"I was stillborn. The midwives laid me aside, thought I was really gone. I laid there about an hour, and they picked me back up and tried again, 'cause my body was still warm. The Good Lord brought me back"

The quote from James Brown is an effective story of survival and resilience. It begins with an assertion: "I was stillborn". This plain discovery sets the stage for a fish story of near-miraculous survival. Being stillborn means that Brown was born without indications of life-- no breath, no motion, no heart beat. Such an entry into the world suggests a bleak beginning, filled with the capacity for disaster. Yet, in this statement, it also foreshadows an exceptional healing.

Brown describes how the midwives, observing the lack of life indications, "laid [him] aside", presuming he was beyond conserving. This action reflects not only the somber approval of a perceived truth however likewise the medical practices and understanding of the time. In historic contexts, specifically in less clinically sophisticated or resource-limited settings, midwives often had to make fast evaluations with limited options. Their decision that Brown was "truly gone" highlights the gravity of the situations.

Nevertheless, Brown's narrative takes a remarkable turn-- he keeps in mind that he "laid there about an hour". This duration is considerable since it highlights the unforeseen twist of fate about to unfold. It suggests a liminal area, a time out between life and death, where his fate hung in the balance. The midwives ultimately "picked [him] back up and tried once again" due to one essential detail: his body was "still warm". This warmth indicated a remaining stimulate of life, an unextinguished flame within him.

Brown attributes his survival to divine intervention, specifying, "The Good Lord brought me back". This attribution of his survival to a greater power is not unusual in narratives of incredible healing. It's both a reflection of Brown's personal faith and a recommendation of the inexplicable nature of his revival.

This quote, therefore, is not just about the literal act of returning to life but represents the strength and the indefinable spirit of survival versus the odds, both traits that echoed throughout James Brown's life and profession.