Arnold was born into a family of gospel singers, Arnold performed as a vocal soloist for the first time when she was four years old. Her family lived in the African-American Watts ghetto of Los Angeles.
Arnold married early and had two children, Kevin and Debbie. She worked two jobs, one in an office and the other in food manufacturing, until 1964, when Maxine Smith, an ex-girlfriend of her brother, contacted her with an offer. Maxine and her friend Gloria Scott had managed to arrange an audition for three girls to replace the original Ikettes, the dancer/singer troupe that provided vocal and dance accompaniment for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Smith contacted Arnold, whom she knew to be a singer. At the audition the three young women were offered the job on the spot, but Smith convinced Arnold to attend a concert in Fresno that night before making a final decision. When she arrived home at 6:00 the next morning, Arnold's furious husband struck her. Arnold left him immediately, and after placing her children in the care of her parents, joined the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.
Arnold quit the Turner band in 1966 to remain in London and establish a solo career with Mick Jagger's encouragement. She noted the difference between how she had been treated in America and how she was received in England, saying, "A young black woman on her own in America in a white environment would not have been treated as well as I was in England." She enjoyed several major British hits on Immediate, including songs written for her by Paul Korda, who wrote "The Time Has Come." She also recorded songs written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane from labelmates Small Faces, who also backed her on several recordings, and Arnold had a brief romantic liaison with Marriott in 1967. She toured with the Small Faces during 1967-68, made several TV appearances with them, and featured as backing vocalist on two of the group's biggest hits, "Itchycoo Park" and "Tin Soldier". Other credits in this period include her duet with Rod Stewart on the single "Come Home Baby" (produced by Mick Jagger), and Chris Farlowe's version of the Motown standard "Reach Out (I'll Be There)"
Her first backing band, the Blue Jays, had been inherited from American soul singer Ronnie Jones and included former Bluesbreakers guitarist Roger Dean. This was followed by the Nice, led by Keith Emerson on organ who had just quit from the VIPs — later to be known as Spooky Tooth — on organ and piano, David O'List on guitar, Lee Jackson on bass and Ian Hague on drums. During this period she scored several hits including a cover of the Cat Stevens song "The First Cut Is the Deepest" and "Angel of the Morning", plus the Marriott-Lane song "(If You Think You're) Groovy".
After the collapse of Immediate in the late 1960s, Arnold signed a production contract with the Robert Stigwood Organisation and released two singles on the Polydor label, produced by Barry Gibb, but a planned album with Gibb was never completed. Between 1969 and 1970, she recorded eleven songs which were produced by Gibb himself but only two of the songs "Bury Me Down By the River" and "Give a Hand, Take a Hand" were released. In February 1970, she sang harmony vocals on the song "Born" which was included on Gibb's debut solo album The Kid's No Good.
In 1970 she moved to the musical stage, appearing alongside P.J. Proby in the rock musical Catch My Soul. She then formed a new backing band that included the future members of Ashton, Gardner & Dyke, plus Steve Howe, who would soon join Yes. During this period she renewed her association with Steve Marriott, recording and touring with his new band Humble Pie (Rock On (Humble Pie album)|Rock On), as well as contributing session musician backing vocals for many notable UK and US recordings including the original 1970 album recording of the rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar, Nick Drake's "Poor Boy", and recordings by Dr John, Graham Nash, Gary Wright, Manassas, Nektar, Jimmy Witherspoon, Nils Lofgren and Eric Burdon. She toured with Eric Clapton, who also produced a number of unreleased sessions with her; during these sessions she met American bassist Fuzzy Samuels of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and they subsequently became involved romantically and had a son, Kodzo. In 1974 she sang on the Freddie King album Burglar and feeling out of place in the rapidly changing British music scene of the mid-1970s, Arnold and Samuels returned to her hometown of Los Angeles. While living there, Arnold's relationship with Samuels ended and just two weeks after the split, her daughter Debbie was killed in a car accident. After her daughter's death, Arnold withdrew from public life for some time, not re-emerging until 1978. At this time she was reunited with Barry Gibb, who wanted to complete the never-finished solo album for her. In 1981 she moved to Hollywood but returned to England the following year to raise her younger son there. She began working with leading British reggae band Steel Pulse and returned to the charts in both the UK and Australia on the hit 1983 cover version of the Staple Singers "Respect Yourself", recorded with British electropop group Kane Gang, which reached #21 in Britain and #19 in Australia.
In 1984, she returned to the stage in the cast of the musical Starlight Express as Belle the Sleeping Car, after which she worked with a number of noted British acts including Boy George as well as working on several film soundtracks. Weeks before beginning a tour with Billy Ocean, her legs were badly injured in a car accident. She went ahead with the Ocean tour, at first appearing on crutches, but her injuries eventually forced her to leave the tour after ten weeks. Without a record contract and unable to play live, Arnold survived by doing sessions for advertising jingles. In 1986 she returned to the rock scene, featuring prominently as a backing vocalist on Peter Gabriel's worldwide hit "Sledgehammer". This was followed by a successful collaboration with the Beatmasters on the retro-styled Acid House hit "Burn It Up", which reached #14 in Britain in October 1988, and became her third hit to spend 10 weeks or more on the UK Singles Chart. During the late 1980s and 1990s Arnold resumed an active career as a session vocalist, and her credits in this period included The KLF ("What Time Is Love?", "3 A.M Eternal"), Nina Hagen, Roger Waters (Amused To Death), Graham Parker. In 1989 she reunited with her old friend Steve Marriott to record his solo album "30 Seconds to Midnite", which sadly proved to be their final collaboration (Marriott died tragically in a house fire in 1991).
In 1994, she joined the cast of the award-winning musical Once on This Island as Erzulie, beautiful Goddess of Love. While the production was playing in Birmingham she met leading UK band Ocean Colour Scene, one of the new wave of latter-day mod groups who (like their mentor Paul Weller), idolised the Small Faces. In 1995 Arnold joined forces with Primal Scream to record a blistering cover version of the Small Faces' song "Understanding", the opening track of the various artists Small Faces tribute album, Long Agos and Worlds Apart.
Arnold joined forces with Chaz Jankel, former pianist with Ian Dury and the Blockheads. This was followed by an invitation to tour widely with Roger Waters. She was a backup vocalist on his 1999–2000 tour In the Flesh (also on the CD and DVD of the same name), as well as the 2006–2008 tour, Dark Side of the Moon Live. Her version of "The First Cut is the Deepest" was featured in the soundtrack of the 2012 movie Seven Psychopaths.
Please note that the artist's name is sometimes spelled as P.P. Arnold or P. P. Arnold. However, PP Arnold is the most commonly used and therefore preferred spelling here on Last.fm.
Spinning Wheel
PP Arnold Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spinnin' wheel got to go 'round
Talkin' 'bout your troubles it's a cryin' sin
Ride a painted pony let the spinnin' wheel spin
You got no money and you got no home
Spinnin' wheel all alone
Talkin' 'bout your troubles and you, you never learn
Ride a painted pony let the spinnin' wheel turn
Straight and narrow highway
Would you mind a reflecting sign
Just let it shine within your mind
And show you the colors that are real
Someone is waiting just for you
Spinnin' wheel, spinnin' true
Drop all your troubles by the riverside
Catch a painted pony on the spinning wheel ride
Someone is waiting just for you
Spinnin' wheel, spinnin' true
Drop all your troubles by the riverside
Ride a painted pony let the spinnin' wheel fly
PP Arnold's song Spinning Wheel is a soulful and introspective ballad that is about the cyclical nature of life. The opening line, "What goes up must come down," is a reference to Newton's law of gravity, which states that what goes up must come down. The spinnin' wheel, which 'got to go 'round,' is a metaphor for the cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth. The lyrics suggest that life is a constant cycle, and that one must learn to ride the waves of change and accept the ups and downs.
The second stanza speaks about the struggles of life. It talks about having no money and no home, and how talking about one's problems is a 'cryin' sin'. Despite the difficulties, the song suggests that one can find solace in riding a painted pony and letting the spinnin' wheel spin. The third stanza is about finding direction in life. The lyrics ask if one has found the directing sign on the straight and narrow highway, and if they would mind a reflecting sign showing them the colors that are real. This is an invitation to look within oneself and find the answers to life's questions.
The song ends on a hopeful note, with the assertion that someone is waiting for the listener. This could be interpreted as a romantic relationship, or as a metaphor for finding one's purpose in life. The painted pony and spinnin' wheel represent the journey through life, and the idea of dropping one's troubles by the riverside is a plea to let go of negative thoughts and emotions. The closing line, 'Ride a painted pony let the spinnin' wheel fly,' is a call to embrace life's journey and let go of fear and doubt.
Line by Line Meaning
What goes up must come down
Everything in life has its ups and downs
Spinnin' wheel got to go 'round
Life is constantly moving and changing
Talkin' 'bout your troubles it's a cryin' sin
Focusing on problems without taking action is pointless and depressing
Ride a painted pony let the spinnin' wheel spin
Take a chance and enjoy the ride of life
You got no money and you got no home
Feeling lost and without direction in life
Spinnin' wheel all alone
Feeling like you're the only one struggling in life
Talkin' 'bout your troubles and you, you never learn
Repeating the same mistakes and dwelling on problems without finding a solution
Ride a painted pony let the spinnin' wheel turn
Embrace life's changes and take chances on new opportunities
Did you find the directing sign on the
Straight and narrow highway
Have you found your path in life or are you lost?
Would you mind a reflecting sign
Just let it shine within your mind
And show you the colors that are real
Would you be willing to reflect on your life and find what is truly important to you?
Someone is waiting just for you
Spinnin' wheel, spinnin' true
Drop all your troubles by the riverside
Catch a painted pony on the spinning wheel ride
There is someone or something out there waiting for you to embrace life's opportunities and take chances
Ride a painted pony let the spinnin' wheel fly
Take control of your life and enjoy the ride
Contributed by Bella M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.