The group was formed at Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The original line-up comprised John Gary Williams, Julius E. Green, William Brown and Robert Phillips. They were originally called The Emeralds, but changed their name because there was another group of that name; the name "Mad Lads" was suggested by Stax employee Deanie Parker in response to the group's behavior and also in recognition of local disc jockey Reuben "Mad Lad" Washington. They first recorded for Stax in 1964, releasing "The Sidewalk Surf", co-written by Isaac Hayes under the name Ed Lee, which was not a hit. However, their second record, "Don't Have To Shop Around", rose to no. 11 on the Billboard R&B chart, and no. 93 on the pop chart. Featuring organ by Hayes and piano by Booker T. Jones, it has nonetheless been described as "curiously anachronistic, owing more to doo-wop than southern soul," and featured "the high, innocent tenor of John Gary Williams."
They followed up with "I Want Someone", "I Want A Girl" and "Patch My Heart", which were all R&B hits in 1966. However, towards the end of the year Williams and Brown were drafted. The group continued to make live appearances with the pair being replaced by Sam Nelson and Quincy Billups Jr., but the new line-up's recordings were not as successful. After Williams returned from military service, he was reinstated in the group, over other members' protests, at the insistence of record company co-owner Jim Stewart. The group continued to have R&B chart hits through to 1969, their final hit being a version of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" which also reached the pop chart. In 1972, the group continued for a while and finally split up.
Williams recorded a solo album, John Gary Williams, at Stax in 1973. He later worked outside the music business in Iowa and Los Angeles, before forming a new touring version of the Mad Lads in 1984. The new group recorded an album, Madder Than Ever, in 1990.
Julius E. Green died on January 14, 2013. William C. Brown III died on July 24, 2015, aged 69. John Gary Williams died in May 2019.
Chart singles
Year Single Chart Positions US Pop US R&B
1965 "Don't Have To Shop Around" 93 11
1966 "I Want Someone" 74 10
"I Want A Girl" - 16
"Patch My Heart" - 41
1968 "Whatever Hurts You" - 31
"So Nice" - 35
1969 "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" 84 28
"Patch My Heart" was also sampled in the #1 Pop Hit "All 4 Love", produced by Howie Tee and performed by Color Me Badd.
No Strings Attached
The Mad Lads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(I can't tell you)
Ain't gonna tell you no lies
(No lies)
All I want is to be pacified
(If you think you can do it)
You don't have to worry
(You don't have to worry)
There ain't no strings attached
I said you don't have to worry
(You don't have to worry)
Don't have to worry
There ain't no strings attached
I
(I've roamed hear and back)
Just to (?) on one
(Looking for love that's fair)
Cause I can't seen to find the right one
Sooooo
You don't have to worry
(You don't have to worry)
Don't have to worry
There ain't no strings attached
I said you don't have to worry
(You don't have to worry)
Don't have to worry
There ain't no strings attached
To my heart
Oh yeah
You got the so and so and so
That does you know what to me
And what you're sayin' sayin' sayin'
Little girl makes a mess of me
You
You put a heart on my game
And know I
Have got to change your name
So...
I've got to worry
(I've got to worry)
Keep on worryin'
You put the hurt on my soul
(There's no strings attached)
1, 2, 3 and 4
So many times before
I said you
(There ain't no string attached)
You put the hurt on my game
(There ain't no strings attached)
The Mad Lads' song "No Strings Attached" has a simple and easy-to-follow message. The singer of the song is tired of his search for love and looking for a way to quell his frustrations. He is honest about having roamed far and wide with no success. The song finds the lead singer exclaiming that he just wants to be pacified without strings attached. He doesn't want to settle and feels no pressure to do so. The lyrics are repeated several times to emphasize this message. The singer is searching for someone who can ease his pain without adding any drama or expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
I
I cannot tell you something
Ain't gonna tell you no lies
I will not deceive you
(No lies)
Absolutely no falsehoods
All I want is to be pacified
I just want to be content
(If you think you can do it)
If you believe you can achieve it
You don't have to worry
No need to be anxious
(You don't have to worry)
No need to be concerned
Don't have to worry
There is no cause for alarm
There ain't no strings attached
No obligations or liabilities
I said you don't have to worry
As I mentioned, no need to be anxious
(You don't have to worry)
Again, no need to be concerned
Don't have to worry
Still no cause for alarm
There ain't no strings attached
No obligations or liabilities
I
I
(I've roamed hear and back)
(I've traveled far and wide)
Just to (?) on one
To focus on finding someone
(Looking for love that's fair)
(Seeking equitable love)
Cause I can't seen to find the right one
Because I cannot seem to locate the right person
Sooooo
So
You don't have to worry
No need to be anxious
(You don't have to worry)
Once again, no need to be concerned
Don't have to worry
Still no cause for alarm
There ain't no strings attached
No obligations or liabilities
I said you don't have to worry
As I mentioned earlier, no need to be anxious
(You don't have to worry)
Again, no need to be concerned
Don't have to worry
Still no cause for alarm
There ain't no strings attached
No obligations or liabilities
To my heart
Towards my affection
You got the so and so and so
You possess the certain attributes
That does you know what to me
That affects me in a particular way
And what you're sayin' sayin' sayin'
And what you are communicating
Little girl makes a mess of me
Your actions make me feel significant distress
You
You
You put a heart on my game
You have influenced my approach to relating
And know I
And now I
Have got to change your name
Must alter my view of you
So...
So...
I've got to worry
Now I must be concerned
(I've got to worry)
(There is cause for alarm)
Keep on worryin'
Continue to be anxious
You put the hurt on my soul
You have caused me emotional pain
(There's no strings attached)
(Despite there being a lack of obligations or liabilities)
1, 2, 3 and 4
A countdown
So many times before
So many instances previously
I said you
As previously stated, you
(There ain't no string attached)
(Despite there being a lack of obligations or liabilities)
You put the hurt on my game
Your actions have weakened my approach to relating
(There ain't no strings attached)
(Despite there being a lack of obligations or liabilities)
Writer(s): Bradley Daymond Ralph, Joshua Scott Chasez, Alex Greggs
Contributed by Tyler O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.