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.
Light Up the Night
Brothers Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Burn out the dark
Lets set the world on fire
Light up the night
Love is the spark
We want to take you higher
Here is the lively invitation
To strike up, come on let's light the situation
And light the night, come on girl we got to glow, glow
Light up the night
Burn out the dark
Lets set the world on fire
Light up the night
Love is the spark
We want to take you higher
Come on you got to get your motor running
Tonight, the night were gonna have the sun in
[Unverified] what you feel that you're a fire inside
Then hold me tight in the moonlight of the night
Light up all through the night
Light up night light bright
Light up the sky tonight
Light up the sky
Party all through the night
Light up night light bright
Light up the sky tonight
Light up the sky
All night
Shine on bright tonight
Shine on bright
All night
Light up all through the night
Light up night light bright
Light up the sky tonight
Light up the sky
Party all through the night
Light up night light bright
Light up the sky tonight
Light up the sky
(All night long)
Light up the night
Burn out the dark
Lets set the world on fire
Light up the night
Love is the spark
We want to take you higher
Light up the night
(Light up my night oow)
Burn out the dark
Let's set the world on fire
Light up the night
(Light up my night oow)
Love is the spark
We want to take you higher
Light my night with love
Shine on bright with love
Light up the night
(Light up my night oow)
Burn out the dark
Let's set the world on fire
Light up the night
(Light up my night oow)
Love is the spark
We want to take you higher
Light up the night
(Light my night with love)
Burn out the dark
Let's set the world on fire
Light up the night
(Light my night with love)
Love is the spark
We want to take you higher
The Brothers Johnson's song "Light Up the Night" is an upbeat and catchy invitation to a night of partying and having fun with loved ones. The song starts with a call to banish darkness and light up the night with love, an invitation to set the world on fire. The use of light as a metaphor for love and positivity is evident throughout the song, as the Brothers Johnson encourage us to "light up the sky tonight" and "shine on bright with love."
The lyrics of the song are full of energy and enthusiasm, as the brothers urge us to "get our motor running" and "hit the city find some people we know." They want us to celebrate life, enjoy the night, and have fun together. Despite the song's emphasis on partying and fun, it carries an underlying message about finding joy in little things and spreading positivity wherever we go.
One plausible interpretation of the chorus is that the Brothers Johnson want us to take our love to the next level, to ignite the passion that we have for our loved ones and burn out the darkness from our lives with the power of love. In essence, the song is not just about having fun, but also about finding love, expressing it, and sharing it with the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Light up the night
Let's illuminate the darkness with shining lights
Burn out the dark
Let's remove the darkness by lighting up the night
Lets set the world on fire
Let's create a spark that will spread throughout the world
Light up the night
Let's light up the night with bright lights
Love is the spark
Love is the catalyst that will ignite the fire of passion
We want to take you higher
We want to elevate your mood and energy level
Here is the lively invitation
This is an enthusiastic invitation
To strike up, come on let's light the situation
Let's start the party and brighten up the environment
Let's hit the city find some people we know
Let's go into the city to find our friends
And light the night, come on girl we got to glow, glow
Let's light up the night and shine bright
Come on you got to get your motor running
Come on, you need to get energized and excited
Tonight, the night were gonna have the sun in
Tonight, we will have the energy and brightness of the sun
[Unverified] what you feel that you're a fire inside
Trust what you feel, that you have a passionate fire inside you
Then hold me tight in the moonlight of the night
Then embrace me tightly in the soft moonlight
Light up all through the night
Let's keep the night illuminated
Light up night light bright
Let's make the night bright and lively
Light up the sky tonight
Let's light up the sky with our bright lights tonight
Party all through the night
Let's keep the party going all night long
All night long
All night, without stopping
Shine on bright tonight
Let's shine our lights brightly tonight
Light my night with love
Illuminate my night with love
Let's set the world on fire
Let's spread our energy throughout the world
Light up the night
Let's light up the night with bright lights
Light up my night oow
Illuminate my night with your energy
Love is the spark
Love is the catalyst that ignites our passionate energy
Let's light up the night
Let's illuminate the night with our energy
Light my night with love
Illuminate my night with your love
Burn out the dark
Let's remove the darkness by lighting up our surroundings
We want to take you higher
We want to boost your energy and enthusiasm level
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE HENRY JOHNSON, LOUIS E. JOHNSON, ROD TEMPERTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jonathan Archer
This is song is now 40 years old and FAR exceeds music today.
The Spaghetti East
Best comment on YouTube.
Rodney Adams
Another Rod Temperton masterpiece! Excellent songwriter!!
Cortefiel Kid
@Edwin Fernandez Nope. Louis and George Johnson & Rod Temperton wrote it. Michael Jackson sang back up on the lp.
Edwin Fernandez
Michael Jackson wrote the song...
kofy adega
Incredible hit, master bassist at work .RIP Louis Johnson.
Pat Tenney
Will always LOVE all the great sounds from The Brothers Johnson FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!
Unique Organics Haircare
I absolutely love this song 😍❤️
Lee Tate
Classic Quincy Jones vocal arrangements here are unmistakable
Kobie1
After so many years and still grooving👍👍👍......