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.
Happiness
B.T. Express Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
いいのになあ
ずっと その手に触れたい
だれもが 時間に追われて
こわれて
だれかを 愛するひまもない
そばにいてほしい あともう少し
迷いのないスマイル
よどみのないヴォイス
そういうのがハピネス
いつも うまくやろうと
すればするほど
ひとを 傷つけてるよ
君が流した涙の粒に
はっきりうつる
荒れはてた 僕の心
まっすぐ見つめよう
ちゃかすのもやめよう
君だけが僕に勇気をくれる
大切なことを 易しい言葉で
ささやいてくれる
そばにいてほしい あともう少し
君だけが僕を癒してくれる
だれのためじゃない
だけど歪んでない
そんなフツーの力で
今日も日は暮れ 絶えぬ人の群れ
ふらつきながら がんばっているよ
楽しい歌だけ 歌いながらね
歩いてゆこう
シャラララ ハピネス
シャラララ ハピネス 君こそがハピネス
シャラララ ハピネス (シャラララ シャラララ)
シャラララ ハピネス (シャラララ シャラララ)
君こそがハピネス (シャラララ シャラララ)
シャラララ ハピネス (シャラララ シャラララ)
シャラララ ハピネス (シャラララ シャラララ)
君こそがハピネス (シャラララ シャラララ)
In B.T. Express's song "Happiness," the singer expresses a desire for true happiness, rather than temporary satisfaction or joy in material things. The first verse speaks to the struggle of staying on the path towards true happiness and avoiding temptations that can lead one astray. The second verse addresses the issue of love and how it cannot be fully appreciated or reciprocated if one does not first love oneself.
The chorus of the song revolves around the idea of continuously searching for happiness, regardless of the obstacles and sacrifices that may arise. It emphasizes the idea that true happiness cannot be attained without effort and perseverance.
The third verse discusses the importance of inner peace and gracefulness, especially when things do not go as planned. The fourth and final verse contrasts the desire for loneliness over "something that ain't worth the pain," and highlights the importance of making sacrifices for the sake of one's happiness.
Overall, the lyrics of "Happiness" convey a message of the importance of self-love, perseverance, and the pursuit of inner peace and genuine happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me happiness over temptation any day
I would always choose happiness over giving in to temptations
Oh, give me happiness, satisfaction just gets in the way
Happiness is what really matters, and I don't care about just being momentarily satisfied
Ah, my happiness, it's so easy to stray
It's easy to lose sight of what makes me happy
In the pursuit of happiness, but I keep searching, come what may
Even when it's hard to find happiness, I will keep searching
For my happiness
My ultimate goal is to find and achieve happiness
They don't love you like you think they do
People may not love you as much as you perceive or want them to love you
Nobody loves you the way you want them to
It's unlikely for others to love you exactly the way you want to be loved
They say they love you, but how can that be true?
It's hard to believe someone's love when their actions do not match their words
How can they love you if you don't love you too?
It's hard for others to love you if you don't love yourself first
Give me peacefulness over war any day
I would always choose peace over war
Oh give me graciousness but things don't go my way
I'd rather have grace and understanding when things don't go as planned
No more deceitfulness, I've had more than I can take
I'm tired of lies and deceit, it's too much for me to handle
Oh, so much hatefulness, when will this world give me a break?
There's so much hate in the world, and I wish for a break from it all
From the hatefulness
I want to escape from all the hate in the world
Give me loneliness over something that ain't worth the pain (keep on searching for)
I'd rather be alone than go through something that's not worth the trouble
(Keep on searching for)
The search for happiness is ongoing
Don't give me hopelessness
I don't want to feel like there's no hope or that things can't get better
That ain't something I think I could take, oh (keep on searching for)
Hopelessness is unbearable for me, and the search for happiness continues
I want happiness (happiness) but there's a price to pay (happiness)
I want to be happy, but there may be sacrifices that come with it
For my happiness (happiness) sacrifices must be made (happiness)
In order for me to be truly happy, I may need to make sacrifices
(They don't know you like you think they do) keep on searching for
Even when I feel misunderstood, I will keep searching for happiness
(Nobody loves you the way you want them to) keep on searching for
Even when others do not love me the way I want them to, I will keep searching for happiness
(They say they love you, but how can that be true) keep on searching for
Even when others say they love me but their actions do not match, I will keep searching for happiness
(How can they love you if you don't love you too?)
In order for others to love me, I must first love myself
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Koushi Inaba, Takahiro Matsumoto
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind