Doing It to Death

James Brown, The J.B.'s

About Doing It to Death

"Doing It to Death", also known as "Gonna Have a Funky Good Time", is a funk song recorded by The J. B.'s featuring James Brown. It was released as a single in 1973 and peaked at number one on the soul singles chart and number twenty-two on the Hot 100. Although the song has a lead vocal by Brown (who also wrote the tune and the lyrics), the recording is credited to "Fred Wesley & The J. B.'s". It was the first J. B.'s recording to feature saxophonist Maceo Parker, who had returned to work with Brown again after attempting a career as a bandleader. "Doing It to Death" contains an uncommon key change in which Brown tells the band to modulate downward from F to D ("In order for me to get down, I have to get down in D"). Composers who place key changes in tunes typically have them modulate upwards. Unusually for a James Brown song, the actual words "doing it to death" appear nowhere in the song's lyrics, which feature the hook "we're gonna have a funky good time." The title came from a figure of speech Brown heard Wesley use. 


Year:
1985
5:23
73 
#1

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Hit it

How you feeling, brother
(Feeling good)
You feel good

How you feel, man
(I feel alright)
I won't call your name
I don't want no people
To know you're in here

How you feeling, brother
Hey, jam, sure getting down
Lookie here, ha

We're gonna have a
Funky good time
We're gonna have a
Funky good time
We're gonna have a
Funky good time
We're gonna have a
Funky good time

Now, take em up, Fred
We gotta take you higher
All right, gonna do it again
You wanna do it again
We gotta take you higher

Brother (yeah)
Now I want everybody to
Let Fred blow about two chords
(Mumbling) alright
I wanna get that fella
With the little horn over there

Fred, can you take us higher
(Yeah) take us higher
Fred, Fred, Fred

You know what
When I hear a groove like this
It say I got to take you higher
Yeah, baby, yeah, yeah
Like way up wonder

Lookie here
Someone got a groove like this
You know, you know, know
I need the grit, got the grit
Wanna eat, got to get
Need to get, go to grit

Now, Fred, you know
Hey, Fred Thomas, brother
I'm getting ready to
Wave y'all in

Know what, I feel so down
I need to get down
In order for me to get down
I got to get in deep

In order for me to get down
I got to get in deep
Need to get in deep
Down deep, down deep

Get on down
You like these
Think about making the big M

Lookie here, lookie there
You see over there
You better sing one word for us
What we gotta do

We gotta have a
Funky good time, oh, yeah
We gotta have a
Funky good time, oh, yeah
I didn't know you
Were singing, Fred

We gotta have a
Funky good time
We gotta have a
Funky good time
We gotta take you higher

Wait a minute, now
Who you say that was over there
Familiar looking cat
I know I seen him somewhere

Is that Maceo
He's doing everything over there
Maceo, is it who
Maceo, you know like
Maceo, won't you blow
Oh, yeah, Maceo

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James Brown

James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of funk music and is a major figure of 20th century popular music and dance. more »

2 fans

Written by: JAMES BROWN

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Release Information
"Doing It To Death" by James Brown was initially released as a single in 1973.
Chart Performance
The iconic track topped the Billboard R&B chart and reached number 22 on the Pop chart upon release.
Album Significance
The song was a part of the album "Doing It To Death," which was the first album released by The J.B.'s, James Brown's backing band.
The J.B.'s Involvement
This song featured The J.B.'s, and it helped solidify their place as one of the key elements in the development of the funk and soul genres.
Song Length
The original track is nearly ten minutes long, showcasing James Brown's passion for extended, live-sounding tracks in the studio.
Noteworthy Feature
The song is famed for its extended saxophone and guitar solos - features that were ahead of their time in the musical landscape of the early 1970s.
Commanding Commentary
James Brown's use of 'dialogue' over the music is prominent in this song, and his commanding shouts of "take it to the bridge" and "Gimme some more" are catchphrases that became synonymous with his music style.
Musical Style
"Doing It To Death" is a fine example of funk and soul music and is characterized by rhythmic intensity, echoing vocals and a roaring saxophone - elements quintessential to James Brown's style.
Cultural Impact
The phrase "We're gonna have a funky good time," from the song, has permeated into pop culture, being quoted, sampled and referenced in various other songs and media forms over the decades.
Collaboration
Fred Wesley, who was the leader of The J.B.'s and a long-term collaborator of Brown, was heavily involved in the composition and recording of this song, adding a distinct trombone sound that gave a unique flavor to the song.

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