James Brown - There Was A Time Lyrics






There was a day, there was a time
When I used to play
There was a time when I used to play
But take me now, baby, don't worry about later
Teach the dance I used to do
They call it the Mashed Potato

There was a day, now dig this
There was a day, they call it the Jerk
Everybody relax and watch me work

In my hometown where I used to stay
The name of the place is Augusta, GA
Down there we have a good time
We don't talk
We all get together in time, for rhythm with you
So come and walk

There was a day that I used to do
The name of the dance
They call it Boogaloo
I may not do the dance as well as you
But baby, you can bet your bottom dollar
That you never hear me holler
I do the best that I can do

There was a time, sometimes I dance
Sometimes I dance, sometimes I clown
But you can bet you haven't seen nothing yet
Until you see me do the James Brown





Other Lyrics by Artist

Rand Lyrics

Last Posts

James Brown There Was A Time Comments
  1. L.... W....

    "Relax and watch Him work"!! Yes!!

  2. j.... g....

    Greatest entertainer ever!
    #Tami show

  3. a.... U....

    My dad is a Vietnam veteran- hes into soul and funk and growing up we had a big record player with a built-in speaker that also played 8 tracks- I remember him on Saturday mornings shining up his ride in the driveway and James Brown was cranked up!!!! Damn right there was a time-

    a.... U....

    az USA 👍. Great Memories. I can relate it them.

  4. l.... G....

    I'm gonna say something that will piss off the rest of 11 zodiac signs. 
    When it comes to the sound no-one can be better that the BULL (Taurus)
    When I saw and heard these people I knew They were taurus, because I am one.
    we are hardheaded as f.. cause we right.
    If you remember Stevie wonder, (Taurus) Wrote "Sir duke" for another Taurus
    Duke ellington (Taurus) Among other names he said "With the voice like Ella there's no way the band can loose"
    talking about Ella Fitzgerald( Taurus), 
    James Brown was an unmovable Bull
    But even If you look up further in modern days ask yourself if can anyone Be better than the rapper than Notorious Big?
    Or even these days can anyone today sing and dance better than Chris Brown (Taurus)
    Until I will get ready and and crash anyone that stays in the front of me. But I can't afford to be less than the best. now you go and do your homework and figure out for-yourself.

  5. L.... P....

    Only ONE word to describe this man.... Authentic.

  6. V.... M....

    Ain't it funky now goo jb forever rip luv always

  7. c.... ....

    AUGUSTA, GA!!!

  8. P.... D....

    I love to be black thank you brown

  9. r.... ....

    I grew up doin the "James Brown" like every other kid in the Hood back in them days.
    But THIS CUT?.........LEGENDARY.
    Nuff said. R.I.P. Mr. Brown and thank you for giving us our Dignity back at a time when we needed it most. They TRIED TO TAKE OUR SPIRIT GUIDES:
    JFK, Malcolm, RFK and MLK........Huey, Bobby, Fred,and Eldrige STOOD THEIR ASSES UP.
    BUT THEY COULDN'T TAKE OUR "SOUL" POWER because we're
    SUPER BAD and we're BLACK and we're PROUD. OH and Guess What? THEY KNOW THEY FUCKED UP!
    ShalomPeaceSalaam.........

  10. L.... M....

    An there was a time in 1968 the best by the god father of soul

  11. L.... M....

    Were going. To have a funky good time an big pay back i feel good liveing in america try me an papa got a brand new bad

  12. w.... w....

    Check out them steps

  13. T.... P....

    Pure music and joy no sex, thank you JB

  14. r.... r....

    Before Prince... before Michael and J.B... there was Astaire giving them clues to the dance moves.

  15. G.... C....

    Skating on ice, but hot... Good God

  16. D.... Q....

    The Great and Fabulous Paul Shafer, who wrote "It's Rainin' Men" on keyboards.
    James Brown is the King 🏆of Soul to Aretha's Queen

  17. B.... S....

    The boy is bad

  18. M.... S....

    Awesome ...ready to boogie now !!!

  19. R.... K....

    Dang..2019 Chicago west suburbs. Peace to all of you 😀👍

  20. T.... G....

    How could you be in the audience and sit during that??!! I would've been on my feet the moment he took the stage! That's heat right there!! R.I.P. James Brown!!

  21. D.... T....

    🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

  22. c.... m....

    1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019 .2020,2021,2022,2023,2024.............3000 : James Brown !

  23. N.... ....

    Chuck d endorsed this post on twitter today.

  24. S.... A....

    Good gOd  HAA HAA HA

  25. D.... C....

    I am true fan of this music and this did not happen in the 60s lol. This more than likely the 90s - 2000s because his band at the time wasn’t these guys it was the third incarnation of the famous flames. This guy titled the year wrong ❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏🤟🤙🤟🤙

  26. m.... ....

    I recognize Paul Schaffer and Hiram Bullock..this does not seem to be 1968...If this is letterman than thats Will Lee on bass and Steve Jordan on drums.

  27. m.... g....

    White people clapping all off beat lol!!!

  28. S.... w....

    James Brown the truth!

  29. p.... k....

    intemporel !

  30. T.... M....

    This was in the mid 80's on the David Letterman Show and not "68".

    T.... M....

    Thank you l was looking at the fashion and James Brown had an afro in 68 and he was doing splits back then

  31. C.... S....

    Damn Paul looking young, lol

  32. 1.... ....

    James came out of Barnwell South Carolina and moved over the river to Augusta and a Legend ascended from there, Georgia produced many soul legends, Arthur Conley, Otis Redding , never again I'm afraid.

  33. d.... ....

    Hiram Bullock on geetar.....

  34. D.... P....

    The King of Dance, James Brown!

  35. J.... M....

    Lookie here! 😁 Dig this

  36. C.... M....

    I'm in Vegas right now but there will. Never be entertaining like James Brown ever sorry puck brothers.

  37. t.... ....

    The God Father

  38. C.... S....

    MANY HAVE TRIED. DID THEIR BEST. BUT NO ONE EVER, EVER DID IT BETTER THAN HIM. MIX FUNK, JAZZ, SOUL, ROCK, BLUES, RAP, DANCE, UNBEATABLE LIVE STAGE PERFORMANCE, ALL IN ONE SINGLE CORNUCOPIA OF EXTRAVAGANZA AND DISH IT TO AN AUDIENCE FOR PLEASURABLE ENTERTAINMENT AND ENJOYMENT... THE WORLDWIDE ACCLAIMED "GODFATHER OF SOUL" ... JAMES BROWN.

  39. D.... ....

    I love this record 🔥💯🔥

  40. B.... P....

    One of the Baddest Jams that James ever made that Rarely ever gets Played!!! "There was a Time...." UNH!!!! #TopBeatz

  41. g.... b....

    Nothing But The Best!!

  42. L.... B....

    That band is too cold, guitarists are killing it,

    L.... B....

    Cause its David Letterman's band, lol

    L.... B....

    You ain't lying!

    L.... B....

    CorA SaroC LoL. No. This recording is dubbed onto the this performance. The recording is from a live album at the Apollo in 68.
    Lettermen’s guys wouldn’t have this rhythm, come on now.
    The group behind James are the Famous Flames.

    L.... B....

    Looks like Hiram Bullock

  43. c.... ....

    Can you believe this nikka? I mean...look at the foot work.

  44. E.... E....

    RIP Genius...

  45. D.... T....

    Early David Letterman show...Paul Schaefer keys and Hiram Bullock on guitar

  46. K.... C....

    Superbad James Brown. And a young Hiram Bullock playing that funky guitar. Everyone's a winner!

  47. R.... R....

    Viva James Brown cabrones ✊🏽

  48. C.... P....

    Fuck it up James

  49. C.... P....

    Nobody does it like JAMES Brown soul brother number one

  50. D.... w....

    🙂🙂🙂2019 J.B. still does it for me. This man was the real deal, a true ICON! 👍🏾 Thank you! so much J. B. Rest in peace.😇😇😇 keep coming back to this video when I need a pick me up.

  51. N.... ....

    The King at work everybody.... watch and learn

  52. H.... T....

    Weather

    H.... T....

    Weatherreport

    H.... T....

    Weatherreportblackmarket

    H.... T....

    weather you like it, or not

  53. L.... B....

    Funky! Funky Funky !

  54. i.... ....

    omg is that the key board player for Kavid Letterman.. sure looks like him ..lol

  55. P.... G....

    The Camel 🐪
    Walk was the shit

  56. �.... �....

    James forever 👏👏👏

  57. V.... P....

    WORK OUT MR. BROWN!!!! Love the audience yessssssssss!!!!!!!!

  58. R.... J....

    No. 1 soul brother. Bad man.

  59. D.... T....

    I bet I'm not the only one who don't know David Letterman's band leader Paul Shaffer was in the God father's band .

  60. R.... T....

    PRINCE AND MICHAEL WHO?

  61. L.... B....

    Love this!

  62. B.... ....

    Man........................James frigging Brown. Hardest working man in music.

  63. E.... G....

    The Min.

  64. M.... R....

    paul scheaffer on piano? who knew

  65. T.... i....

    Ol girl at 3:35 fine as hell

  66. Z.... Z....

    Dynamite

  67. T.... D....

    Best live band ever

  68. R.... F....

    What a funky ass band he had.

  69. M.... M....

    Quelle musique !!!et en 68 par nos parents c'était très mal vu !!!

  70. S.... ....

    Soul Brotha # 1

  71. V.... P....

    Grande Keta

  72. M.... V....

    I bet he had some amazing stories to tell. I would love to hear the fun times he had in his life.

    M.... V....

    You are right on, my older brother met James in North Augusta at a place he would frequent a few times and talked with him , his business was so challenging from his point of view and he faced some brick walls but most were of his own doing he said , he couldn't tolerate slack people who he had to depend on at times, he expected perfection and hard work from each person before he paid them and if not he didn't mind cutting them loose on the spot, was easy to talk to and salt of the earth sort of man who knew he would face an uphill fight because of who he was but he refused to lean on any man , he was proud and rightfully so..

  73. B.... S....

    That’s right melanated superior structurally biologically female ethically the way humankind was created black with wooly hair all with straight hair are inferior genetically from being bred in the 1400s, Ghenghis Khan see the myth of whiteness series on Tricksofthestrades channel for deep facts and details proving the above

  74. M.... V....

    The Letterman audience rarely got that loose.

  75. T.... i....

    "i can't stand myself when you touch me". Goddamn

  76. F.... T....

    You haven't seen nothing yet until you seen the James Brown

  77. i.... ....

    Nobody can be James brown. Nobody. James is the one and only.

  78. M.... K....

    JAMES BROWN THÉ BEST

  79. A.... A....

    Out The My Things You Still And You Distory My Phone Hear We Go Ask Them Of This Music Thank You Prophet TB Joshua Attention Are For Myself Thanks All Over Around The World His The Best Music Maker In The World Thank You Resist Someone Things Thank You Jesus Amen

  80. G.... M....

    The band has incredible moves and legend has it if they missed a step or note, James beat them up; LOL.

  81. G.... M....

    Incredible moves that no one has ever been able to perfectly duplicate.

  82. s.... ....

    Who thumbs down James Brown?

  83. v.... s....

    There was a time you could smell cocaine miles away..

  84. S.... A....

    I am blessed to have witnessed uncle james perform it seems he was old my whole life i never could tell his age but he still could cut a rug ( no relation figure of speech. Like uncle ruckus but in a good way)

  85. C.... B....

    He was bad and his music is still tough

    C.... B....

    On stage, he was the baaaaaaaddest performer that ever lived.

  86. G.... J....

    Git it James.....

  87. D.... M....

    ...the original GOAT

  88. L.... S....

    The funk is in every one of us this man was the one who brought it out .

  89. Y.... ....

    Cliff Richard has better dance moves.

  90. Z.... M....

    Legend has it: Mr. Brown is still doin' the OG stanky leg boogaloo poppin lockin bboy top rockin hip shakin twistin Rufus Thomas "Breakdown" James Brownin'

  91. f.... ....

    Morgan Freeman on sax?
    Baby i feel good watching this, like i knew that i would

  92. E.... M....

    I was in the 9th grade when Please, Please, Please first came out...rocked my soul. James Brown still is "So Good"!

  93. L.... 4....

    There was dance they call the jerk..Everbody relax and watch me work😂🤣 DAMN he smooth like that!!

  94. d.... m....

    outta sight baby... dig that... clean mean money making machine... can you dig it...

  95. H.... A....

    Is that Paul Schafer (David Lettermen's Co-host) on the keyboards ( at around the 0:26 mark)?

    H.... A....

    Heru Ammen i was wondering the same thing.. looked it up he would have been 19 at the time, i dont think thats him lol