His initial rise to stardom occurred under tutelage of producer's Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff on the then CBS subsidiary Philadelphia International in 1970. The Blue Notes had hits such as "I Miss You," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody," the two million seller "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and many more. Following personality conflicts between Melvin and Pendergrass, Pendergrass launched a solo career and released hit singles like "The More I Get the More I Want," "Close the Door," "I Don't Love You Anymore," "Turn Off the Lights" and others.
His first solo album was self titled Teddy Pendergrass (1977), followed by Life is a Song Worth Singing (1978), Live! Coast to Coast and Teddy (1979), 1980's TP and the final Philadelphia International Records album It's Time for Love (1981). He also sang a duet with Whitney Houston on "Hold Me," from her self-titled debut album.
Teddy Pendergrass started singing gospel music in Philadelphia churches, becoming an ordained minister at ten years old. While attending public school, he sang in the citywide McIntyre Elementary School Choir and in the All-City Stetson Junior High School Choir. A self-taught drummer, Pendergrass had a teen pop vocal group when he was 15.
By his late teens, Pendergrass was a drummer for local vocal group the Cadillacs. In the late 60s, the Cadillacs merged with another more-established group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. In 1970, when the Blue Notes broke up, Melvin, now aware of Pendergrass' vocal prowess, asked him to take the lead singer spot. It's no secret that Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff wanted Marvin Junior of the Dells for their Philadelphia International Records roster. Since the Dells were signed to Chess, they were unavailable. When the gruff'n'ready vocals of Pendergrass came their way, they eagerly signed the group.
Beginning with "I Miss You," a steady stream of hit singles flowed from the collaboration of Pendergrass and Gamble & Huff: "If You Don't Know Me By Now," "The Love I Lost," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody" (#1 R&B for two weeks in 1976), and two gold albums, To Be True and Wake Up Everybody.
Unfortunately, the more success the group had, the more friction developed between Melvin and Pendergrass. Despite the revised billing of the group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Theodore Pendergrass, Pendergrass felt that he wasn't getting enough recognition. Around 1976, Pendergrass left Melvin's Blue Notes and formed his own Blue Notes, featuring Teddy Pendergrass. Briefly, there was some confusion as to which Blue Notes was which. The resolution came when Pendergrass disbanded his Blue Notes in favor of a solo career and Melvin's group signed a recording contract with Source Records, distributed through ABC Records, scoring a hit with "I Want to Be Your Lover."
Pendergrass signed a new contract with Philadelphia International Records sometime between late 1976 and early 1977. He burst back on the scene with Teddy Pendergrass, a platinum solo debut that included the top-notch singles "I Don't Love You Anymore," "You Can't Hide From Yourself," and "The More I Get the More I Want." Around this time, Pendergrass began to institute his infamous "Ladies Only" concerts. His next three albums went gold or platinum: Life Is a Song Worth Singing, Teddy, and Live! Coast to Coast. The hit single "Close the Door" was used in the film Soup for One, where Pendergrass had a minor role.
The singer received several Grammy nominations during 1977 and 1978, Billboard's 1977 Pop Album New Artist Award, an American Music Award for best R&B performer of 1978, and awards from Ebony magazine and the NAACP. He was also in consideration for the lead in the movie biopic The Otis Redding Story. The '70s ended, but Pendergrass kept racking up the hits. TP, his fifth solo album, went platinum in the summer of 1980 off the singles "Turn Off the Lights," "Come Go With Me," "Shout and Scream," "It's You I Love," and "Can't We Try." It's Time for Love gave Pendergrass another gold album in summer 1981, which included the hit singles "Love TKO" and "I Can't Live Without Your Love." However in the UK chart success was limited to a handful of singles peaking just short of the top 40. Amazingly "Love TKO" failed to even grace the top 100.
A 1982 car accident left Pendergrass paralyzed from the waist down and wheelchair-bound. After almost a year of physical therapy and counseling, Pendergrass returned to the recording scene, signing a contract with Elektra/Asylum in 1983. His ninth solo album, his Elektra/Asylum debut, Love Language went gold the spring of 1984. Philadelphia International issued two albums of unreleased tracks, This One's for You (1982) and Heaven Only Knows (1983). Other albums included Workin' It Back (1985), Joy (1988, whose title track stayed at #1 in the R&B charts for two weeks), and A Little More Magic (1993). The latter half of '90s found Pendergrass recording for the Surefire/Wind Up label. Truly Blessed (the name of an 1991 Elektra album) is the title of the autobiography Pendergrass co-authored with Patricia Romanowski.
Pendergrass passed away at age 59 on January 13, 2010 from complications following surgery for colon cancer.
Love T.K.O.
Teddy Pendergrass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I guess I shedded some tears
Told myself time and time again
This time I'm gonna win
But another fight, things ain't right
I'm losin' again
Takes a fool to lose twice
And start all over again
Think I'd better let it go
Looks like another love TKO (oh, oh, oh)
Think I'd better let it go
What you think about it, girl, oh yeah (let it go, baby)
Looks like another love TKO (mmm, mmm, mmm)
Tried to take control of the love
Love took control of me
'Cause you lose all thoughts, sense of time
And have a change of mind
Takin' the bumps and the bruises
Of all the things of a two-time loser
Tryin' to hold on, faith is gone
It's just another sad song
I think I'd better let it go (what you say about it?)
Looks like another love TKO (oh, oh, whoa, yes)
I think I'd better let it go, let it go, baby (oh, baby)
Looks like another love TKO (mmm, hmm, oh, oh)
Oh
Oh, oh, ooh
Oh, ooh
Mmm, mmm
Tried to take control of the love
Love took control of me
Cause you lose all thoughts, sense of time
And have a change of mind
Takin' the bumps and the bruises
Of all the things of a two-time loser
See I try to hold on, my faith is gone
It's just another sad song
And I think I'd better let it go (let it go, let it go)
Looks like another love TKO (I think I'd better)
Think I'd better let it go, let it go, baby (if I know what's good for you, girl)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (I couldn't stand this pain much longer)
Think I'd better let it go, let it go, baby (whoa, baby)
Looks like another love TKO (ooh, ooh, baby)
(Oh, sometimes, sometimes I just feel like I wanna say)
(I wanna say, mmm, mmm)
'Cause it looks like another love TKO
(Tired of gettin' beat up by love)
Think I'd better let it go, let it go, baby (before it's too late, yeah)
Looks like another love TKO (hey, ey, oh, yeah)
(Mmm, hmm, mmm, hmm, mmm, hmm, mmm, hmm)
Think I'd better let it go (yeah)
Looks like another love TKO (hey, yeah, whoa, I think I'd better)
Think I'd better let it go (let it go), let it go, baby (oh, yeah)
Looks like another (yeah) love TKO
(Oh, they say love is better the second time around)
Think I'd better let it go (I can't stay up on my feet)
Looks like another love TKO (I'm falling down, no, 'cause I, 'cause I, 'cause)
I think I'd better let it go (let it go, baby)
In "Love T.K.O.", Teddy Pendergrass sings about the struggles of love and the painful cycle of heartbreak. The song reflects upon the singer's past relationships, acknowledging the tears shed and the numerous attempts made to win his partner back, only to lose again. Pendergrass sings of the mental battle one endures when trying to take control of their love life, but ultimately losing to the rollercoaster of emotions that come with falling in love. The chorus echoes the sentiment of surrendering, as the love "TKO's" or knocks the singer down once again. The lyrics convey a sense of resignation and acceptance that the love story has come to an end.
The song was released in 1980 as part of Teddy Pendergrass's album "TP". It reached number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the US R&B chart. "Love T.K.O." is considered one of Pendergrass's signature songs and is a classic example of the Philadelphia soul sound. The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Bette Midler, Hall & Oates, and Michael McDonald.
Line by Line Meaning
Lookin' back over my years
Reflecting on my past experiences
I guess I shedded some tears
I cried because of my experiences
Told myself time and time again
Repeatedly assured myself
This time I'm gonna win
That I will succeed this time
But another fight, things ain't right
But things still went wrong
I'm losin' again
I failed again
Takes a fool to lose twice
Means if the failure is repeated, one is a fool
And start all over again
To recommence from the beginning
Think I'd better let it go
Realization that it's time to move on
Looks like another love TKO (oh, oh, oh)
The end of yet another romantic relationship
What you think about it, girl, oh yeah (let it go, baby)
Asking the partner's opinion and urging to move on
Tried to take control of the love
Attempting to exercise authority in a romantic relationship
Love took control of me
Love overpowers the will of an individual in a relationship
'Cause you lose all thoughts, sense of time
The feeling of losing oneself in love
And have a change of mind
I have second thoughts
Takin' the bumps and the bruises
Enduring emotional pain
Of all the things of a two-time loser
Experiencing heartbreaks twice
Tryin' to hold on, faith is gone
Attempting to maintain a relationship but losing faith in it
It's just another sad song
The same story of heartbreak and sorrow repeats
Think I'd better let it go (what you say about it?)
Suggesting to move on and asking for the partner's opinion
Looks like another love TKO (oh, oh, whoa, yes)
Another love TKO is inevitable
Let it go, baby (oh, baby)
Encouraging partner to move on
Tried to take control of the love
Tried to ensure things went a certain way in the relationship
Cause you lose all thoughts, sense of time
The experience of being lost in love
See I try to hold on, my faith is gone
Trying to keep the relationship alive with no faith or hope
Think I'd better let it go (let it go, let it go)
Convinced it's time to move on, reiterated twice
Looks like another love TKO (I think I'd better)
Another failed romantic relationship is unavoidable
If I know what's good for you, girl
If moving on is best for the partner
I couldn't stand this pain much longer
The emotional pain becomes too much to bear
(Tired of gettin' beat up by love)
Tired of being hurt in romantic relationships
Before it's too late, yeah
Before the emotional damage is permanent
(Mmm, hmm, mmm, hmm, mmm, hmm, mmm, hmm)
Vocalization of agreement while contemplating the situation
(Oh, they say love is better the second time around)
People commonly say that love gets better with more experiences
I can't stay up on my feet
Feeling weak and defeated
I'm falling down
Metaphorically descending into depression and sadness
(No, 'cause I, 'cause I, 'cause)
Unclear words, which suggest an internal struggle
(Ooh, ooh, baby)
Again, a vocalization of emotion
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cecil Womack, Gip Edward, Jr. Noble, Linda Womack
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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