His youngest son, Eric Bobo (Eric Correa), is a percussionist with crew Cypress Hill. He also performed on the Beastie Boys' 1994 album Ill Communication, as well as doing the 1994 Lollapalooza tour with the group
His grandson William Valen Correa, son of Bobo's first son William Gill Correa, is Co-Founder of the music-based non-profit organization HNDP Los Angeles.
Willie Bobo, who grew up in Spanish Harlem, New York made his name in Latin Jazz in the 1960's and 70's, with the timbales becoming his favoured instrument. He met Mongo Santamaria shortly after his arrival in New York and studied with him while acting as his translator, and later joined Tito Puente for 4 years from the age of 19. During the early 50's the nickname Bobo is said to have been bestowed by the jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams. His first major exposure was when he joined George Shearing's band on the album The Shearing Spell. After leaving Shearing, Cal Tjader asked Bobo and Santamaria to become part of the Cal Tjader Modern Mambo Quintet, who released several albums as the mambo craze reached fever pitch in the late 50's. Reuniting with his mentor Santamaria in 1960, the pair released the album Sabroso! for the Fantasy label. He later formed his own group releasing Do That Thing/Guajira with Tico and Bobo's Beat and Let's Go Bobo for Roulette, without achieving huge penetration.
After the runaway sucess of Tjaders Soul Sauce, in which he was heavily involved, Bobo formed a new band with the backing of the Verve label, releasing Spanish Grease, of which the title track is probably his most well known tune. Highly successful at this attempt, Bobo released a further 7 albums with Verve.
In the late 70's he moved out to Los Angeles, where he worked as a session musician for Carlos Santana among others, as well as being a regular in the band for The Bill Cosby Show. In the late seventies he recorded a couple of albums for Blue Note and Columbia records.
He was married to Alicia. He died on September 15, 1983 in Los Angeles, California, USA. After a period of ill health, he died at the age of 49, succumbing to cancer.
Alicia, wife of Willie, said: "He wanted to come to New York...he wanted to come home...he once said that a great artist always gets recognized at the end." Willie, the eldest son spoke: "One of my father's memorable words was 'music is an international language, anyone can follow the music."' Eric, the youngest son: "He wanted everyone to be happy, no sorrow...this is how his life was, happy, smiling, to have a good time."
Discography With Cal Tjader
Latino (Fantasy, 1958)
Cal Tjader's Concert by the Sea (Fantasy, 1959)
Cal Tjader's Latin Concert (Fantasy, 1959)
West Side Story (Fantasy, 1960)
Plays Harold Arlen (Fantasy, 1961)
Live and Direct (Fantasy, 1962)
Breeze from the East (Verve, 1964)
Soul Sauce (Verve, 1965
Discography As leader
Do That Thing/Guajira (Tico, 1963)
Bobo's Beat (Roulette, 1964)
Let's Go Bobo! (Roulette, 1964)
Spanish Grease (Verve, 1965)
Uno Dos Tres 1•2•3 (Verve, 1966)
Feelin' So Good (Verve, 1967)
Juicy (Verve, 1967)
Bobo Motion (Verve, 1967)
Spanish Blues Band (Verve, 1968)
A New Dimension (Verve, 1968)
Do What You Want to Do (Sussex, 1971)
Tomorrow Is Here (Blue Note, 1977)
Hell Of An Act To Follow (Columbia, 1978)
Bobo (Columbia, 1979)
Lost & Found (Concord Picante, 2006)
Dig My Feeling (Nacional Records 2016)
With Don Wilkerson
Elder Don (Blue Note, 1962)
As sideman
With Nat Adderley
Autobiography (Atlantic, 1965)
With Dorothy Ashby
The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby (Atlantic, 1965)
With Bob Brookmeyer
Trombone Jazz Samba (Verve, 1962)
With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Goin' to the Meeting (Prestige, 1962)
With Miles Davis
Quiet Nights (Columbia, 1964)
Sorcerer (Columbia, 1967)
With Victor Feldman
Latinsville! (Contemporary, 1960)
With José Feliciano
Angela (Private Stock, 1976)
With Grant Green
The Latin Bit (Blue Note, 1962)
With Chico Hamilton
Chic Chic Chico (Impulse!, 1965)
El Chico (Impulse!, 1965)
The Further Adventures of El Chico (Impulse!, 1966)
With Slide Hampton
Explosion! The Sound of Slide Hampton (Atlantic, 1962)
With Herbie Hancock
Inventions and Dimensions (Blue Note, 1964)
With Eddie Harris
Bad Luck Is All I Have (Atlantic, 1975)
With Bobby Hutcherson
Montara (Blue Note, 1975)
With Herbie Mann
Right Now (Atlantic, 1962)
Brazil, Bossa Nova & Blues (United Artists, 1962)
Herbie Mann Live at Newport (Atlantic, 1963)
My Kinda Groove (Atlantic, 1965)
Latin Mann (Columbia, 1965)
Our Mann Flute (Atlantic, 1966)
The Beat Goes On (Atlantic, 1967)
With Les McCann
McCanna (Pacific Jazz, 1964)
Much Les (Atlantic, 1968)
With Gary McFarland
Soft Samba (Verve, 1963)
With Buddy Miles
Chapter VII (Columbia, 1973)
With Wes Montgomery
Movin' Wes (Verve, 1964)
With Oliver Nelson
Skull Session (Flying Dutchman, 1975)
With Dave Pike
Limbo Carnival (New Jazz, 1962)
Manhattan Latin (Decca, 1964)
With Tito Puente
Cuban Carnival (RCA Victor, 1956)
With Ike Quebec
Soul Samba (Blue Note, 1962)
With Terry Reid
River (Atlantic, 1973)
With Dannie Richmond
"In" Jazz for the Culture Set (Impulse!, 1965)
With Charlie Rouse
Bossa Nova Bacchanal (Blue Note, 1963)
With A. K. Salim
Afro-Soul/Drum Orgy (Prestige, 1965)
With Mongo Santamaria
Mighty Mongo (Fantasy, 1962)
Viva Mongo! (Fantasy, 1962)
With Doc Severinsen
Rhapsody For Now! (RCA, 1973)
With Sonny Stitt
Stitt Goes Latin (Roost, 1963)
With Gábor Szabó
Spellbinder (Impulse!, 1966)
With Clark Terry
Mumbles (Mainstream, 1966)
Ain't Too Proud To Beg
Willie Bobo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I refuse to let you go,
If I have to beg, plead for your sympathy,
I don't mind 'cause you mean that much to me.
Ain't too proud to beg and you know it,
Please don't leave me girl,
Don't you go,
Please don't leave me, girl,
Don't you go.
Now I've heard a cryin' man
Is half a man with no sense of pride,
But if I have to cry to keep you,
I don't mind weepin' if it'll keep you by my side.
Ain't too proud to beg and you know it,
Please don't leave me girl,
Don't you go,
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby,
Please don't leave me, girl,
Don't you go.
If I have to sleep on your doorstep all night and day
Just to keep you from walking away,
Let your friends laugh, even this I can stand,
'cause I wanna keep you any way I can.
Ain't too proud to beg and you know it,
Please don't leave me girl,
Don't you go,
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby,
Please don't leave me, girl,
Don't you go.
Now I've got a love so deep in the pit of my heart,
And each day it grows more and more,
I'm not ashamed to call and plead to you, baby,
If pleading keeps you from walking out that door.
Ain't too proud to beg and you know it,
Please don't leave me girl,
Don't you go,
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby,
Please don't leave me, girl,
Don't you go.
The lyrics of Willie Bobo’s “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” depicts a man pleading and begging for his significant other not to leave him. He acknowledges the relationship may not be perfect, but he values his partner so much that he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her by his side. Bobo’s lyrics express that if he has to beg, plead, and cry to keep his lover, he is willing to do so because losing her would be too great of a loss. The singer’s genuine love and devotion for his partner is exemplified in his willingness to sleep on the doorstep or be laughed at by friends if it means he can keep her in his life.
The lyrics for “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” are a plea for love and a constant reminder of the importance of humility in a relationship. The song acknowledges that relationships are not always easy, but when two individuals value each other, respect each other, and are willing to put in the work, it can lead to a deep and fulfilling love. Bobo’s lyrics express that he is willing to be vulnerable and humble, and he is not too proud to beg or plead for love.
Line by Line Meaning
I know you wanna leave me,
I am aware that you have the intention of leaving me,
But I refuse to let you go,
I am not going to allow you to leave,
If I have to beg, plead for your sympathy,
I am willing to plead and beg for your compassion,
I don't mind 'cause you mean that much to me.
I am not bothered to do it as you mean a lot to me.
Ain't too proud to beg and you know it,
I am not too ashamed to beg for your affection,
Please don't leave me girl,
I am requesting you not to leave me,
Don't you go,
Please remain by my side,
Now I've heard a cryin' man
I have heard that a man who cries is not man enough,
Is half a man with no sense of pride,
He becomes half a man, loses his pride and dignity,
But if I have to cry to keep you,
However, I am willing to cry to keep you by my side,
I don't mind weepin' if it'll keep you by my side.
I am willing to weep to prevent you from leaving me.
If I have to sleep on your doorstep all night and day
If sleeping outside your door all day and night is necessary,
Just to keep you from walking away,
I will do it so that you don't walk away,
Let your friends laugh, even this I can stand,
Even if your friends mock me for doing this, I can endure it,
'cause I wanna keep you any way I can.
I am determined to keep you by any means necessary.
Now I've got a love so deep in the pit of my heart,
My love for you runs deep and true,
And each day it grows more and more,
And I love you more with each passing day,
I'm not ashamed to call and plead to you, baby,
I feel no shame in calling and pleading with you, my love,
If pleading keeps you from walking out that door.
If this will prevent you from leaving me, I am willing to plead.
Ain't too proud to beg and you know it,
I am not too ashamed to beg for your affection,
Please don't leave me girl,
I am requesting you not to leave me,
Don't you go,
Please remain by my side,
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby,
I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep you,
Please don't leave me, girl,
I am begging you not to leave me,
Don't you go.
Please stay with me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Norman Whitfield, Edward Jr. Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Scott Shankster
on Spanish Grease
Those aren't the lyrics... It's pretty much the same as " Ain't Got Nobody to Depend On " .