The group was part of the "Brooklyn sound" of the early 1970s, formed from three players of the group King Davis House Rockers. The House Rockers were a local dance band who had released a couple of obscure singles (1967's "We All Make Mistakes Sometimes" on Verve Records, 1972's "Rum Punch") The three players (guitarist Richard Thompson, tenor sax player Bill Risbrook, and alto sax player Carlos Ward) formed Madison Street Express along with bassist Louis Risbrook (later Muslim-monickered Jamal Rasool), percussionist Dennis Rowe, drummer Terrell Wood, and vocalist Barbara Wood. They along with producer Jeff Lane signed with production company Roadshow Records to record writer Billy Nichols "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)." The record was shopped around to major labels until it was accepted at Scepter Records. Scepter suggested the group change its name from Madison Street Express, hence the Brooklyn Transit Express. The single was released in August 1974, and reached the top 10. Lane took the group back into the studios at that point to record a second single and pitch a full album to the label. Scepter agreed to the LP and to Roadshow Records having its own label within Scepter Records.
The first two singles were hits, both number 1 R&B releases and both Top 5 pop singles in the US. The album hit number 1 on the R&B album chart and number 5 on the Pop album chart of the US. These recordings were also hits in the spreading disco culture, "Do It" peaking on club playlists before Billboard started a separate disco chart, but the follow-up single sat for five weeks at number 1. They were certified gold releases.
BT Express released an album per year through 1978. With the third album, Leslie Ming was brought in as drummer and keyboardist Michael Jones was added as keyboardist. Jamal, who had converted to the Muslim faith, gave Jones the name Kashif Saleem, which he used after departing the group, in 1979, to pursue producing ("Mighty M Productions" with Morrie Brown and Paul Laurence Jones) and solo recording ventures. That year songwriter Billy Nichols and drummer Leslie Ming also departed the group. In 1976 Scepter records was experiencing business difficulties that soon ended the company, and BT Express was given a distribution deal with Columbia Records, which, though it gave them greater exposure, resulted in less attention being paid to their production, since they had so many acts to concentrate on. The group did not achieve the level of radio or sales success on Columbia that they had on the more nurturing but by-then defunct Scepter. They stayed with Columbia for five years, with Lane producing through 1978, then Nichols producing their fifth album before he departed for solo work, and Morrie Brown producing the sixth LP and several follow-up tracks. The group switched labels to Coast To Coast Records for the 1982 LP, to Earthtone Records for a later 1982 single, and to manager King Davis' own label in 1985.
Give It What You Got
B.T. Express Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give it what you got
Give it what you got
Give it what you got
[CHORUS]
Give it what you got
What you got, what you got
Give it what you got
What you got, what you got
'Til you get on top
Give it what you got
What you got, what you got
Don't you ever stop
Give it what you got
What you got, what you got
'Til you get on top
'Til you get on top
I believe in doing and
Giving what you got
To get what you want
If you want to get something
That's good for you
You got to give it what you got
To get what you want
[Repeat CHORUS]
People tell you, you can't make it
And all that you do is just in vain
Don't let them run your life
Don't try and fake it
Just give it what you got
'Til you make it
Hey, hey, hey
Give it what you got
Give it what you got
[Repeat CHORUS]
You can make it
With what you got
You got to give it, give it
Yeah, just what you got
[Repeat CHORUS]
People tell you, you can't make it
And all that you do is just in vain
Don't let them run your life
Don't try and fake it
Just give it what you got
'Til you make it
Hey, hey, hey
Give it what you got
Give it what you got
[Repeat CHORUS]
Give it what you got
Give it what you got
If it's good for you
Give it what you got
If you want to get something
Give it what you got
You can make it
You gotta give it, yeah
Just what you got
I said give it just what you got
It can't hurt you, no, no
Only can help you, yeah
If you believe it, do it
The lyrics of B.T. Express's "Give It What You Got" are all about perseverance and chasing your dreams, no matter what anyone else says. The song starts out with a repetition of the title phrase, encouraging the listener to give their all to achieve their desired result. The chorus reinforces this message, urging the listener to keep going, keep striving, and never give up until they are on top - whatever that may mean to them personally.
The second verse continues the theme of persistence, saying that in order to get what you want in life, you have to be willing to give everything you have - your time, your energy, your skill - to make it happen. The line "people tell you, you can't make it and all that you do is just in vain" speaks to the negativity and doubt that can come from others when you are pursuing a difficult goal, but the song urges the listener not to let that discourage them. The bridge emphasizes this point even further, saying that if you believe in something, you have to go for it, no matter what.
Overall, "Give It What You Got" is a motivational anthem that encourages listeners to keep pushing towards their dreams, even when it seems like the odds are against them. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy chorus make it a classic feel-good tune that has stood the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Give it what you got
Put all your effort into it
Give it what you got
Put all your effort into it
Give it what you got
Put all your effort into it
Give it what you got
Put all your effort into it
Give it what you got
What you got, what you got
Don't you ever stop
Give it what you got
What you got, what you got
'Til you get on top
Keep giving it all you've got until you achieve success
Give it what you got
What you got, what you got
Don't you ever stop
Give it what you got
What you got, what you got
'Til you get on top
'Til you get on top
Keep pushing yourself until you reach the top
I believe in doing and
Giving what you got
To get what you want
If you want to get something
That's good for you
You got to give it what you got
To get what you want
Success requires effort and determination
People tell you, you can't make it
And all that you do is just in vain
Don't let them run your life
Don't try and fake it
Just give it what you got
'Til you make it
Don't let negativity or discouragement deter you from pursuing your dreams
Give it what you got
Give it what you got
Put all your effort into it
You can make it
With what you got
You got to give it, give it
Yeah, just what you got
Success is achievable with the resources and abilities you already possess
People tell you, you can't make it
And all that you do is just in vain
Don't let them run your life
Don't try and fake it
Just give it what you got
'Til you make it
Don't let negativity or discouragement deter you from pursuing your dreams
Hey, hey, hey
Give it what you got
Give it what you got
Put all your effort into it
Give it what you got
Give it what you got
If it's good for you
Give it what you got
If you want to get something
Give it what you got
Strive to achieve what is good for you by putting in the effort
You can make it
You gotta give it, yeah
Just what you got
I said give it just what you got
Believe in yourself and give it everything you've got
It can't hurt you, no, no
Only can help you, yeah
If you believe it, do it
Giving all you've got will only benefit you and won't harm you
Contributed by Joshua P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.