Sly & the Family Stone were an important and influential band from Vallejo,… Read Full Bio ↴Sly & the Family Stone were an important and influential band from Vallejo, California, United States. Active from 1966 until 1975, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia. Headed by singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and containing several of his family members and friends, the band was the first major American rock band to have an integrated lineup in both race and gender.

Brothers Sly Stone and singer/guitarist Freddie Stone combined their bands (Sly & the Stoners and Freddie & the Stone Souls) at the end of 1966. Sly and Freddie Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Gregg Errico, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham completed the original lineup; Sly and Freddie's sister, singer/keyboardist Rose Stone, joined within a year. This collective recorded five Top 10 hits and four groundbreaking albums, which greatly influenced the sound of American pop music, soul, R&B, funk, and hip hop music. In the preface of his 1998 book For the Record: Sly and the Family Stone: An Oral History, Joel Selvin sums up the importance of Sly & the Family Stone's influence on African American music by stating "there are two types of black music: black music before Sly Stone, and black music after Sly Stone". The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
During the early 1970s, the band switched to a grittier funk sound, which was as influential on the music industry as their earlier work. The band began to fall apart during this period because of drug abuse and ego clashes; consequently, the fortunes and reliability of the band deteriorated, leading to its dissolution in 1975. Sly Stone continued to record albums and tour with a new rotating lineup under the "Sly & the Family Stone" name from 1975 to 1983. In 1987, Sly Stone was arrested and sentenced for cocaine use, after which he went into effective retirement.

Cynthia Robinson - January 12, 1944 – November 23, 2015

Harmony
Sly & The Family Stone Lyrics

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You can be you let me be me
that's harmony
Simple as 1-2-3
Easy as a-b-c

Some people feel some life is dead
Better use your head
Work it out and you'll find

Surprised at what you'll find

Something settles in the brain
stop what you're doing and listen to me
Do you like me for who I am
Or who you want me to be

You can be you let me be me
that's harmony
Simple as 1-2-3
Easy as a-b-c

Some people feel some life is dead
Better use your head
Work it out and you'll find
Surprised at what you'll find

I have noticed more than twice
it's so easy to be nice
but if it's you to be clown
I would never put you down

Simple people start talkin
don't let the sparklings cross your map

Simple progress starts
Talkin people that walk in town

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Sly & The Family Stone's song "Harmony" focus on the importance of accepting others for who they are and finding harmony in differences. The opening lines "You can be you let me be me, that's harmony. Simple as 1-2-3, easy as a-b-c" emphasize the simplicity of coexisting without conflict. The line "Some people feel some life is dead, better use your head" suggests that we need to use our intelligence to understand others and ultimately find harmony.

The next verse delves deeper into the existential turmoil that one may face when trying to fit into society's molds. The line "Something settles in the brain, stop what you're doing and listen to me" may be interpreted as referring to societal pressures to conform. The question "Do you like me for who I am, or who you want me to be?" highlights the importance of staying true to oneself and being accepted for who they are. The chorus is then repeated, with a slight variation in the final line, "Easy as a-b-c-d".

In the final verse, the lyrics highlight the importance of kindness and avoiding any temptation to put others down. "I have noticed more than twice, it's so easy to be nice, but if it's you to be clown, I would never put you down" encourages people to be kind and accepting of those who are different from themselves. The final line "Simple progress starts, talking people that walk in town" suggests that finding harmony starts with a simple conversation, and that we can make progress by talking to others and understanding their perspectives.

Line by Line Meaning

You can be you let me be me
Accept me for who I am, don't try to change me

that's harmony
This is what brings peace and balance to a relationship

Simple as 1-2-3
This is not complicated, it's easy to achieve

Easy as a-b-c
This is as simple as learning the alphabet

Some people feel some life is dead
Some people feel like they're not living to their fullest potential

Better use your head
Think about what you're doing

Work it out and you'll find
If you work through the challenges, you'll come out ahead

Surprised at what you'll find
You'll be pleasantly surprised at the outcome

Something settles in the brain
When you learn something, it sticks with you

stop what you're doing and listen to me
Give me your full attention

Do you like me for who I am
Do you accept me for who I truly am?