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.
When We Get Down on It
Average White Band Lyrics
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But you never heard my cry
Reaching out to the ones, who were not giving
They were never on your side
When we get down to it
You were meant for me
When we get proud to it babe
You're gonna want the world to see
Nothing else but love will do
When we get round to it babe
I want to be down, get down with you girl
Ooh deep down with you
When we get round to it
Can't you see all the chances we've been missing
All the nights that passed us by, baby
Now we're alone, your lips are mine for kissing
No time to wrestle with your pride
When we get down to it
You were meant for me
When we get proud to it babe
You're gonna want the world to see
When we get down to it
Nothing else but love will do
When we get proud to it babe
I want to get down, get down with you girl
Oh baby
Oh, it's no ordinary thing that we share
What you give to me, girl
Oh, there's no reason, we should try to hide it
Take love as you find it, ooh
When we get down to it, oh darling
You were meant for me
When we get proud to it, babe
I want the whole wide world to see
When we get round to it
Nothing but love will do
When we get round to it, baby
I want to be down with you
When we get down to it
The lyrics to Average White Band's song "When We Get Down on It" are about recognizing missed opportunities in love and committing to making things right. The opening lines suggest that the singer had been there all along but was ignored and not given a chance. The song then progresses into the idea of finally getting together and realizing that they were meant to be with each other. The lyrics mention overcoming pride and allowing love to lead the way.
Throughout the song, there's a sense of urgency and a realization that time is running out. The lines, "Can't you see all the chances we've been missing, all the nights that passed us by, baby" are particularly poignant. It speaks to the idea that life is short and that love is precious. The chorus also emphasizes this urgency, with the lyrics "When we get down to it, nothing else but love will do".
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more confident, with the singer expressing a desire to show the world their love. The lines "When we get proud to it, babe, you're gonna want the world to see" suggest that this love is something special and worth celebrating.
Line by Line Meaning
Funny how, I was there at the beginning
I was there with you from the start, but you never acknowledged me
But you never heard my cry
You never paid attention to me
Reaching out to the ones, who were not giving
I tried to connect with those who were not giving you attention
They were never on your side
Those people were never really there for you
When we get down to it
When we finally get to the real thing
You were meant for me
We are meant to be together
When we get proud to it babe
When we embrace our love publicly
You're gonna want the world to see
You'll want everyone to know about us
Nothing else but love will do
Love is all we need
When we get round to it babe
When we finally have the chance
I want to be down, get down with you girl
I want to be close to you
Ooh deep down with you
I want to be intimately close with you
Can't you see all the chances we've been missing
Can't you see all the opportunities we've missed
All the nights that passed us by, baby
All the times we could have spent together
Now we're alone, your lips are mine for kissing
Now that we have the chance, let's be together
No time to wrestle with your pride
Don't let your pride get in the way of our love
Oh, it's no ordinary thing that we share
Our love is special
What you give to me, girl
What you give me in our relationship
Oh, there's no reason, we should try to hide it
There's no reason to keep our love a secret
Take love as you find it, ooh
Just accept our love for what it is
Oh darling, I want the whole wide world to see
I want everyone to know about us
When we get round to it
When we finally have the chance
I want to be down with you
I want to be close to you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN EDWARD GORRIE, KLYDE JONES, OWEN MCINTYRE, PETE ABBOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind