One of Mr. Mayfield's greatest tracks, from his Curtis LP.


WE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DARKER THEN BLUE
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1rOrV7C7vuU

Sinead does a beautiful version of this on her new cd Theology.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Thanks, I found one of him actually performing it.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=KgLIlDZ5Qrw

Here's the lyrics:


"WE ARE THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE DARKER THAN BLUE
WE PEOPLE WHO ARE DARKER THAN BLUE
ARE WE GONNA STAND AROUND THIS TOWN
AND LET WHAT OTHERS SAY COME TRUE
WE'RE JUST GOOD FOR NOTHING THEY ALL FIGURE
A BOYISH GROWN UP SHIFTLESS JIGGER
NOW WE CAN'T HARDLY STAND FOR THAT
OR IS THAT REALLY WHERE IT'S AT
WE PEOPLE WHO ARE DARKER THAN BLUE
THIS AIN'T NO TIME FOR SEGREGATING

I'M TALKING BOUT BROWN AND YELLOW TOO
HIGH YELLOW GAL CAN'T YOU TELL
YOU'RE JUST THE SURFACE OF OUR DARK DEEP WELL
IF YOUR MIND COULD REALLY SEE
YOU'D KNOW YOUR COLOR SAME AS ME,
PARDON ME BROTHER
AS YOU STAND IN YOUR GLORY
I KNOW YOU WON'T MIND IF I TELL THE WHOLE STORY
GET YOURSELF TOGETHER, LEARN TO KNOW YOUR SIGN
SHALL WE COMMIT OUR GENOCIDE BEFORE WE CHECK OUT OUR MIND
I KNOW WE'VE ALL GOT PROBLEMS THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TO SAY
KEEP PEACE WITH ME AND I WITH YOU

LET ME LOVE IN MY OWN WAY
NOW I KNOW WE HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THE SISTER,
AND MOTHER IT'S EVEN BETTER YET BUT THERE'S THE JOKER
IN THE STREET LOVING ONE BROTHER ANO KILLING THE OTHER
WHEN THE TIME COMES AND WE ARE REALLY FREE
THERE'LL BE NO 8ROTHERS LEFT YOU SEE
WE PEOPLE WHO ARE DARKER THAN BLUE
DON'T LET US HANG AROUND THIS TOWN
AND LET WHAT OTHERS SAY COME TRUE
WE’RE JUST GOOD FOR NOTHING THEY ALL FIGURE
A BOYISH GROWN UP SHIFTLESS JIGGER
NOW WE CAN'T HARDLY STAND FOR THAT
OR IS THAT REALLY WHERE IT'S AT

PARDON ME BROTHER, I KNOW WE'VE COME
A LONG LONG WAY
LET US STOP BEING SO SATISFIED
FOR TOMORROW CAN BE AN EVEN BRIGHTER DAY"
[Edited 10/13/07 12:11pm]

sosgemini said:

I always thought that song was about colourism in the black community. So, I guess Sinead must have interpretated it differently.

Curtis was telling the truth without being too preachy.

I was recently listening to his album from the 90s (don't know the title), made after he was paralysed, and I'll be damned if it ain't a really good album. Curtis never forgot what time it was and never thought twice about speaking the truth. A beautiful man. "When the time comes and we are really free/ There'll be no brothers left you see". Ouch.

midnightmover said:

He gives you the truth so bluntly through his falsetto, you don't realize the impact until he tells it and then it's like you're getting slapped but in a nice way. Curtis showed you can be confrontational but keep it smoothly. He had a different self-conscious compared to James Brown and Sly Stone. He, Sam Cooke, Donny Hathaway and Marvin told it you sweetly but consciously.

I can see why Bob Marley totally emulated his style!
[Edited 10/14/07 11:07am]