🎵 The Payback // by James Brown

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The Payback cover

The Payback

by
The Payback December 1973 📍 International Studios, Augusta, GA (Basic tracks; 4 August 1973); Advantage Studios, New York, NY (Brass and Female vocal overdubs; September 1973) 👁 99,384
🎧 338,952 listeners ▶ 1,254,352 plays IMUDB Ranking 9.0/10 Based on how many times this track has been played on Last.fm — not a critic score.
The Payback
James Brown - Topic · 48,710,753 views · 559,583 likes
About this song (Last.fm)
"The Payback" is a funk song by James Brown, the title track from his 1973 album of the same name. The song's lyrics, originally written by trombonist and bandleader Fred Wesley but heavily revised by Brown himself soon before it was recorded, concern the revenge he plans to take against a man who betrayed him. The song is notable for its spare, open arrangement and its use of wah-wah guitar – a relative rarity in Brown's previous funk recordings. Read more on Last.fm.

🎛️ Credits

Produced by
Written by
Lead Vocals
Backing Band
Trombone
Guitar
Bass
Drums
Tambourine
Arranger
Label

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Lyrics · Genius ↗
59 ContributorsThe Payback Lyrics This song, and others on The Payback, were originally written and recorded as Original Soundtrack (OST) material for Hell Up in Harlem (1974), the sequel to Black Caesar (1973), a blacksploitation crime… Read More  [Intro] Hey! Got to, got to payback (Big payback) Revenge, I'm mad (The big payback) Got to get back, I need some get-back Payback, payback (The big payback) That's it, payback, revenge I'm mad! [Verse 1] You get down with my girlfriend, that ain't right (Woah, walkin') You hollering and cussing, you want to fight Payback is a thing you gotta see Hell, brother, do any damn thing to me You sold me out for chicken change (Yes you did) Told me that they, they had it all arranged You had me down, and that's a fact And now you punk, you gotta get ready For the big payback (The big payback) That's where I land, oh, on the big payback (The big payback) [Verse 2] I can do wheeling, I can do dealing (Yes we can) But I don't do no damn squealing I can dig rapping I'm ready, I can dig scrapping But I can't dig that backstabbing (Oh no) Now brother get ready, that's a fact Get ready you mother for the big payback (The big payback) Hey Let me hit them, hit them, Fred hit them Hey, hey, woo! [Verse 3] Lord, Lord You took my money, you got my honey Don't want me to see what you doing to me I can get back, I got to deal with you Got to deal with you Got to deal with you I got to deal with you Hey, let me tell you! Get down with my woman, that ain't right You holler and cuss, you wanna fight Look here Don't do me no darn favor I don't know karate, but I know ka-razor (Yes we do) Huh Hey get ready, that's a fact, girl Get ready you mother for the big payback (The big payback) Hey, I'm a man, I'm a man I'm a son of a man, but don't they tell you that papa can Get ready for the big payback (The big payback) Hit me again WOOOOO!!!!! Lord, lord, hey Get ready I need it, I need a hit again The same one, the same one, same one Hit me back WOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Lord (The big payback) [Verse 4] Sold me out for chicken change Said my woman had it all arranged Tried to make a deal, but she wanted to squeal But I had my boys on her heels Saw me coming, told a lie She broke down and she wanted to cry I don't care what she does Won't be doing just like she was Take those kids and raise them up Show 'em how to drink out the righteous cup Take her, take that woman, it's one place she found Just run that mother out of town Make her get up, make her get up, get out Make her get up, make her get up, get out I'm mad, I want revenge, I want revenge, my (The big payback) My patience ends, I want revenge My patience ends, I want revenge I want revenge, I want revenge (The big payback) Can I get some hits, I need those hits I need those hits, hit me! WOOOOOOOOO!!!!! [Outro] Lord, I need those hits Carry on, carry on, payback melody (The big payback) WOOO!!!! (The big payback) Alright (The big payback) Da-dee-da-da, da-dee-da-da, da-dee-da-da (The big payback)
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