Daryl Hall began performing professionally while he was a student at Temple University. In 1966, he recorded a single with Kenny Gamble and the Romeos; the group featured Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, who would all become the architects of Philly soul. During this time, Hall frequently appeared on sessions for Gamble and Huff. In 1967, Hall met John Oates, a fellow Temple University student. Oates was leading his own soul band at the time. The two students realized they had similar tastes and began performing together in an array of R&B and doo wop groups. By 1968, the duo had parted ways, as Oates transferred schools and Hall formed the soft rock band Gulliver; the group released one album on Elektra in the late '60s before disbanding.
After Gulliver's breakup, Hall concentrated on session work again, appearing as a backup vocalist for The Stylistics, The Delfonics, and The Intruders, among others. Oates returned to Philadelphia in 1969, and he and Hall began writing folk-oriented songs and performing together. Eventually they came to the attention of Tommy Mottola, who quickly became their manager, securing the duo a contract with Atlantic Records. On their first records — Whole Oates (1972), Abandoned Luncheonette (1973), War Babies (1974) — the duo were establishing their sound, working with producers like Arif Mardin and Todd Rundgren and removing much of their folk influences. At the beginning of 1974, the duo relocated from Philadelphia to New York. During this period, they only managed one hit — the number 60 "She's Gone" in the spring of 1974.
After they moved to RCA in 1975, the duo landed on its successful mixture of soul, pop, and rock, scoring a Top Ten single with "Sara Smile." The success of "Sara Smile" prompted the re-release of "She's Gone," which rocketed into the Top Ten as well. Released in the summer of 1976, Bigger than the Both of Us was only moderately successful upon its release. The record took off in early 1977, when "Rich Girl" became the duo's first number one single.
Although they had several minor hits between 1977 and 1980, the albums Hall & Oates released at the end of the decade were not as successful as their mid-'70s records. Nevertheless, they were more adventurous, incorporating more rock elements into their blue-eyed soul. The combination would finally pay off in late 1980, when the duo released the self-produced Voices, the album that marked the beginning of Hall & Oates' greatest commercial and artistic success. The first single from Voices, a cover of Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," reached number 12, yet it was the second single, "Kiss on My List" that confirmed their commercial potential by becoming the duo's second number one single; its follow-up, "You Make My Dreams" hit number five. They quickly released Private Eyes in the summer of 1981; the record featured two number one hits, "Private Eyes" and "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)," as well as the Top Ten hit "Did It in a Minute." "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" also spent a week at the top of the R&B charts — a rare accomplishment for a white act. H20 followed in 1982 and it proved more successful than their two previous albums, selling over two million copies and launching their biggest hit single, "Maneater," as well as the Top Ten hits "One on One" and "Family Man." The following year, the duo released a greatest-hits compilation, Rock 'N Soul, Pt. 1, that featured two new Top Ten hits — the number two "Say It Isn't So" and "Adult Education."
In April of 1984, the Recording Industry Association of America announced that Hall & Oates had surpassed Everly Brothers as the most successful duo in rock history, earning a total of 19 gold and platinum awards. Released in October of 1984, Big Bam Boom expanded their number of gold and platinum awards, selling over two million copies and launching four Top 40 singles, including the number one "Out of Touch." Following their contract-fulfilling gold album Live at the Apollo with David Ruffin & Eddie Kendrick, Hall & Oates went on hiatus. After the lukewarm reception for Daryl Hall's 1986 solo album, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, the duo regrouped to release 1988's Ooh Yeah!, their first record for Arista. The first single, "Everything Your Heart Desires," went to number three and helped propel the album to platinum status.
However, none of the album's other singles broke the Top 20, indicating that the era of chart dominance had ended. Change of Season, released in 1990, confirmed that fact. Although the record went gold, it only featured one Top 40 hit — the number 11 single, "So Close." The duo mounted a comeback in 1997 with Marigold Sky, but it was only partially successful; far better was 2003's Do It for Love and the following year soul covers record Our Kind of Soul.
Give It Up
Daryl Hall & John Oates Lyrics
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You look my way
I know that expression and what it says
It'd be so easy
The light is right
Forget in the moment who we are tonight
My body's singing and the music's strong
No conscience speaking ain't nothing wrong
[Chorus:]
Give it up
That's the way it starts
You've got to know old habits die hard
Give it up
Remember what I said
That kind of lovin' used to happen every day
Temptation makes a fool out of us all
I made my up
It had to end
But I've got this indecision when you're close again
I want you so bad baby
I can't deny
And those old fantasies are stealing across my mind
I thought by now that the flame had gone
I realize that it's still holding on
[Chorus:]
In Daryl Hall & John Oates's song Give It Up, the lyrics express the struggle of temptation and the conflict between what the heart wants and what the mind knows is right. The singer describes an encounter with someone they have a history with and admits to feeling the pull of attraction. They know that giving into this desire would be easy, especially with the right setting and good music playing, but they also know that it wouldn't be the right decision. The singer's body is singing, and the music is strong, but their conscience isn't speaking up to prevent them from making a mistake.
The chorus encourages the listener to "give it up," acknowledging that old habits can be hard to break. The singer asks the listener to remember that this kind of temptation used to happen every day, making "a fool out of us all." The second verse shows the singer struggling with the indecision of being close to this person once again. They want them badly, and old fantasies start to resurface, but they know deep down that it can't happen. The singer admits that they had hoped the flame had gone out by now, but it's clear that they are still holding on.
Overall, the lyrics convey the struggle of resisting temptation and the pull of past attractions. The singer acknowledges that giving in would be easy, but ultimately, they know it's not the right decision.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no decision
I have no control over my actions when you are around.
You look my way
When you look at me, I feel a strong attraction towards you.
I know that expression and what it says
I can tell by your expression that you feel the same way I do.
It'd be so easy
It would be effortless to give into our desires.
The light is right
The timing is perfect for us to act on our feelings.
Forget in the moment who we are tonight
For this brief moment, let's ignore the fact that we shouldn't be together.
My body's singing and the music's strong
My physical desire for you is overwhelming and intense.
No conscience speaking ain't nothing wrong
I am not listening to my moral compass, even though I know this is not right.
[Chorus:]
Refrain.
Give it up
Let's give into our desires and act on our attraction.
That's the way it starts
Giving into temptation can be the beginning of something complicated.
You've got to know old habits die hard
It's difficult to break old habits, especially when it comes to physical desire.
Remember what I said
Don't forget the consequences of our actions.
That kind of lovin' used to happen every day
We have given into temptation like this before, and it's not healthy.
Temptation makes a fool out of us all
We are foolish to give into temptation knowing the consequences.
I made my up
I have decided that we can't be together, but it's challenging to stick to my decision.
But I've got this indecision when you're close again
When we are near each other, I struggle with my decision and my attraction to you.
I want you so bad baby
My desire for you is intense and almost overwhelming.
I can't deny
I can't pretend that I don't feel this way.
And those old fantasies are stealing across my mind
I am remembering the past, and it's influencing my present desires.
I thought by now that the flame had gone
I believed that my attraction to you had diminished over time.
I realize that it's still holding on
I now understand that my attraction to you is still strong and hasn't gone away.
[Chorus:]
Refrain.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NICKOLAS ASHFORD, BOBBY HALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind