Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases James Brown's 1969 record "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door. I'll Get It Myself".
A video of the 45 record version and a sound file of a longer version of this song are included in this post along with the song's lyrics and selected comments from those examples' YouTube viewer discussion threads. Some editorial comments are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to James Brown for his musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of those videos on YouTube.
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Note: Portions of this post are found in this pancocojams post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/06/what-donald-trumps-well-take-care-of.html "What Donald Trumps' "We'll Take Care Of Our African Americans" Comment Made Me Think Of"
I decided to publish a separate post that showcases this James Brown song so that this content would be more easily found in this blog.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SONG
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Don%27t_Want_Nobody_to_Give_Me_Nothing
"I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door, I'll Get It Myself)" is a funk song written and recorded by James Brown.[1] It was released as a two-part single, which charted #3 R&B and #20 Pop.[2] The single version of the song did not receive an album release, but a live recording was included on Brown's 1970 album Sex Machine."
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LYRICS - I DON'T WANT NOBODY TO GIVE ME NOTHING (OPEN UP THE DOOR I'LL GET IT MYSELF)
(songwriter: James Brown)
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
Do you hear me?
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
Don't give me degeneration
Give me true communication
Don't give me sorrow
I want equal opportunity
To live tomorrow
Give me schools
And give me better books
So I can read about myself
And gain my truly looks*
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
Do you hear me now, now?
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
Some of us try
As hard as we can
We don't want no sympathy
We just wanna be a man
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
Do you hear me?
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
We got talents we can use
On our side of town
Let's get our heads together
And get it up from the ground
When some of us make money
People hear about our people
Gotta grab out a honey
Forget about honey
Do you now, let me hear, hey
Come on, I got to have it
Come on, I need it
I got to have it, come on
I got to have it, oh, ha
Lordy, Lordy, Lordy
Lordy, Lordy, Lordy
Play with your bad self
Come on, baby
Come here
Gotta get it
Got to get myself together
So many things I got to do
So many things I got to do
I don't need no help from you
Tell everybody, everybody else
All of these things, baby
I got to do it myself
Come on, hey
I got to have it
I, said I, said I
Said I, said I, I
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
With you I'll sweat and blood
To put out any fire and block off every plug
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
Do you hear me?
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
I'm not gonna tell
You what to do
I'm not gonna raise a fuss
But before you make another move
Let's start by taking care of us
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
Do you hear me?
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
Kids get that education
And don't you take no more
'Cause if we gonna get
This thing together
Then you got to carry the ball
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
Open up the door
Open up the door
Open up the door
Open up the door
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
Can you dig the groove?
Can you make the move?
Can you dig the say?
Can you make the pay?
Dig the groove?
Can you dig it?
Tell me, can you dig it?
Tell me, can you?
Come on now, come on now
Come on, come on, come on
Come on
Come on, all right
Come on fly
Hey, hey, hey
Lord have mercy
I got to have it
Got to have it
I got to have it
Don't need no cupid
Don't be no stupid
Come on
We, we don't have time to hate
We need all the time we got
To try to communicate
Come on
Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, Lordy
Baby, baby, baby, baby
How can I get myself together
When you keep on packing your bag ?
How can I get myself together
When you keep on packing your bag?
How can I get myself together
When you keep on packing your bag?
How can I get myself together
When you keep on packing your bag?
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
Oh, no, no, no, no
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
I'm not gonna tell you what to do
I'm not gonna raise a fuss
But before you make another move
Let's start by taking care of us
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door
I'll get it myself
Kids get that education
And don't you take no more
'Cause if we gonna get
This thing together
Then you got to carry the ball
I don't want nobody
To give me nothing
Open up the door, open
Open up the door
Open up the door, hit it
Open up, here I come
Open up and let a man come in
Open up, let a man come in
Open up, let a man come in
Here I come, here I come
I'm comin' in any type of weather
Comin' 'cause I got myself together
Open up, open up, open up, up
Source: http://www.metrolyrics.com/i-dont-want-nobody-to-give-me-nothing-open-up-the-door-ill-get-it-myself-lyrics-james-brown.html for the complete lyrics to this song.
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Several commenters in the discussion thread for the video given as Example #1 below wrote that their interpretation of the phrase ""truly looks", a phrase which wasn't and isn't used in everyday conversation. Those commenters wrote that "truly looks" meant Black people wearing their hair in an afro (and probably other natural hair styles- i.e. not chemically treating their hair or using heat such as a "straightening comb' (also called a "hot comb") to try to replicate the hair textures and hair styles of most non-Black people. Those comments were part of or sparked a larger discussion about Black people wearing their hair in afros and other natural hair styles.
In the embedded video, James Brown seems to gesture toward his naturally worn hair when he sings that line. But the phrase "truly looks" is included in the lines "so I can read about myself and gain my truly looks", I think that "truly looks" might also refer to the dashikis and other traditional West African (actually adapted West African*) clothing styles that some African Americans (such as his band in that video?) began to wear in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/dashikis-adaptation-of-yoruba-dansiki.html for a pancocojams post about the history of the dashiki which is an African American adaptation of the Nigerian (Yoruba) dansiki.
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FEATURED EXAMPLES
Example #1: James Brown I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing MDS 1969
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYNJK5sHHeo
Embedding disabled by request
1993pug405mi16 Uploaded on Jan 7, 2007
June 30, 1969: JB doin' the tune "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door I'll Get It Myself)"
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UPDATE: June 9, 2016: The lyrics to this song are found in the Addendum to this post.
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Selected comments from this video's discussion thread:
These comments are given in relative chronological order with the oldest comments given first, excerpt for responses. I've numbered them for referencing purposes only.
2010
1. bishop88fingers
"Growing up during this time and Actually seeing this performance on the Mike Douglas Show in the afternoon after school, I'm always perplexed that of all of JB message songs, this one seemed to get swept under the table.........Truer words never said or sung.... JB inspired Black Pride and just a chance to get an opportunity to do my thing(1969 okay !) It's a shame we still as a people haven't got over the threshold....."
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2. The1962Misslady
"this a song that children today need to hear maybe we could decrease violence self hatred and learn that we are a beautiful strong people thank u JB for the knowledge we need it still today even with a black prez"
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2011
3. Paul Gleave
"When U consider the time and who the guy singing is, this song is immense. Respect. :)"
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4. Savvynlady
"JB did this song after Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud so that folks will understand that we can do for self."
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soulburst
5. "I preach this to my kids all the time. Thanks JB for the"Funky" parenting lesson.
"You got to carry the ball""
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6. heresynco
"i always thought the message was more about allowing civil rights and political access, rather than merely a criticism of the welfare state."
perhaps i'm wrong, but if you listen to it, that's what he's demanding."
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2012
7. sherry doolin
"James brown words are power!"
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8. bordersj
"Preach Godfather Preach! Happy Friday"
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10. pdddddp1
"Say it again bro/sis, i been sayin it for years. Glad to hear everybody ain't 'sleep'. :D"
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2014
11. browndude12
"what is so interesting is, this is a message not just a brilliant piece of music..you really have to listen.He doesn't just sing and holler."
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12. Eliza Queen
"This song has always been a favorite. Not only is the beat funky, but the band is tight and on point. Most of all, James Brown is speaking universal truth about self empowerment. It don't get no better. "
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13. Reginald Powell
"Seven months after King's Assassination"
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I believe this commenter meant that James Brown performed this song seven months after Martin Luther King, Jr's assasination.
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14. Christopher Alsobrook
"Did this many times in an front of audiences that were mostly white, with supreme confidence at a time when no one else was. That is COURAGE!!!!"
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15. Christopher Alsobrook
"True Dat. How about the time he performed on Laugh-in many years ago, by himself no band, performing "Say it loud" in front of an all white audience except for Teresa Graves (Get Christie Love). They loved him."
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Example #2: JAMES BROWN I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing
IkeDyson SOULTUBE, Published on Nov 1, 2013
A James Brown track from 1969. [long version]
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Selected comments from this sound file's discussion thread
2014
1.tushansoulboy
"Where is this version from? I only know the much shorter 45"
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Reply
2. IkeDyson SOULTUBE
"It's from the "Foundations Of Funk" cd set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRrLUwyaPRg&lc=z12xtxlpcp2fufg4g04cjbhjjlanxpvxzc0"
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2016
3. Audrey Davenport
"Oh we need this as a revived Black National Anthem!"
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Reply
4. Savvynlady
"+Audrey Davenport Oh yes. that's like an Black Power/Empowerment Anthem. I like to feel James Brown was the Emperor of the Black Self Esteem and Empowerment."
**
5. Richard Bruce
"Open up the door i get myself.
Lord, Lord.
Brother James was talking to us then.
This song is still strong and relevant till this day.
James Brown for ever."
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6. Lynn Jones
"This inspired me to go to college with my big ass fro. Open Up The Door And I'll Get It Myself.... yesssssss!!"
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7. Kurt Adams
"There's a message in the Funk"
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