Neville charted again, in 1989, when he collaborated with Linda Ronstadt on three consecutive duets: Don't Know Much, All My Life, and When Something Is Wrong with My Baby, the first two reached Number One on the Adult Contemporary charts. Neville has released more than 20 singles, including three Number Ones on the Adult Contemporary format, and a fourth on the R&B format.
His other hits have included Everybody Plays the Fool, his successful 1991 cover of the 1972 Main Ingredient song, that reached #8 on the Hot 100; Don't Take Away My Heaven, Hercules and Can't Stop My Heart From Loving You (The Rain Song). Neville's biggest solo successes have been on the Adult Contemporary chart, where "Don't Know Much," "All My Life," and "Everybody Plays the Fool" all reached Number One.
Aaron signed to SonyBMG's new Burgundy Records label in late 2005 and recorded an album of songs by Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke and others for Bring It On Home...The Soul Classics, released on September 19, 2006. The album, produced by Stewart Levine, features collaborations between Neville and Chaka Khan, Mavis Staples, Chris Botti, David Sanborn, Art Neville, and others. The album's first single was a remake of The Impressions' 1963 classic It's All Right.
On October 27, 2006, Neville made a guest appearance on an episode of the soap opera The Young and the Restless. He sang Stand By Me" and Ain't No Sunshine, from his album, Bring It on Home … The Soul Classics. In 2008 he released Gold, which includes a double album of his hits.
http://www.aaronneville.com
Gotta Serve Somebody
Aaron Neville Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You might like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
You might be a rock 'n' roll man, prancing on the stage
Plenty of drugs at your command and women in a cage
You might be a businessman or some high degree thief
They may call you 'Doctor', they may call you 'Chief'
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh, serve somebody, yeah, yeah, serve somebody
Oh, it may be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Now, you may be a State Trooper, you might be a young Turk
You may even be the head of some great big TV network
You may be rich or poor and you may be blind or chained
You might be living in another country under another name
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh, serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're still gonna have to serve somebody
Maybe a construction worker working on a home
Might be living in a mansion, you might live in a dome
You may own guns, you may even own tanks
You may be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh yeah, serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh, it might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Now you can call me Terry or you might call me Moore
You may call me David or you might call me Coe
You can call me RJ or you can call me Ray
You can call me anything, I don't care what you say
You're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh, serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a rock 'n' roll star, prancing on the stage
You got plenty of drugs at your command, you got women in a cage
You might be a big businessman or some high degree thief
Now they might call you 'Doctor', they might call you 'Chief'
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
It might be the devil, it might be, it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh man, you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
Serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
Somebody, somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
Aaron Neville's song "Gotta Serve Somebody" deals with the idea that in life, every person has to make a choice: serve God or serve the devil. The lyrics describe different people, from ambassadors to thieves, construction workers to rock stars, and how they may have different interests or backgrounds, but ultimately everyone must make this same choice. The repetitive chorus emphasizes this message: "it might be the devil or it might be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody." The song cautions listeners to be mindful of the path they choose and the consequences of that choice.
Line by Line Meaning
You may be an ambassador to England or France
You might hold a high-ranking position in society, representing your country abroad
You might like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may enjoy taking risks or partying
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You might be the greatest athlete in your field, with fans and accolades worldwide
You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls
You may be a wealthy and influential person, known for their fashionable lifestyle
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Regardless of your status in life, you will be beholden to someone or something
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
The force or being that you are serving could be good or evil
You might be a rock 'n' roll man, prancing on the stage
You could be a musician, known for your flamboyant performances
Plenty of drugs at your command and women in a cage
You may have access to an abundance of drugs and may objectify and control women
You might be a businessman or some high degree thief
You could be a successful entrepreneur or a criminal mastermind
They may call you 'Doctor', they may call you 'Chief'
You may be addressed with titles of respect and authority
Now, you may be a State Trooper, you might be a young Turk
You could be in law enforcement or a young leader
You may even be the head of some great big TV network
You could be a powerful executive in the media industry
You may be rich or poor and you may be blind or chained
You could have varying levels of wealth and freedoms
You might be living in another country under another name
You may be hiding your identity and living in another place
Maybe a construction worker working on a home
You could work with your hands and be involved in building homes for others
Might be living in a mansion, you might live in a dome
You could have a luxurious home or a unique dwelling
You may own guns, you may even own tanks
You could possess firearms or military vehicles
You may be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks
You could be responsible for owning and managing property or financial institutions
Now you can call me Terry or you might call me Moore
The artist singing the song goes by different names
You can call me RJ or you can call me Ray
The artist singing the song goes by different names
You can call me anything, I don't care what you say
The artist doesn't care what name or title he is referred to as
It might be the devil, it might be, it might be the Lord
The singer reiterates that the force or being one serves could be either good or evil
Oh man, you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
The chorus repeats the message that everyone will have to serve someone or something in life
Somebody, somebody
The chorus emphasizes the concept of serving something or someone
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@detweilcny
Bob Dylan's lyrics. Aaron Neville's voice. The Holy Spirit doing the mixing. Now that's some fine gospel music.
@grannybonnie
How powerful is this! Bob Dylan certainly knew humanity as it really was. Aaron Neville can take you to a new level w this song . I think because we know of him as a very spiritual man. God bless them both.
@statman54
When I first heard Bob Dylan's version back in 1979 I thought "This is a great song. It would sound even better with some soul." Aaron Neville absolutely nails it--and the arrangement is excellent too.
@MrMikerk
Amazing cover for Bob Dylan lyrics. Be blessed 🎙🎶🙏
@tonijohnson5434
Aaron Neville is 1 of my all time greats! God has truly blessed with the gift of music and song. Some of my all time favorites are "Don't take away my heaven", Don't fall apart on me tonight, Bernadette, his version of the " Grand Tour " "Bird on a wire" & so many others, I don't believe that he's recorded a song that I don't like! God bless you Aaron, keep the music flowing!!!
@juvenilehall1979
Bob Dylan's lyrics and Aaron Neville's voice - WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God Bless 'em BOTH ,,,,,, and any one reading this :). I remember when
Bob Dylan accepted Christ ... I went to see him and got to talk to him -
he is for real .... Roger C.
@satomisuperblack
Aaron has a unique and unmistakable vocal quality
@sousandre86
The best version of this song.
@AdewaleGeorge
Aaron killed this song I love him
@skylarsalwayswright
LOVE THIS SONG..... .THE WHOLE GRASSROOTS CD IS AWESOME