think it's a shame that this video has so few views and comments.
Gaming At The Simputer
She wasn't.
Her songs are not pop enough. All of them are in the right place as they don't belong to sung-by-everyone type.