Born in Valdosta, Georgia, and raised in Marietta, Georgia, Royal became a local star at the Bamboo Ranch in Savannah in the 1950s and 1960s. He is best known for the 1965 US Top 10 pop hit "Down in the Boondocks", which, along with the singles "I Knew You When" (Top 20, 1965) and "Hush" (1967), were written and produced by Joe South. Another South composition, "Yo-Yo," just missed the top 40 in Canada and charted poorly in the U.S. when Royal released it in 1967, but a later remake by The Osmonds was a much greater success. His 1969 single, "Cherry Hill Park", peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the 1970s his recording of "Heart's Desire" gained popularity among Northern soul enthusiasts and was regularly played in Northern soul nightclubs.
During the 1980s, Royal had a successful comeback with several Top 10 country hits, including "Tell It Like It Is", "Burned Like a Rocket", and "I'll Pin a Note on Your Pillow".
Royal's career experienced a second major period during the 2000s due to regular airplay on "oldies" radio stations. His music was further exposed to younger generations through a movement known as The Beat Army, an online music forum based on Facebook which is operated by author and music producer Paul Collins. Royal continued to tour regularly, performing concerts at casinos, music festivals and clubs in Canada, the United States, Japan and throughout Europe. His set lists include a mixture of songs representing multiple genres from the 1960s to the present.
Royal played Robert Ally in the indie Western film Billy the Kid (2013), co-starring country singer Cody McCarver.
Royal died in his sleep on October 6, 2015 in Morehead City, North Carolina.
HEARTS DESIRE
Billy Joe Royal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, you're my heart's desire
Your love sets my soul on fire
You're my type, you're my kind
You're always on my mind
You're my heart's desire
When the sun comes up in the morning
When the sun goes down in the evening
You're the last thing, baby, on my mind
Baby, you're my heart's desire
Your love sets my soul on fire
There ought to be a law against the way
You turn me on, baby, night and day
I hear your voice but you're not there
I see your face, baby, everywhere
Baby, you're my heart's desire
Your love sets my soul on fire, yeah
[Chorus]
Don't know why I love you so
But I know I'll never let you go
Don't know why I need your love so bad
But you're the only love I've ever had
Baby, you're my heart's desire
Your love sets my soul on fire
You're my type, you're my kind
You're always on my mind
Baby, you're my heart's desire
Your love sets my soul on fire
You're my type
Billy Joe Royal's song "Heart's Desire" is a love song about longing for someone deeply. The chorus declares that the person being sung to is the singer's heart's desire and that their love sets his soul on fire. This language is intense, but also reflects the depth of the singer's passion for the subject of the song. Whether it is morning or night, the person being sung to is always on the singer's mind. The second verse tells the listener that the singer doesn't know why they love this person so much or why they need their love, but that they would never let them go.
The lyrics in "Heart's Desire" are straightforward, but they are also relatable. Most people are familiar with longing for someone they cannot have, and this song captures that feeling perfectly. The chorus is memorable and catchy, and the repetition of the phrase "heart's desire" emphasizes how much the singer wants this person. The verses also reveal how all-consuming this love is and the impact it has on the singer's daily life. The song's straightforward simplicity, combined with its earnestness, makes it a classic love song that still resonates with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, you're my heart's desire
You are the one that I need and want the most
Your love sets my soul on fire
Your love ignites a passion within me that cannot be quenched
You're my type, you're my kind
You are the perfect fit for me in every way
You're always on my mind
I can't stop thinking about you, even for a moment
When the sun comes up in the morning
As soon as I wake up, I think of you
You're the first thing, baby, on my mind
You are the first and most important thing on my mind
When the sun goes down in the evening
Even at the end of the day, you are still on my mind
You're the last thing, baby, on my mind
You are the last thought that I have before falling asleep
There ought to be a law against the way
Your effect on me is so powerful that it should be illegal
You turn me on, baby, night and day
Your presence excites me constantly, no matter the time of day
I hear your voice but you're not there
I constantly hear your voice in my head, even when you're not around
I see your face, baby, everywhere
I see your image in everything around me, no matter where I look
Don't know why I love you so
I don't understand why I love you so much, but I do
But I know I'll never let you go
Despite my confusion, I know that I will never leave you
Don't know why I need your love so bad
I don't know why I need your love so desperately, but I do
But you're the only love I've ever had
Even though I don't understand these feelings, I know that you are the one that I love
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: SOUTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Northern Lad
Fantastic song ❤
longboarder771
Billy Joe Royal was originally a country singer, this must be a first for a country singer to make a recording that became a Northern Soul favourite.
Tony Griffiths
@longboarder771 Brenda Lee - Time & Time Again. Brilliant Northern dancer.
Gazoor2004
Charlie Rich : Everything I Do Is Wrong - Philips Records - 1959 for me is playable in soul/R&B circles, Love Is After Me - London Records - 1966 was a massive tune at the Twisted Wheel etc. and a big oldie since then; Don't Tear Me Down... an unissued 60's track released on Kent Records in 2007 had lots of plays since being discovered early 2000's.
Brenda Lee - Where's The Melody - Brunswick -1967 big tune in the 'Wheel' days and similar clubs, Time And Time Again - Decca Records - 1966 has had plays since the early/mid 80's in clubs such as Keele University... probably played earlier but I think that's where I heard it played out first.
andy dev
brenda lee
longboarder771
I cannot think of a Northern Soul recording by Charlie Rich or Brenda Lee, perhaps someone out there will be able to help? I am sorry to learn about your dementia, a close friend of mine has the condition & it saddens me when I talk with her. I wish you well my unknown friend. I really do.
Northernspain
I think Charlie Rich and Brenda Lee, but cant bring the tracks to mind just now, this bastard dementia will be the death of me
Neil Bustin
Love it a Northern soul favorite.
sauquoit13456
On this day in 1966 {June 20th} Billy Joe Royal performed "Heart's Desire" on the ABC-TV program 'Where The Action Is'...
The song had entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart on May 15th, 1966 at position #91; it stayed on the chart for three weeks, and on its 2nd and 3rd week it was at #88, needless to that was its peak position on the Top 100...
Between 1965 and 1978 he had nine Top 100 records; one made the Top 10, "Down in the Boondocks", which peaked at #9 {for 1 week} on August 22nd, 1965...
He did better on the country chart; between 1985 and 1992 he had fifteen hits on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart; six made the Top 10 with his covered version of Aaron Neville's "Tell It Like It Is" being his biggest hit, it peaked at #2 in 1989...
Billy Joe Royal celebrated his 73rd birthday two months ago on April 3rd, 2015...
Chad Quick
Top 10 in Louisville, Kentucky. An excellent song that should have been a bigger hit