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
I Ain't Got Nobody
Sly & The Family Stone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lookin' out for me
I ain't got nobody
I am afraid
Look around from time to time
If you see me lookin' don't pay me no mind
Let me tell you what I'm tryin' to find
She don't have to wear a wig
She don't have to be too big
In any given community as long as she loves me
I ain't got nobody
I ain't got nobody
I ain't got nobody
I ain't got nobody
For real
For real
For real
I ain't got nobody
Lookin' out for me
I ain't got nobody
Anybody can see
All I want is a downhome girl
I'll find her if she's in this world
For real is all she has to be
Reality is all she has to see
Love is all she has to give
Life is all she has to live
If I could have all of this
I'd let her have my every kiss
I ain't got nobody
I ain't got nobody
I ain't got nobody
I ain't got nobody
For real
I ain't got nobody
Lookin' out for me
I ain't got, ain't got nobody
I am afraid
Look around from time to time
If you see me lookin' don't pay me no mind
Let me tell you what I'm tryin' to find
A girl who's for real all the time
She don't have to wear a wig
She don't have to be too big
In any given community as long as she loves me
I ain't got nobody
I ain't got nobody
I ain't got nobody
I ain't got nobody
In Sly & The Family Stone's song "I Ain't Got Nobody," the lyrics express the singer's longing for someone to love and care for him. The repeated line "I ain't got nobody lookin' out for me" suggests the singer is alone and vulnerable. He sings of looking around for someone to fill this void, but he is constantly disappointed, saying "anybody can see" that he is alone. He is searching for a woman who is faithful and genuine, for whom love is a priority above all else. He wants someone who is comfortable in her own skin, and he does not necessarily care about societal standards of beauty or popularity.
The song has a melancholic sound that complements the loneliness expressed in the lyrics. The repetition of the phrase "for real" at the end of each verse adds to the sense of longing and the singer's desperation for a connection. The chorus is a straightforward expression of the singer's isolation, reaffirming his lack of companionship.
Overall, "I Ain't Got Nobody" is a poignant song about loneliness and the search for meaningful connection with others. The singer's desire for authenticity and love is relatable and universal, and the song's simple structure and catchy melody make it a memorable and heartfelt expression of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I ain't got nobody
I have no one in my life who cares for me
Lookin' out for me
Watching over me and taking care of me
I ain't got nobody
I have no one in my life who cares for me
I am afraid
I am scared and alone
Look around from time to time
Occasionally glance around
If you see me lookin' don't pay me no mind
If you catch me looking, don't worry about it
Let me tell you what I'm tryin' to find
I'll share with you what I'm searching for
A girl who's for real all the time
I'm looking for a genuine girl who is true to herself
She don't have to wear a wig
Physical appearance is not important to me
She don't have to be too big
Size doesn't matter to me
In any given community as long as she loves me
As long as she loves me, it doesn't matter where she's from
I ain't got nobody
I have no one in my life who cares for me
For real
I am serious
All I want is a downhome girl
I'm looking for a simple and genuine girl
I'll find her if she's in this world
I am confident I will find her if she exists
For real is all she has to be
I am looking for authenticity and genuineness in a partner
Reality is all she has to see
She needs to see things as they are
Love is all she has to give
All I'm looking for is love from my partner
Life is all she has to live
As long as she is living and experiencing life, that's enough for me
If I could have all of this
If I could find someone who has these qualities
I'd let her have my every kiss
I'd give her all of my love and affection
I ain't got nobody
I have no one in my life who cares for me
For real
I am serious
I ain't got nobody
I have no one in my life who cares for me
Lookin' out for me
Watching over me and taking care of me
I ain't got, ain't got nobody
I have no one in my life who cares for me
I am afraid
I am scared and alone
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SYLVESTER STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind