His initial rise to stardom occurred under tutelage of producer's Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff on the then CBS subsidiary Philadelphia International in 1970. The Blue Notes had hits such as "I Miss You," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody," the two million seller "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and many more. Following personality conflicts between Melvin and Pendergrass, Pendergrass launched a solo career and released hit singles like "The More I Get the More I Want," "Close the Door," "I Don't Love You Anymore," "Turn Off the Lights" and others.
His first solo album was self titled Teddy Pendergrass (1977), followed by Life is a Song Worth Singing (1978), Live! Coast to Coast and Teddy (1979), 1980's TP and the final Philadelphia International Records album It's Time for Love (1981). He also sang a duet with Whitney Houston on "Hold Me," from her self-titled debut album.
Teddy Pendergrass started singing gospel music in Philadelphia churches, becoming an ordained minister at ten years old. While attending public school, he sang in the citywide McIntyre Elementary School Choir and in the All-City Stetson Junior High School Choir. A self-taught drummer, Pendergrass had a teen pop vocal group when he was 15.
By his late teens, Pendergrass was a drummer for local vocal group the Cadillacs. In the late 60s, the Cadillacs merged with another more-established group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. In 1970, when the Blue Notes broke up, Melvin, now aware of Pendergrass' vocal prowess, asked him to take the lead singer spot. It's no secret that Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff wanted Marvin Junior of the Dells for their Philadelphia International Records roster. Since the Dells were signed to Chess, they were unavailable. When the gruff'n'ready vocals of Pendergrass came their way, they eagerly signed the group.
Beginning with "I Miss You," a steady stream of hit singles flowed from the collaboration of Pendergrass and Gamble & Huff: "If You Don't Know Me By Now," "The Love I Lost," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody" (#1 R&B for two weeks in 1976), and two gold albums, To Be True and Wake Up Everybody.
Unfortunately, the more success the group had, the more friction developed between Melvin and Pendergrass. Despite the revised billing of the group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Theodore Pendergrass, Pendergrass felt that he wasn't getting enough recognition. Around 1976, Pendergrass left Melvin's Blue Notes and formed his own Blue Notes, featuring Teddy Pendergrass. Briefly, there was some confusion as to which Blue Notes was which. The resolution came when Pendergrass disbanded his Blue Notes in favor of a solo career and Melvin's group signed a recording contract with Source Records, distributed through ABC Records, scoring a hit with "I Want to Be Your Lover."
Pendergrass signed a new contract with Philadelphia International Records sometime between late 1976 and early 1977. He burst back on the scene with Teddy Pendergrass, a platinum solo debut that included the top-notch singles "I Don't Love You Anymore," "You Can't Hide From Yourself," and "The More I Get the More I Want." Around this time, Pendergrass began to institute his infamous "Ladies Only" concerts. His next three albums went gold or platinum: Life Is a Song Worth Singing, Teddy, and Live! Coast to Coast. The hit single "Close the Door" was used in the film Soup for One, where Pendergrass had a minor role.
The singer received several Grammy nominations during 1977 and 1978, Billboard's 1977 Pop Album New Artist Award, an American Music Award for best R&B performer of 1978, and awards from Ebony magazine and the NAACP. He was also in consideration for the lead in the movie biopic The Otis Redding Story. The '70s ended, but Pendergrass kept racking up the hits. TP, his fifth solo album, went platinum in the summer of 1980 off the singles "Turn Off the Lights," "Come Go With Me," "Shout and Scream," "It's You I Love," and "Can't We Try." It's Time for Love gave Pendergrass another gold album in summer 1981, which included the hit singles "Love TKO" and "I Can't Live Without Your Love." However in the UK chart success was limited to a handful of singles peaking just short of the top 40. Amazingly "Love TKO" failed to even grace the top 100.
A 1982 car accident left Pendergrass paralyzed from the waist down and wheelchair-bound. After almost a year of physical therapy and counseling, Pendergrass returned to the recording scene, signing a contract with Elektra/Asylum in 1983. His ninth solo album, his Elektra/Asylum debut, Love Language went gold the spring of 1984. Philadelphia International issued two albums of unreleased tracks, This One's for You (1982) and Heaven Only Knows (1983). Other albums included Workin' It Back (1985), Joy (1988, whose title track stayed at #1 in the R&B charts for two weeks), and A Little More Magic (1993). The latter half of '90s found Pendergrass recording for the Surefire/Wind Up label. Truly Blessed (the name of an 1991 Elektra album) is the title of the autobiography Pendergrass co-authored with Patricia Romanowski.
Pendergrass passed away at age 59 on January 13, 2010 from complications following surgery for colon cancer.
Set Me Free
Teddy Pendergrass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take these chains from my aching heart
And let me be
Set me free, yes
Wipe these tears from my weary eyes
And let me see
Why, why do I hang on your every word?
I feel so hurt every time you push me aside
Set me free
Break the spell that's hanging over me
Baby, please, let me be
Let the rivers run into the sea
Now truthfully, love, love was so easier
A time, a place, you can't erase
All the thoughts run through my mind
Lying to me time after time
Baby, won't you
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I wanna be alone
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I can't take it any longer
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Come on, take these chains, take these chains away from me
Let me live again and again and again
Every time you push me aside
And every time I swallow my pride
Baby, won't you
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I wanna be alone, yeah
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I can't take it any longer
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Come on, take these chains
Come on, take these chains away from me
Take 'em away from me
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
I wanna be alone, yeah
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Can't take it any longer
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Come on, take these chains
Take 'em, take 'em, take 'em away from me
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
(Set me free, set me free, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
The lyrics of "Set Me Free" by Teddy Pendergrass speak about a person who is in a state of emotional bondage in a relationship. This individual is held captive by their partner who constantly puts them aside and makes them feel neglected, despite their efforts to please them. The song has an emotional tone, which is reflected in the singer's voice as he pleads to be set free from the chains that bind him. He wants to be able to live his life independently and without emotional restraint.
In the chorus, he's begging to be released from this whirlwind of emotions and pleading with his partner to break the spell that's holding him back. He wants to be able to see clearly what's happening, to heal from the pain, and wipe away the tears of hurt. He's asking for his partner to take a step back, let the rivers run, and allow him to find his way.
Overall, the song has a powerful message about the importance of self-love and the courage it takes to break free from toxic relationships. Teddy Pendergrass delivers the message perfectly in this soulful ballad.
Line by Line Meaning
Set me free
I need to be freed from this emotional entanglement
Take these chains from my aching heart
Release me from the pain that I am feeling in my heart
And let me be
Allow me to live my life free from the emotional turmoil that you bring
Set me free, yes
I implore you to help me break free from the emotional chains that bind me
Wipe these tears from my weary eyes
Ease the suffering I am feeling by drying my tears
And let me see
Allow me to see the truth of our situation
Why, why do I hang on your every word?
I am wondering why I allow myself to be controlled by you
I feel so hurt every time you push me aside
I am deeply wounded whenever you neglect or reject me
And every time I swallow my pride
Despite my own self-respect, I continue to put up with this treatment
Break the spell that's hanging over me
Help me break free from this emotional hold you have on me
Baby, please, let me be
I am begging you to release me from this emotional stronghold
Let the rivers run into the sea
Allow our emotions to be washed away and disappear
Now truthfully, love, love was so easier
In the past, love was much simpler and less complicated
A time, a place, you can't erase
Memories of our past love cannot be erased
All the thoughts run through my mind
I am constantly consumed by thoughts of you and our relationship
Lying to me time after time
You continually deceive me, which adds to my emotional burden
I wanna be alone
I need some time and space to heal on my own
I can't take it any longer
My emotional pain has reached a breaking point
Come on, take these chains, take these chains away from me
Please, help me break the emotional chains that are holding me back from happiness
Let me live again and again and again
Allow me to start over and live my life without you holding me back
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LeRoy Bell, Casey James
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Oupa Malope
My personal favorite from one of the music industry's true star.. MR TEDDY PENDERGRASS.. RIP.. you will always be remembered by many of us
solitairedoll
This intro!! Bring back live instrumentals!
jazzyrach
Teddys voice helps define natures gift of music, amazing hit off this album
Barebare kun
This song never gets old.
Chris PNW
Another Gamble and Huff classic: Stellar arrangement and excellent musicians. Bless them!
Gwendolyn Smith
This is classic Teddy,with great backup i love this 🎵 Its sung with so .much intensity
And 💘 Set me free!!!
Pavel Kulhanek
I can't help it, this song simply gives me goose bumps!:)
Angelete Ashley
Pavel Kulhanek Me too!
saj8
One of the best tracks of the album written by the very underrated Leroy Bell and Casey James.
gina canales
Truly one of the best albums ever!! I wore this album out!