Mayfield was born in Minden, Louisiana. As a youth, he showed a talent for poetry, so he thought he would try songwriting and singing. He began his performing career in Texas and had moved to Los Angeles by 1942.
He auditioned his song "Two Years of Torture" to Supreme Records (a Los Angeles-area record label) because he thought it would be a good song for Jimmy Witherspoon. The label liked his performance and asked him to record it in 1947. Although his vocal style was influenced by such stylists as Charles Brown, Mayfield did not focus on the white market as did many West Coast bluesmen. Rather, he sang blues ballads, mostly his own songs, in a gentle vocal style.
In 1950, he signed with Specialty Records and released several well-received R&B records. His most famous performance: "Please Send Me Someone to Love" was a number one R&B hit in 1950. His career continued to blossom with songs like "Strange Things Happening", "Lost Love," "What a Fool I Was," "Prayin' for Your Return," "Cry Baby," and "Big Question." A 1953 auto accident left him seriously injured, including a facial disfigurement that limited his performing.
Mayfield's songs tend to be downbeat and his lyrics tend to be heartbreaking, but his vulnerability and emotional sensitivity prevent songs like "Life Is Suicide" and "The River's Invitation" from being maudlin.
Mayfield continued to write and record for Specialty until 1954 and then recorded for Chess Records and the Imperial label. In the early 1960s, he became one of Ray Charles's favorite songwriters, writing classic songs such as "Hit the Road Jack", "At the Club", and "Danger Zone" (which has the same melody of "Please Send Me Someone to Love". Charles signed Mayfield to his Tangerine logo in 1962.
When Mayfield died of a heart attack in 1984, at the age of 63, he had fallen back into obscurity.
Mayfield hit his creative peak in the years before his music became a mainstream sound. Thus it was always a struggle to gain recognition that he was due. But available examples of his music demonstrate his writing and performing talent and his enormous influence on other performers
Please Send Me Someone to Love
Percy Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Understanding and peace of mind.
But, if it's not asking too much
Please send me someone to love.
Show all the world how to get along,
Peace will enter when hate is gone.
But, if it's not asking too much,
I lay awake night and ponder world troubles.
My answer is always the same.
That unless men put an end to all of this,
Hate will put the world in a flame, (oh) what a shame.
Just because I'm in misery.
I'm not begging for no sympathy.
But if it's not asking too much,
Just send me someone to love.
Heaven please send to all mankind,
Understanding and peace of mind.
But if it's not asking too much,
Please send me someone to love.
Learn to love me or leave me, either one you wanna do
Learn to love me or leave me, either one you wanna do
Because strange things are happenin'
babe, an' somethin' might happen to you
If you know you don't love me, why don't you let me be?
If you know you don't love me, why don't you let me be?
Because it's better to be without you, then to live on in misery
Hey!
Midnight find me cryin', daylight find me cryin', too
Midnight find me cryin', daylight find me cryin', too
You better change your ways pretty baby
or somethin' might happen to you
The song "Please Send Me Someone To Love" by Percy Mayfield sends a message of the need for love and understanding in a world full of hate and misery. The lyrics describe a plea to heaven to send someone to love, but it also emphasizes the importance of peace and how it can be achieved through compassion and respect. Mayfield recognizes the challenges of the world we live in, but the chorus of the song is an optimistic approach that seeks to make a difference, not only a personal one but a universal one.
Mayfield's lyrics suggest that hate is taking over the world and destroying it. He urges people to show others how to coexist peacefully, which will ultimately lead to a better society. Mayfield's message is a call for righteousness, for as long as there is love, the world will be a better place; hence the lyrics, "Just because I'm in misery. I'm not begging for no sympathy. But if it's not asking too much, Just send me someone to love." Mayfield was known for his powerful bluesy voice, and his lyrics carry strong messages of hope and love that speak towards the possibility of understanding and harmony.
Line by Line Meaning
Heaven please send to all mankind, Understanding and peace of mind.
A plea to Heaven in the form of a prayer for all humanity to be blessed with the gifts of knowledge, insight, and tranquility.
But, if it's not asking too much Please send me someone to love.
A humble request for a special someone who will help in achieving joy and happiness.
Show all the world how to get along, Peace will enter when hate is gone.
An appeal to unite for the common cause of creating a peaceful environment and put an end to all the hatred in the world.
I lay awake night and ponder world troubles.
A description of sleeplessness due to the contemplation of global issues.
My answer is always the same.
A point of reference to the plain fact that problems must be solved for the long term.
That unless men put an end to all of this, Hate will put the world in a flame, (oh) what a shame.
A call for humanity to end conflicts and differences to prevent them from causing chaos that might result in life and property loss.
Just because I'm in misery. I'm not begging for no sympathy.
A straightforward statement that despite personal issues, there is no desire for pity or special treatment from others.
But if it's not asking too much, Just send me someone to love.
A reminder that despite the seriousness of the situation, personal happiness is still essential to those who experience it.
Learn to love me or leave me, either one you wanna do Because strange things are happenin' babe, an' somethin' might happen to you
A warning that the relationship should be real, otherwise the lover's fate may not be as pleasant.
If you know you don't love me, why don't you let me be? Because it's better to be without you, then to live on in misery
A message that it's better to end a sham relationship than to continue it just for the sake of avoiding loneliness.
Hey!
A vocalization expressing excitement.
Midnight find me cryin', daylight find me cryin', too You better change your ways pretty baby or somethin' might happen to you
A direct message to the lover that if things don't improve, it's better to end the relationship before anything irreversible happens.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Percy Mayfield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
T.Y. Singz
A soothing blues classic. Percy's lyrics are relevant today although written more than 60 years ago. He ingeniously presents a marvelous plea for world peace with a tiny, yet compelling request for love tucked inside. Notice how he skillfully avoids creating any religious issues by pleading to the universal "Heaven" rather than any particular deity. No wonder he's is called the "Great Generation".
"Heaven please send to all mankind,
Understanding and peace of mind.
But, if it's not asking too much
Please send me someone to love.
Show all the world how to get along,
Peace will enter when hate is gone.
But, if it's not asking too much,
Please send me someone to love.
I lay awake night and ponder world troubles.
My answer is always the same.
That unless men put an end to this abominable sin,
Hate will put the world in a flame, (oh) what a shame.
Just because I'm in misery.
I don't beg for no sympathy.
But if it's not asking too much,
Just send me someone to love.
Heaven please send to all mankind,
Understanding and peace of mind.
But if it's not asking too much,
Please send me someone to love."
伊贝hiba
Heaven please send to all mankind
Understanding and peace of mind
And if it's not asking too much
Please send me someone to love
Show the world how to get along
Peace will enter when hate is gone
And if it's not too much
Please send me someone to love
I lay awake nights
And ponder world troubles
And the answer is always the same
That unless man puts an end to this terrible sin
Hate will put the world in flame . . . what a shame
Just because I'm in misery
I don't beg for no sympathy
But if it's not asking too much
Please send me someone to love
Thought of sharing the lyrics just merely copy and paste i love to listen to music and read the lyrics it's easier to memorize songs this way 😉
calicanto kid
He wrote it. It grew wings and has been soaring ever since.
T.Y. Singz
A soothing blues classic. Percy's lyrics are relevant today although written more than 60 years ago. He ingeniously presents a marvelous plea for world peace with a tiny, yet compelling request for love tucked inside. Notice how he skillfully avoids creating any religious issues by pleading to the universal "Heaven" rather than any particular deity. No wonder he's is called the "Great Generation".
"Heaven please send to all mankind,
Understanding and peace of mind.
But, if it's not asking too much
Please send me someone to love.
Show all the world how to get along,
Peace will enter when hate is gone.
But, if it's not asking too much,
Please send me someone to love.
I lay awake night and ponder world troubles.
My answer is always the same.
That unless men put an end to this abominable sin,
Hate will put the world in a flame, (oh) what a shame.
Just because I'm in misery.
I don't beg for no sympathy.
But if it's not asking too much,
Just send me someone to love.
Heaven please send to all mankind,
Understanding and peace of mind.
But if it's not asking too much,
Please send me someone to love."
M.J. Leger
It is, correctly, "Unless man puts an end to this damnable sin" -- Nancy Wilson and Dinah Washington got it right but most singers do not understand what kind of sin it is! But then, those lyrics are mostly copied from another lyrics site so when one gets it wrong, the copiers all repeat the error! We see it again and again in lyrics! They don't listen, they just copy!
Roy and Jacqueline
Thank you for the lyrics 💞
🥰🇯🇲🏴🕊️🔥✝️
Chris Rose
Awesome Song !!! What an incredible Songwriter he was !!!
伊贝hiba
Heaven please send to all mankind
Understanding and peace of mind
And if it's not asking too much
Please send me someone to love
Show the world how to get along
Peace will enter when hate is gone
And if it's not too much
Please send me someone to love
I lay awake nights
And ponder world troubles
And the answer is always the same
That unless man puts an end to this terrible sin
Hate will put the world in flame . . . what a shame
Just because I'm in misery
I don't beg for no sympathy
But if it's not asking too much
Please send me someone to love
Thought of sharing the lyrics just merely copy and paste i love to listen to music and read the lyrics it's easier to memorize songs this way 😉
Eve Savage
Thank ¥0U!
伊贝hiba
@Eve Savage ☺
Jessica Scott
@伊贝hiba I
Charles Pace
The world could use these relevant lyrics today!