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.
To Love Somebody
Billy Joe Royal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A certain kind of light
That never shone on me
I want my life to be
Lived with you
Lived with you
There's a way
To do each and every little thing
But what good does it bring
If I ain't got you
Ain't got you
You don't know what it's like
You don't know what it's like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you
In my brain
I see your face again
I know my faith is mine
I ain't got to be so blind
I'm blind
So, so very blind
And I'm a man
Can't you see what I am?
I live and I breathe for you, yeah
But what good does it do
If I ain't got you
Ain't got
Mmm, baby, you don't know what it's like
You don't know what it's like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you
I'm a man
Can't you see what I am?
I live and I breathe for you
But what good does it do
If I ain't got you
Ain't got
Mmm, baby, you don't know what it's like
You don't know what it's like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you
No, no, no, no, no, no (you don't know what it's like)
You don't know what it's like
To love somebody
In this classic love song, Billy Joe Royal expresses his deep passion for someone he loves. The opening lines establish the absence of light in his life, suggesting a feeling of emptiness that only his love can fill. He wants nothing more than to live his life with this special person, and he asks a question that is at the heart of the song: what is the point of doing everything else if he doesn't have the one he loves by his side? The chorus, which repeats the phrase "you don't know what it's like, to love somebody" underscores the idea that the depth and intensity of his love are beyond the comprehension of anyone who hasn't experienced it.
The lyrics in the second verse are more introspective, with the singer acknowledging his own blindness to the feelings of the person he loves. He admits that he lives and breathes for this person, but still wonders what good it does if he can't have them. The final chorus speaks to the emotional core of the song, with a sense of yearning and longing for a love that seems just out of reach.
Overall, To Love Somebody is an ode to deep, passionate love that captures the universal experience of loving someone with all your heart and soul, and the pain of not having that love returned. The lyrics, with their simple yet powerful language, evoke the feeling of being truly and deeply in love, while also conveying the sense of loss and yearning that often accompanies unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a light
There's a feeling
A certain kind of light
A unique feeling
That never shone on me
That I've never felt before
I want my life to be
I want to experience life
Lived with you
With you by my side
There's a way
A method
Everybody said
That everyone knows
To do each and every little thing
To accomplish all the small things
But what good does it bring
What's the point
If I ain't got you
If I don't have you
You don't know what it's like
You can't understand
You don't know what it's like
You can't comprehend
To love somebody
To feel a strong affection for someone
To love somebody
To care deeply about another person
The way I love you
As much as I love you
In my brain
In my mind
I see your face again
I visualize you once more
I know my faith is mine
I understand my beliefs
I ain't got to be so blind
I don't have to be ignorant
I'm blind
I can't see everything
So, so very blind
Extremely ignorant
And I'm a man
I'm a person
Can't you see what I am?
Don't you understand what kind of person I am?
I live and I breathe for you, yeah
I exist for you
But what good does it do
What's the point
If I ain't got you
If I don't have you
Mmm, baby, you don't know what it's like
You can't understand, dear
You don't know what it's like
You can't comprehend
To love somebody
To care deeply about another person
To love somebody
To feel a strong affection for someone
The way I love you
As much as I love you
I'm a man
I'm a person
Can't you see what I am?
Don't you understand what kind of person I am?
I live and I breathe for you
I exist for you
But what good does it do
What's the point
If I ain't got you
If I don't have you
Mmm, baby, you don't know what it's like
You can't understand, dear
You don't know what it's like
You can't comprehend
To love somebody
To feel a strong affection for someone
To love somebody
To care deeply about another person
The way I love you
As much as I love you
No, no, no, no, no, no (you don't know what it's like)
You can't understand, no
You don't know what it's like
You can't comprehend
To love somebody
To feel a strong affection for someone
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Robin Hugh Gibb, Barry Alan Gibb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
peter .farias
1965...There's a light
A certain kind of light
That never shone on me
I want my life to be
Lived with you
Lived with you
There's a way
Everybody said
To do each and every little thing
But what good does it bring
If I ain't got you
Ain't got you
You don't know what it's like
You don't know what it's like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you
In my brain
I see your face again
I know my faith is mine
I ain't got to be so blind
I'm blind
So, so very blind
And I'm a man
Can't you see what I am?
I live and I breathe for you, yeah
But what good does it do
If I ain't got you
Ain't got
Mmm, baby, you don't know what it's like
You don't know what it's like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you
I'm a man
Can't you see what I am?
I live and I breathe for you
But what good does it do
If I ain't got you
Ain't got
Mmm, baby, you don't know what it's like
You don't know what it's like
To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you
No, no, no, no, no, no (you don't know what it's like)
You don't know what it's like
To love somebody.........1965
Laurie Fulcher
I remember a few songs of his when I was very young- Sad that great artists like him is passing through this world to fast. Grateful that we can still listen to their music- RIP Billy Joe Royal
Carolyn Allen
loved his voice, so sweet. just like elvis, there will never be another billy joe royal, rest in peace billy joe,thank you for all your wonderful talent and songs,
JoAnn Barrick
RIP Billy, I loved your music ! Thanks for so many wonderful memories !
Sue Mitchell
Everything he sings has been a part of my life he touches my heart in so many ways
Ruth Boykin
Will never get enough of this song, sung by him!
E vie00sleep
Totally love Billy Joe. You don't know what a pleasure it is to hear this perfect country voice. 🐞🌺🎧🎼
Brad Man
Man, what a voice on this guy.
Joe Black
It is saddening how the music industry overlooks so much beautiful talent, Billy Joe should have received No. 1's all over the place! He was definitely one of a kind with his clear vocal range!
CountryBoy Williams
ONE OF HIS BEST...ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL
Cilla C
The Bee Gees as song writers were TOPS. How many times have this song been recorded by other artists? Yes the Bee Gees were spot on with lyrics. This is one of their best.To Love Somebody.