In 1958, Ben Nelson joined a doo wop group, The Five Crowns. Later that same year, The Drifters' manager fired the members of the group and replaced them with The Five Crowns, who had performed several engagements with The Drifters. He co-wrote the first hit by the new version of The Drifters, "There Goes My Baby" (1959). He also sang lead, using his birth name, on "Save the Last Dance for Me," a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, "Dance With Me," "This Magic Moment," "I Count the Tears," and other The Drifters hits.
In 1960 he left the group after failing to gain a salary increase and a fairer share of the group's royalties. At this point he assumed the more memorable stage name Ben E. King in preparation for a solo career. Remaining on Atlantic, King scored his first solo hit with the stylish, Latin-tinged ballad "Spanish Harlem" (1961). "Stand by Me" was his next recording. "Stand by Me", written by King along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller was voted one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America. "Stand by Me" and "Spanish Harlem" were named as two of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and were both also given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
King's records continued to place well on the pop charts until 1963, when British pop bands began to dominate the popular music scene. His hits after 1963 were "What is Soul?" (1967), "Supernatural Thing, part 1" (1975), and the re-issue in 1986 of "Stand by Me" following the song's use as the theme music to the movie of the same name.
We Got Love
Ben E. King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the bad times
Ain't we got fun
In the morning
In the evening
Ain't we got fun
Not much money
Ain't we got fun
The rents unpaid dear,
We haven't a dime
But we were made dear
To have a good time
In the winter
In the summer
Ain't we got fun
Times are bum and
Getting bummer
Still we got fun
There's nothing surer
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer
In the mean time
In between time
Ain't we got fun
Night or day time
It's all play time
Ain't we got fun
Hot or cold days
Any old days
We still got fun
It never ends dear,
The bills are all due
Still we hot friends dear,
So wear something new
Landlords mad and
Getting madder
But we got fun
Times are bad and
Getting badder
Still we got fun
There's nothing surer
The rich get richer and the poor get laid off
In the mean time
In foreseen time
Ain't we got fun
Every morning
Every evening
Ain't we got fun
Days are sunny
So my honey
Let's go have fun
The debt collectors are
Hounding us now
But we're defectors,
So give em a bow
When the world ends
Still be happy
Ain't we got fun
When you're down and
Feeling crappy
You still got fun
There's nothing surer
The rich get richer and the poor get children
In the mean time
In the swing time
Ain't we got fun
The lyrics to Ben E. King's song "We Got Love" convey a powerful message about finding happiness and gratitude in even the most challenging circumstances. The song celebrates the joy and resilience of a couple who, despite facing financial struggles and difficult times, choose to focus on the love and fun they have together.
The opening lines, "Through the good times and the bad times, ain't we got fun," set the tone for the song. It suggests that regardless of the ups and downs of life, the couple finds solace in their love and the simple joys they experience. The lyrics highlight the contrast between their financial situation ("Not much money, oh but honey, ain't we got fun") and their positive attitude toward life. They may not have much material wealth, but they choose to make the most of what they have.
The song goes on to describe how the couple navigates various seasons and challenges with a lighthearted approach. It acknowledges the unpaid rent, lack of money, and mounting bills, but emphasizes that they were "made dear to have a good time." Their optimism and ability to find joy in each other's company persist, even when times are tough.
The lyrics also touch upon the unequal distribution of wealth, with the line "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer." However, the song's overall message urges listeners to focus on the present moment and appreciate the love and fun they have, despite these societal imbalances.
Overall, "We Got Love" encourages listeners to adopt a positive perspective and find happiness in the little things, especially in their relationships, throughout life's ups and downs.
Line by Line Meaning
Through the good times
Despite the moments of happiness and joy
And the bad times
Even during the difficult and challenging times
Ain't we got fun
Don't we still find joy and enjoyment
In the morning
During the start of the day
In the evening
During the end of the day
Ain't we got fun
We still have the ability to find joy and have a good time
Not much money
We don't have a lot of money
Oh but honey
But my dear
Ain't we got fun
We can still find happiness and enjoyment despite the lack of wealth
The rents unpaid dear,
We haven't paid the rent, my dear
We haven't a dime
We don't have any money
But we were made dear
But we were meant, my dear
To have a good time
To enjoy ourselves
In the winter
During the cold season
In the summer
During the warm season
Ain't we got fun
We can still find joy and have a good time regardless of the season
Times are bum and
Times are difficult and
Getting bummer
Becoming even worse
Still we got fun
Yet, we can still find happiness and enjoyment
There's nothing surer
There's nothing more certain
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer
The wealthy individuals continue to amass more wealth while the less fortunate continue to struggle economically
In the mean time
In the meantime
In between time
During the transitional periods
Ain't we got fun
We can still find joy and have a good time while waiting
Night or day time
During the nighttime or daytime
It's all play time
It's all a time for fun and enjoyment
Ain't we got fun
We can still find happiness and enjoyment regardless of the time of day
Hot or cold days
During hot or cold weather
Any old days
During any days
We still got fun
We can still find joy and have a good time regardless of the weather or day
It never ends dear,
It never stops, my dear
The bills are all due
We need to pay all our bills
Still we hot friends dear,
Yet, we still have friends, my dear
So wear something new
Let's put on something new and enjoy ourselves
Landlords mad and
The landlords are angry and
Getting madder
Becoming angrier
But we got fun
But we can still find joy and have a good time despite their anger
Times are bad and
Times are difficult and
Getting badder
Becoming even worse
Still we got fun
Yet, we can still find happiness and enjoyment
There's nothing surer
There's nothing more certain
The rich get richer and the poor get laid off
The wealthy individuals continue to amass more wealth while the less fortunate lose their jobs
In the mean time
In the meantime
In foreseen time
In the expected future
Ain't we got fun
We can still find joy and have a good time while waiting for the future
Every morning
Each and every morning
Every evening
Each and every evening
Ain't we got fun
We can still find happiness and enjoyment in every moment
Days are sunny
The days are filled with sunshine
So my honey
So, my dear
Let's go have fun
Let's go and enjoy ourselves
The debt collectors are
The individuals collecting our debts are
Hounding us now
Persistently pursuing us
But we're defectors,
But we're avoiding them,
So give em a bow
So, let's mock them or show contempt towards them
When the world ends
When the world comes to an end
Still be happy
We should still remain happy
Ain't we got fun
We can still find joy and have a good time even in the face of disaster
When you're down and
When you're feeling sad or
Feeling crappy
Feeling miserable or unhappy
You still got fun
You can still find happiness and enjoyment
There's nothing surer
There's nothing more certain
The rich get richer and the poor get children
The wealthy individuals continue to amass more wealth while the less fortunate have more children
In the mean time
In the meantime
In the swing time
During the lively and energetic moments
Ain't we got fun
We can still find joy and have a good time in the midst of lively times
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAYMOND B EGAN, GUS KAHN, RICHARD A WHITING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind