Cole was exposed to the greats of jazz, soul and blues at an early age and began performing at the age of 11. Her debut album in 1975, Inseparable, won her immediate praise, with the smash single This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) (#1 R&B, #6 Pop) winning her a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female, a category that had been monopolized by Aretha Franklin, since its inception in 1967. She also was named the Grammys' Best New Artist of 1975. She attended the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Northfield, MA.
More hits followed through 1980, including her biggest Pop hit, 1977's I've Got Love On My Mind, as well as Sophisticated Lady (She's A Different Lady) (1976), Our Love (1978), and Someone That I Used To Love (1980). "I've Got Love On My Mind" and "Our Love" both earned certifications as Gold singles. But then her career hit a snag in the early 1980s due to a severe drug problem. By 1985, Natalie was clean, sober, and in fine voice, and ready to begin her comeback in earnest with the album Dangerous, released on the Modern label.
In 1987, she released Everlasting (on EMI Manhattan) which sold over 2 million copies in the U.S., and won Cole a Soul Train Award for Female Single of the Year for the #1 R&B ballad I Live for Your Love. This album was the one that put Natalie Cole firmly back in the spotlight, yielding three major hit singles: Jump Start, "I Live For Your Love" (#2 AC and #13 Pop as well as #1 R&B), and a successful remake of Bruce Springsteen's Pink Cadillac (#5 Pop, #16 AC, and #1 Dance). The album also included a taste of things to come in her career with a remake of one of her father's signature hits, "When I Fall In Love," which did moderately well on the AC chart. In 1989, the aptly-titled Good To Be Back gave her another across-the-board smash with "Miss You Like Crazy" (#1 both R&B and AC, and #7 Pop).
However, it was her 1991 album, Unforgettable... with Love, featuring her own arrangements of her father's greatest hits, that gave her the most success. Ironically, when Natalie began her career, she was determined not to capitalize on her father's name and wanted to forge her own identity by going after the soul market in earnest. For many years, she also found the prospect of recording her late father's songs too painful on a personal level. But Unforgettable... With Love certainly paid off. The set sold over 5 million copies in the United States alone, and won Cole several Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. The album featured a duet, the title track, with her father, created by splicing a recording of his vocals into the track. As a single, it reached #14 on Billboard Magazine's Hot 100 chart, and went gold. The one sour spot in the album's success was that it strained Natalie's already-tumultuous relationship with her mother, Maria, who said in interviews at the time that she couldn't listen to the album or attend any of her daughter's concerts because she felt that the music really belonged to her late husband.
Natalie has released several more albums of pop standards in the years since; as a result of appealing to the "adult standards" audience, she has made only occasional forays onto the pop singles charts in that time (for example, "A Smile Like Yours," #8 AC and #84 Pop in 1997), although her albums still sell well. Her 1999 album Snowfall On The Sahara marked a return to the easy adult-contemporary soul that categorized her late-1980s hits, but for 2002's critically-praised Ask A Woman Who Knows, she turned more to the jazz side of the spectrum, covering songs made famous by Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, and Sarah Vaughan.
Battle With Drugs
In 2000, Cole released an autobiography, Angel on my Shoulder, which described her battle with drugs during much of her life. In the book, Cole admitted to using LSD, heroin and crack cocaine. Cole said she began experimenting with drugs while attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and was arrested in Toronto, Canada for possession of heroin in 1975. Cole continued to spiral out of control - including an incident in which her young son Robert nearly drowned in the family swimming pool while she and her first husband, the late Reverend Marvin Yancy were on a drug binge - until she entered rehab in 1983.
In concert with the release of the book, her autobiography was turned into a made-for-TV movie, The Natalie Cole Story, which aired December 10, 2000 on NBC.
Natalie has been married three times and has a son Robert Yancy (by Marvin Yancy), born in 1977. She later married former Rufus drummer Andre Fischer, who co-produced the Grammy Award-winning Unforgettable... With Love, Natalie's love offering featuring songs made famous by her father, including a faux-duet between her and her father.
The marriage to Fischer ended in divorce a few years later, amidst rumors of domestic verbal and physical abuse.
It has also been reported that Natalie has recovered from a life-threatening hepatitis illness (most likely the cause of her years of drug abuse) by having a liver transplant.
Miss Cole went on to release more albums after Unforgettable...With Love, with most of them featuring jazz-oriented standard songs or pop-song remakes. None of the albums were nearly as successful as Unforgettable...With Love.
As of 2013, Natalie Cole spent most of her professional time covering the concert circuit entertaining audiences around the world with her hits.
On December 31, 2015, Natalie Cole died from congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She was aged 65.
Gotta Serve Somebody
Natalie Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You might like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
You might be a rock 'n' roll man, prancing on the stage
Plenty of drugs at your command and women in a cage
You might be a businessman or some high degree thief
They may call you 'Doctor', they may call you 'Chief'
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh, serve somebody, yeah, yeah, serve somebody
Oh, it may be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Now, you may be a State Trooper, you might be a young Turk
You may even be the head of some great big TV network
You may be rich or poor and you may be blind or chained
You might be living in another country under another name
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh, serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're still gonna have to serve somebody
Maybe a construction worker working on a home
Might be living in a mansion, you might live in a dome
You may own guns, you may even own tanks
You may be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh yeah, serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh, it might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Now you can call me Terry or you might call me Moore
You may call me David or you might call me Coe
You can call me RJ or you can call me Ray
You can call me anything, I don't care what you say
You're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh, serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a rock 'n' roll star, prancing on the stage
You got plenty of drugs at your command, you got women in a cage
You might be a big businessman or some high degree thief
Now they might call you 'Doctor', they might call you 'Chief'
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
It might be the devil, it might be, it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh man, you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
Serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
Somebody, somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
In “Gotta Serve Somebody,” Natalie Cole sings about the different roles individuals may play in society, from an ambassador or socialite to a rock ‘n’ roll star or high degree thief. Regardless of their status, each person must ultimately serve someone, whether it be the devil or the Lord. The song is about the universal truth that all people are under some form of authority or power and must serve someone or something. Natalie Cole highlights the idea that even if one person thinks they are in charge, they are still serving someone or something else. This song also suggests that all people have an important role to play in society, no matter how big or small.
The lyrics are simple and direct, evoking a message that is both timeless and relevant today. The song is not about religion, but rather about recognizing the ways that power, authority, and hierarchy exist in society. This song is a reminder that each individual has a choice to make about how they will use their power and influence. “Gotta Serve Somebody” has been covered by numerous artists, including Bob Dylan himself, who wrote the song. The song remains a classic and relevant message today.
Line by Line Meaning
You may be an ambassador to England or France
You might serve as a representative of your country in another land
You might like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may enjoy taking risks and moving to a beat
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You could be a successful fighter who has won many matches
You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls
You could be a wealthy person who attends fancy parties and wears expensive jewelry
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
No matter who you are or what you do, you will have to answer to someone
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
The person you serve could be God, or it could be the devil
You might be a rock 'n' roll man, prancing on the stage
You may be a musician who performs in front of large audiences
Plenty of drugs at your command and women in a cage
You may have access to drugs and other vices in your industry
You might be a businessman or some high degree thief
You could be involved in the business world or engage in illegal activities
They may call you 'Doctor', they may call you 'Chief'
People may address you with titles of respect or authority
Now, you may be a State Trooper, you might be a young Turk
You could serve in law enforcement or be a bold, ambitious person
You may even be the head of some great big TV network
You could be in charge of a major media company
You may be rich or poor and you may be blind or chained
You may have wealth, poverty, disabilities or other challenges in your life
You might be living in another country under another name
You could be living in a foreign land or using a different identity
Maybe a construction worker working on a home
You could be involved in manual labor, building structures
Might be living in a mansion, you might live in a dome
You could live in a grand, luxurious home or a more unique dwelling
You may own guns, you may even own tanks
You may have weapons or other military equipment in your possession
You may be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks
You could be a property owner or a powerful figure in finance
Now you can call me Terry or you might call me Moore
You can address me using different names, it doesn't matter to me
You can call me anything, I don't care what you say
Names and titles aren't important, as long as I know who I serve
It might be the devil, it might be, it might be the Lord
The choice to serve good or evil is yours to make
Oh man, you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
There's no escape from serving someone or something
Somebody, somebody
It doesn't matter who you serve, as long as you serve somebody
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
perry cox
You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage
You may be a business man or some high-degree thief
They may call you doctor or they may call you chief
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes you are
You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame
You may be living in another country under another name
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes you are
You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a construction worker working on a home
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome
You might own guns and you might even own tanks
You might be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray
You may call me anything but no matter what you say
Still, you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Sam Wood
This is hands down the best cover of the Dylan classic. It absolutely rocks!
Hoganbeg
Interestingly, Bob Dylan wrote the additional lyrics especially for her and this recording; my favorite version.
Jazziz Café
Recordando a Natalie Cole (@NatalieCole) encontramos esta versión del tema de Bob Dylan (@bobdylan) "Gotta serve somebody" con el que el músico de Duluth, Minnesota, ganó el Grammy (@TheGRAMMYs) a 'Mejor Interpretación Vocal Masculina' en 1980. Una pena no poder disfrutar de nuevos temas en la voz de la increíble Natalie, así que debemos conformarnos con los temas que dejo grabados en los más de 30 millones de álbumes que vendió a lo largo de su carrera. #RnB #SmoothVocals
bob calegari
saw her live, incredible. best cover
carmsfavtoo
I had no idea Natalie recorded this wonderful song. I love this version! Thank you, Eileen. Great photos to go along with the music, as usual=) Carma
César Morán García
¡me encanta!
David Eb
Natalie Cole at her best! These album, "Snowfall on the Sahara" is terrific!
J.R. Peters
A great version -- thank you Natalie!
saintsamaritan
I like other versions of this song but this one with Natalie and her clear distinct phrasing and lovely voice along with a great choir is excellent.
John Smith
From another song - "Simply the best"! Beautiful song, wonderful singer...images were fantastic .... well done!