Their popular album Light Up the Night was released in March 1980 and got as high as number 5 on the Billboard 200. It was number 46 on the "Top 100 LP's of 1980" list in Rolling Stone Magazine. The subsequent album, Winners, was self-produced by the brothers and released in July 1981, but was less successful, going only as high as number 48 on the Billboard 200.
Among their most popular songs are "I'll Be Good to You" (Hot 100 #3 in 1976), "Strawberry Letter 23" (Hot 100 # 5 in 1977), "Ain't We Funkin' Now" (1978), and "Stomp!" (Hot 100 #7 and Hot Dance Music/Club Play #1 in 1980). Their styles include funk, disco, and R&B ballads. The duo split up in 1982.
Guitarist/vocalist George Johnson and bassist/vocalist Louis Johnson formed the band Johnson Three Plus One with older brother Tommy and their cousin Alex Weir while attending school in Los Angeles. When they became professionals, the band backed such touring R&B acts as Bobby Womack and the Supremes. George and Louis Johnson later joined Billy Preston's band, and wrote "Music in My Life" and "The Kids and Me" for him before leaving his group in 1973. In 1976, The Brothers covered the Beatles song, "Hey, Jude", for the ephemeral musical documentary All This and World War II.
Quincy Jones hired them to play on his LP Mellow Madness, and recorded four of their songs, including "Is It Love That We're Missing?" and "Just a Taste of Me." Jones took them on a Japanese tour, then produced their début LP, Look Out for Number 1, after they signed with A&M, which was also his label at the time (1976). They scored a number-one R&B and number-three pop hit with "I'll Be Good to You," and enjoyed R&B chart toppers in 1977 and 1980 respectively with "Strawberry Letter 23" and "Stomp!," while sustaining a consistent hit presence via such songs as "Get the Funk Out Ma Face" and "Runnin' for Your Lovin." Jones remade "I'll Be Good to You" in 1989 with Ray Charles and Chaka Khan on his Back on the Block release.
The Brothers earned platinum records for Look Out for Number 1 and Right on Time. Jones produced both of these, along with their third and fourth LPs, Blam and Light Up the Night. The group produced its single "The Real Thing" in 1981. It reached number 11 on the R&B charts, and the Brothers had another hit with "Welcome to the Club" in 1982. They started doing separate ventures; Louis Johnson played bass on Michael Jackson's Thriller LP and recorded a gospel album, while George Johnson worked with Steve Arrington. Leon Sylvers produced their mid-'80s return LP Out of Control; it didn't equal their past success, but got them another R&B hit with "You Keep Coming Back" in 1984. They recorded Kickin' in 1988, and co-wrote "Tomorrow" with Siedah Garrett for Jones' Back on the Block in 1989.
Come Together
Brothers Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He come groovin' up slowly
He got joo joo eyeballs
He one holy rollers
He got hair down to his knee
Got to be a joker
He just do what he please
He got toe jam football
He got monkey finger
He shoot Coca Cola
He say I know you, you know me
One thing I can tell you is
You got to be free
Come together, right now
Over me
He bad production
He got walrus gumboot
He got Ono sideboard
He one spinal cracker
He got feet down below his knees
Hold you in his armchair
You can feel his disease
Come together, right now
Over me
He roller coaster
He got early warning
He got muddy water
He one Mojo filter
He say one and one and one is three
Got to be good looking
Cause he's so hard to see
Come together right now
Over me
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
Come together, yeah
The Brothers Johnson's song "Come Together" features a narrator describing an enigmatic figure who is wild and unconventional. The person is introduced with the line "Here come old flat top" and is described as having "joo joo eyeballs," and "hair down to his knee." He is a "joker" who does what he wants and doesn't care about shoes or cleanliness, as evidenced by his "monkey finger" and "toe jam football." Despite this seemingly chaotic persona, the singer believes that the listener and the subject can "come together" and find freedom.
As the song progresses, more details about the subject unfold. He is described as having "walrus gumboot" and a "Ono sideboard," referencing John Lennon's wife Yoko Ono. He is also a "spinal cracker" who can "hold you in his armchair" and infect you with "his disease." Despite these unappealing aspects, the singer insists that we "come together" with the subject.
The lyrics of "Come Together" are often interpreted as a call for unity and acceptance of differences. The singer acknowledges the unique qualities of the subject, but emphasizes the need to "come together" despite those differences. The song's funky, upbeat rhythm and catchy chorus have made it an enduring classic, and its lyrics continue to resonate with audiences today.
Line by Line Meaning
Here come old flat top
A cool guy comes around the corner
He come groovin' up slowly
He has a smooth style as he slowly moves forward
He got joo joo eyeballs
He has a unique outlook on life
He one holy rollers
He's religious
He got hair down to his knee
He has long hair
Got to be a joker
He has a crazy sense of humor
He just do what he please
He's free-spirited and does what he wants
He wear no shoeshine
He doesn't care about image or status
He got toe jam football
He has dirty feet
He got monkey finger
His hands are unique
He shoot Coca Cola
He likes to party
He say I know you, you know me
He believes in connection and familiarity
One thing I can tell you is
He wants to give advice
You got to be free
You should be yourself and unrestricted
Come together, right now
Let's unite and bond
Over me
With him leading the way
He bad production
He's rough around the edges
He got walrus gumboot
He has strange fashion
He got Ono sideboard
He has eclectic taste
He one spinal cracker
He's got rhythm and energy
He got feet down below his knees
He dances well
Hold you in his armchair
He's comforting
You can feel his disease
His problems can be contagious
He roller coaster
He's unpredictable
He got early warning
He's genuinely intuitive
He got muddy water
He comes from a difficult background
He one Mojo filter
He can overcome hardship
He say one and one and one is three
He believes in unifying others
Got to be good looking
You should exude positivity and confidence
Cause he's so hard to see
He's unique and stands out from the crowd
Come together, yeah
Let's bond, yeah
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Damian Cid
"Here come old
flattop
he come..
grooving up slowly
He got..
Joo
joo
eyeball
he's one..
holy
roller
He got..
Hair
down
to his knees
Got to be
a joker
he just do
what he please..
He wear no shoeshine
he got..
toe
jam
football
He got..
Monkey
finger
he shoot..
coca cola
He say..
'I know you
you know me
One thing
I can tell you
is you
got to be free'
Come together
right now
over me..
He bag production
he got..
walrus
gumboot
He got..
Ono
sideboard
he´s one..
spinal
cracker
He got..
Feet
down
below
his knees
Hold you
in his armchair
you can feel
his disease
Come together
right now
over me...
He roller
coaster
he got..
early
warning
He got..
Muddy
water
he's one..
mojo
filter
He say..
'One
and one
and one
is three'
Got to be
good looking
cos' he's so
hard to see
Come together
right now
over me..
Come together
Come together
Come together
Come together.."
ko napi
If I could hear the ghost words,
When you see the number 555 and the Beatles song, the sound of cometogeather repeatedly comes to mind, and you want to tell them that February 22 is a special day, What do you think the key message will be when you combine the keys?
I don't know, but it's like, "I'm ready!"
I don't think the world of making good music needs a mafia.
If they have a mafia who really loves music, maybe it's a bit understandable.
もしも私が幽霊の言葉が聞こえるとしたならば、
５５５という数字を見たこと、ビートルズの曲、ｃｏｍｅ ｔｏｇｅｔｈｅｒの音が繰り返し頭の中に浮かんできて、２月２２日が特別な日だということを伝えたいのだと考えると、あなたはこれらの鍵を合わせると、どんな言葉のメッセージになると思う？
私にもわからないが、「準備は出来てる！」そんな感じかもしれないね？
私は良い音楽を作る世界にマフィアは必用ないと思う。
彼らに本当に音楽が好きなマフィアがいるのならば、少しは理解できるかもしれないが。
ｈ／ｗｈｙ＝ｙｈｗｈ＝３６０° ｅｄｄｉｅｅ５５
Epitaphforyesterday
this is also my favorite version, discarding but not discrediting the original, aerosmith's and soundgarden's. these dudes copped a whole different feel.
kim simmons
Epitaphforyesterday Aerosmith’s is not the originators, The Beatles are the originators; John Lennon wrote this.
funkpill
The best rendition ever 😎
Naiant
Amazing, and this is coming from a huge Beatles fan. Would I be disloyal if I said it was better than the original?
Ronald DuConge
I personally like this version of the song over the original. Best cover ever!!!
The Toy Cannon
The Beatles version with Lennon at the helm is unmatched. His vocals along with the lyrics is one in itself. With that being said, I have never heard a tighter or heavier cover than this. In my opinion, the best cover of a Beatles song out there. Different, but true to and very well done.
BG 88
It is
Donnell Becote
Hell yea it’s a better sounding song 🎶 song 🎶 the guitar 🎸 bass
Donnell Becote
Yea it’s better than the Beatles song for real more sounds everywhere Louis Johnson on Bass 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶💕
Joseph Blaylock
I was sad to hear about brother Louis, this album is a everlasting thing, now him Sugar Foot, and Bootsy's brother Catfish, that's all they was about was a funky heavenly sounds, truly everlasting .