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
Thankful N' Thoughtful
Sly & The Family Stone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I should have been happy, I still be there
Something could have come and taken me away
But the mainman felt Sly should be here another day
That's why I got to be thankful yeah, yeah
I gotta be thoughtful
Ah ha thankful, you gotta be
From my ankle to the top of my head
I've taken my chances hah, I could have been dead
I started climbing from the bottom oh yeah
All the way to the top ah huh
Before I knew it-I was up there
You believe it or not
Thankful thoughtful
Oh something gets me, hah, put my head on tight
Because I know the future everything'll be all right
Until then I'll kick back and let the light shine
Remember all yours coulda been all mine
That's why you ought to be thankful
Hah, hah, you ought to be thoughtful
Middle of stream, hah, I had to change my stroke
I say I put it on the good foot And it ain't no joke
They said I was dyin' I didn't want to go
I kept on feelin' I had to live some more
I had somethin' to tell y'all
To be thankful you oughta be thoughtful
Still rectifying, straightening things out
I know what a good feelin' you're never in doubt
Sometimes I'm by myself- feelin' alone
I just look around and check it out And then it's all gone
I'm still happy to be here
Thankful you oughta be thoughtful
Count your blessings
My Momma gave me a song And said Son sang
Record thankful and thoughtful, be such a nice thang
People got to be reminded where it's really at
Make your Daddy happy Momma likes it like that
You know I know you know I know
I'm thankful you know I'm thoughtful
The lyrics of Sly & The Family Stone's song "Thankful N' Thoughtful" is all about being grateful and appreciating life. In the first verse, the song talks about how the singer forgot to pray on a Sunday morning but he is still thankful for being alive. He acknowledges that he could have been gone that day, but he's still here. The song emphasizes the importance of being grateful for every opportunity, whether big or small.
The second verse talks about overcoming obstacles and taking chances in life. The singer has climbed his way up from the bottom to the top and is now grateful for every achievement. He recognizes that life is not easy and he could have lost it all, but he's still pushing on. The bridge of the song reminds listeners to be thoughtful and grateful for what they have and to count their blessings. The song concludes with the singer acknowledging that his mother taught him the value of being thankful and sharing that message with others.
Overall, the song is a powerful message about the importance of gratitude and cherishing every moment in life. It teaches us to appreciate the little things that often go unnoticed and to be thankful for the opportunities we have been given.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunday morning, I forgot my prayer
I forgot to express gratitude for my life and existence
I should have been happy, I still be there
I could have been content with what I had, and where I was in life
Something could have come and taken me away
Life is uncertain, anything could happen to me at any moment
But the mainman felt Sly should be here another day
Life has granted me another day to breathe and live
That's why I got to be thankful yeah, yeah
It's important to express gratitude for the gift of life
I gotta be thoughtful
It's important to reflect on my blessings and appreciate them
Ah ha thankful, you gotta be thoughtful
It's important to be both grateful and appreciative
From my ankle to the top of my head
My whole body; every part of me
I've taken my chances hah, I could have been dead
I've survived life-threatening situations and I'm lucky to be alive
I started climbing from the bottom oh yeah
I worked my way up from the bottom of the ladder
All the way to the top ah huh
I've reached the pinnacle of my success
Before I knew it-I was up there
I achieved success without realizing it
You believe it or not
Whether you accept it or not
Oh something gets me, hah, put my head on tight
Something motivates me and gives me strength to push on
Because I know the future everything'll be all right
I remain optimistic that my future will be bright and favorable
Until then I'll kick back and let the light shine
For now, I will relax and let things take their natural course
Remember all yours coulda been all mine
I am aware that my blessings could have belonged to someone else, and I appreciate them
That's why you ought to be thankful
That's why it's important to express gratitude
Hah, hah, you ought to be thoughtful
And also important to reflect on what we have been given
Middle of stream, hah, I had to change my stroke
I had to adjust my approach and adapt to changing situations
I say I put it on the good foot And it ain't no joke
I have worked hard and persevered to get where I am
They said I was dyin' I didn't want to go
People have tried to bring me down, but I didn't let them
I kept on feelin' I had to live some more
I had a strong desire to keep on living and thriving
I had somethin' to tell y'all
I have a message to share with everyone
To be thankful you oughta be thoughtful
In order to express gratitude, you must also reflect and appreciate all that you have
Still rectifying, straightening things out
I am still fixing things and making improvements in my life
I know what a good feelin' you're never in doubt
I am confident in the positive feelings I have and I will never doubt them
Sometimes I'm by myself- feelin' alone
At times, I feel isolated and lonely
I just look around and check it out
But I remind myself of my blessings and appreciate what I have
And then it's all gone
And the feelings of loneliness and isolation disappear
I'm still happy to be here
I am still grateful for my life and existence
Thankful you oughta be thoughtful
Again, emphasizing the importance of gratitude and reflection
Count your blessings
Always appreciate the things you have in your life
My Momma gave me a song And said Son sang
My mother gave me this song and told me to sing it
Record thankful and thoughtful, be such a nice thang
To record a song expressing gratitude and appreciation would be a nice gesture
People got to be reminded where it's really at
People need to be reminded of the importance of being grateful and appreciating what they have
Make your Daddy happy Momma likes it like that
My mother wants me to make my father happy by recording this song
You know I know you know I know
I am confident that you also understand the importance of gratitude
I'm thankful you know I'm thoughtful
I express my gratitude and appreciate what I have
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SYLVESTER STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind