Though best known for their instrumental hit "Pick Up the Pieces," the band's strength lies in their consistently accomplished songwriting, stretching across several gold-selling albums and multi-Grammy nominations for Atlantic Records. Despite their Scottish roots, the six-piece band developed their own "authentic" sound influenced by R&B heroes such as Marvin Gaye, James Brown, and Donny Hathaway, which was eagerly adopted by black audiences in the US and elsewhere.
Many of the band's cuts, such as "Cut The Cake" and "Let's Go 'Round Again," attracted chart action as hit singles, while album tracks like "Schoolboy Crush" and "Person to Person" became much-sampled "rare" grooves. Other tunes like "Cloudy," "A Love Of Your Own," and "Nothing You Can Do" stand alongside some of the finest soul album tracks ever recorded.
The current lineup of the band, with noted US musicians alongside founding members Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre, continues to delight audiences and critics alike in its wide-ranging touring. The musical energy and trademark sound are remarkably true to the original, and with constant revisitation and re-workings of AWB's, and others' classics in the mix, it is no surprise that the Average White Band is now a multi-generational attraction and a perennial fixture with many of the top music venues.
Back To Basics
Average White Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living hard, living fast in the city
There's got to be a way to make it slow down
Doing what we do, is human nature
That's the way it goes
It gets so hard, tyring to make a living
We've got to give the love back to our brothers
Trying to find some time, for one another
I wanna get Back to Basics
I wanna get back with you
Back to Basics, like we use to do
I wanna get Back to Basics, just take it slow
Back to Basics, and, just let it go (let it go)
You know at times you get a little crazy
Running round, looking for some direction
On the streets, nothings very simple
But I know it's for real
I wanna get Back to Basics
I wanna get back with you
Back to Basics, like we use to do
I wanna get back to Basics, just take it slow
Back to Basics, aah, just let it go (let it go)
Nothing matters but, good old fashioned love
Let's just face it, all it takes is basic love
I wanna get Back to Basics
I wanna get back with you
Back to Basics, like we use to do
I wanna get back to Basics, just take it slow
Back to Basics, aah, just let it go (let it go)
I wanna get Back to Basics, wanna get back to love
I wanna get Back to Basics, wanna get back to love
I wanna get Back to Basics, I wanna get bac with you
I wanna get Back to Basics, baby like we use to do
I wanna get Back to Basics
The song "Back to Basics" by Average White Band talks about the complexities of city life and the need to slow down and prioritize the things that truly matter, such as love and relationships. The lyrics suggest that the fast-paced lifestyle that comes with living in the city can sometimes be overwhelming and make it difficult to connect with others. However, the singer believes that it is important to strive to make time for one another and give love back to their brothers.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "I wanna get Back to Basics" several times, emphasizing the need to simplify one's life and focus on what really matters. The singer wants to take it slow and let go of the distractions that come with city life. The lyrics indicate that the singer recognizes the value of good old-fashioned love and is willing to prioritize it above all else.
In summary, "Back to Basics" is a song about the need to slow down and prioritize love and relationships in the midst of the hustle and bustle of city life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it's alright, it's alright
Everything is okay and we don't need to worry
Living hard, living fast in the city
We are living life at a fast pace in the city
There's got to be a way to make it slow down
We need to find a way to slow down our busy lives
Doing what we do, is human nature
Being busy and ambitious is a part of human nature
That's the way it goes
That's just how life goes
It gets so hard, tyring to make a living
It is difficult to make a living and provide for ourselves
We've got to give the love back to our brothers
We should show love and care towards each other
Trying to find some time, for one another
We need to make time for each other
So we know it's for real
We need to do these things to show that our love and care is real
I wanna get Back to Basics
I want to go back to the simple and genuine way of life
I wanna get back with you
I want to reconnect with someone or something that is significant to me
Back to Basics, like we use to do
Going back to the way things were done in the past
Just take it slow
We should slow down and take our time
And, just let it go (let it go)
We should let go of our stress and worries
You know at times you get a little crazy
We might get overwhelmed and lose control at times
Running round, looking for some direction
We might feel lost and try to find direction in our lives
On the streets, nothings very simple
Living in the fast-paced city life can be complicated
But I know it's for real
We should believe that our efforts are genuine and real
Nothing matters but, good old fashioned love
What truly matters is the genuine love and care we have for each other
Let's just face it, all it takes is basic love
All we need is genuine love to make things right
I wanna get Back to Basics, wanna get back to love
I want to go back to the genuine and simple way of loving
I wanna get Bac with you
I want to reconnect with someone or something that is significant to me
Baby like we use to do
Just like how we did things in the past
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ELIOT LEWIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CR SoundDoctor
When you realize in order for any band to have longevity & to stay relevant, there are gonna be some line-up changes when it comes to their band members, because "life happens" some band members die, others pursue solo careers, others go off to play with other groups, some retire, some move on to pursue other interests all together, etc...And regardless of all of these variables happening to AWB since they began back in 1972, AWB has always been able to "Deliver The Goods" at an "Above Average" level & standard!!! This Soul Tattoo CD is a testament to that, as it's an absolute "BANGER!!!" I'm an AWB fan for life!!!
Christopher E
I never really got into this when it was released.
I've recently had it on constant rotation.
Superb album!
CR SoundDoctor
@Christopher E Way to go my friend!!! And constant rotation sounds good also!!!
CR SoundDoctor
@Christopher E AWB is absolute "FIRE!!!" 🔥🔥🔥
Christopher E
@crsounddoctor4937 I saw them live in London when they were promoting this album.
Jazz Cafe in Camden.
CR SoundDoctor
@Christopher E Excellent! I would have loved to be there, but I live across the pond!!! Nevertheless, I can only imagine how great that show was!!! Glad you got to experience it!!!
Tower of Power
BACK TO BASICS pieseň skupiny AVERAGE WHITE BAND, ktorej autorom bol Eliot Lewis nar. 10. marca 1962 v Norwalku spev, klavesy basová gitara, ktorý prvou piesňou Spirit Of Love prispel na album Aftershock. Skladba v roku 1988 skončila na 47.m. v R and B rebríčku. Táto skladba pochádza z albumu SOUL TATTOO, ktorý bol vydaný v roku 1996. Verzia vydaná Average Enterprises v Nemecku obsahovala aj bonusovú skladbu You Should ´a Known od J. Greco, R. di Salvo a R. Contreras. Album nahrala skupina v zostave Gorrie, McIntyre,Ball a Eliot Lewis a Pete Abbott bicie Po nahraní albumu odišiel Roger Ball tretí pôvodný člen v zostave a nahradil ho Freddy V vl.m. Fred Vigdor saxofon, ktorý hral už na albume spoločne s Tony Kadleckom trubka a Johnom Fumasolim trombon.V septembri 1998 sa novým hráčom na bicie stal Fred Alias, ktorého v roku 1999 nahradil Adam David Deitch bicie a toho v roku 2001 Brian Dunne. V roku 2002 Lewisa nahradil Klyde Jones vl.m. Vincent Jones nar. 1965 v Saginaw v štáte Michigan.V roku 2006 sa novým hráčom na bicie stal Rocky BryantV roku 2011 sa spevákom skupiny stal Brent Carter bývalý člen Tower Of Power, Monte Croft klavesy, basová gitara a Morris Pleasure nar. 12. júla 1962 v Hartforde zbývalý člen Earth Wind and Fire.V roku 2013 novým hráčom na bicie sa stal Rob Aries.
Tommy Johnson
Love AWB. Loved this Soul Tattoo CD.
Eric Thibault
super saudades...!
Eduardo Guzman
I'm back and will never leave, this sound is too much, right on like donkey Kong, thank you fellas.😆