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
Sing A Simple Song
Sly & The Family Stone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm talking, talking, talking, talking, talking in my sleep
I'm walking, walking, walking, walking, walking in the street
Time is passing, I grow older, things are happening fast
Let me hear you say
"Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya
Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya"
Sing a simple song
Try a little do re mi fa so la ti do
Do re mi fa so la ti do
Do re mi fa so la ti do
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm living, living, living life with all its ups and downs
I'm giving, giving, giving love and smiling at the frowns
You're in trouble when you find it's hard for you to smile
A simple song might make it better for a little while
Let me hear you say
"Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya
Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya"
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm talking, talking, talking, talking
I'm walking, walking, walking, walking
I'm living, living, living, living
I'm giving love and lovin' loving
Everybody sing together
Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya
Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya
Sing it in the shower
Sing it every hour
Sing it, sing it, sing it, sing it, sing it, sing it
Sing it with your mother sing it
Sing it, mama, sing it
Sing it with your father sing it
Sing it, papa, sing it, sing it, woo ta ta ta ta ta
Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya
I'm talking now, I'm walking
I'm walking, hey ey ey hey yeah
Okay, okay now
In "Sing a Simple Song," Sly & The Family Stone emphasizes the importance of keeping things simple and relying on music to help you through life's struggles. The first two verses describe the constant movement and change in life, with the singer talking and walking in his sleep and on the street. However, the chorus emphasizes the power of singing a simple song, symbolized by the do-re-mi scales. The lyrics suggest that, no matter what happens in life, there is always hope in simplicity and music.
The song encourages listeners to join in on the chorus, demonstrating the unifying power of music. The final verse specifies the power of music in overcoming hardship, describing how a simple song can make life feel better, even if only for a short while. The repetition of "yeah, yeah, yeah" and "ya, ya, ya" in the chorus adds to the infectious and uplifting nature of the song, making it easy to sing along and appreciate the simplicity of the message.
Line by Line Meaning
Sing a simple song
Encouraging everyone to sing a simple tune to uplift them in tough times
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The chorus of the song, repeating the simple lyrics
I'm talking, talking, talking, talking, talking in my sleep
Thinking about life and its complexities even when resting
I'm walking, walking, walking, walking, walking in the street
Moving forward in life despite facing challenges along the way
Time is passing, I grow older, things are happening fast
Life goes on and time never stops, reminding the artist of their mortality
All I have to hold on to is a simple song at last
In the midst of turmoil, a simple tune can be a source of comfort and stability
Let me hear you say
"Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya
Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya"
Encouraging listeners to participate in singing the simple tune
Try a little do re mi fa so la ti do
Do re mi fa so la ti do
Do re mi fa so la ti do
Providing a basic scale to the simple song that anyone can follow
I'm living, living, living life with all its ups and downs
Experiencing life to the fullest, both good times and bad times
I'm giving, giving, giving love and smiling at the frowns
Spreading positivity and happiness even in the midst of challenges
You're in trouble when you find it's hard for you to smile
Acknowledging the difficulty of maintaining a positive outlook when things get tough
A simple song might make it better for a little while
The power of music to provide a temporary escape from difficult situations
I'm talking, talking, talking, talking
I'm walking, walking, walking, walking
I'm living, living, living, living
I'm giving love and lovin' loving
Repeating the simple actions of talking, walking, living, and loving, emphasizing the importance of such basic human experiences
Everybody sing together
Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya
Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya
Encouraging everyone to sing the simple tune in unison
Sing it in the shower
Sing it every hour
Urging listeners to sing the song often, even in private and mundane moments
Sing it, sing it, sing it, sing it, sing it, sing it
Sing it with your mother sing it
Sing it, mama, sing it
Sing it with your father sing it
Sing it, papa, sing it, sing it, woo ta ta ta ta ta
Encouraging listeners to sing the song with their loved ones as a way to connect with each other
Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya
I'm talking now, I'm walking
I'm walking, hey ey ey hey yeah
Okay, okay now
The song ends with a repetition of the chorus and the basic actions of talking and walking, as a reminder of the simple yet powerful message of the song
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SYLVESTER STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
S
Sing a simple song!
Rose:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Freddie:
I'm talkin', talkin', talkin', talkin', talkin' in my sleep
Larry:
I'm walkin', walkin', walkin', walkin', walkin' in the street
Sly:
Time is passin', I grow older, things are happening fast
All I have to hold on to is a simple song at last
Let me hear you say...
All Together:
Yaaaaa, ya-ya yaa ya
Yaaaaa, ya-ya yaa ya
Cynthia:
Sing a simple song
Try a little do, re, me, fa, so, la, ti, do
Do, re, me, fa, so, la, ti, do
Do, re, me, fa, so, la, ti, do
Rose:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Freddie:
I'm livin', livin', livin' life with all its ups and downs
Larry:
I'm givin', givin', givin' love and smiling at the frowns
Sly:
You're in trouble when you find it's hard for you to smile
A simple song might make it better for a little while
Let me hear you say...
All Together:
Yaaaaa, ya-ya yaa ya
Yaaaaa, ya-ya yaa ya
Drum and horn breakdown
Rose:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Freddie:
I'm talkin', talkin', talkin', talkin'
Larry:
I'm walkin', walkin', walkin', walkin'
Freddie:
I'm livin', livin', livin' love
Larry:
I'm livin' lovin' know about lovin'
Sly:
Everybody sing together
All Together:
Yaaaaa, ya-ya yaa ya
Yaaaaa, ya-ya yaa ya
Sing it in the shower
Yaaaaa, ya-ya yaa ya
Sing it every hour, sing it
Sing it, sing it, sing it
Sing it with your mama, sing it
Sing it mama, got it sing it
Yaaaaa, ya-ya yaa ya
Sing it with your papa, sing it
Sing it papa, got it sing it
Yaaaaa, ya-ya yaa ya
Michael Winder
50 years later...still fresh..still funky asf
23element115
Fresh lol.
Janet Richardson
Sly and the Family's music is timeless. These words have meaning. Love
Joey Scott
Yeah..back then funk had real meaning.
Today hip hop took it all away by sampling old school and trying to change the message.
Carl Bowles
Still one of the best funk jams I ever heard.
Larry Aldama
🇺🇸🎸
Joshua Stephens
One of the greatest songs of all time and one of my favourites ever
Carl Bowles
Yes absolutely 💯%
Larry Aldama
👍🇺🇸🎸🇺🇸
Takeshi
The drums are a classic, but I love the vocals at 0:41, one of the most soulful I've heard.