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.
Guessing Games
Daryl Hall & John Oates Lyrics
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Lyrics: hall
When I met you I should've been warned
Ooh I could see you change from day to day
But you kept me guessing
Playing for fun
What'll you do what would you say
A kind of passion that I can't explain
You're high strung, that's attraction
But your act is driving me away
(guessing games) I don't wanna play those
Guessing game
(don't wanna)
Please don't make me play'em no
(guessing games)
I don't wanna play those
(guessing games)
Games
You gotta give me something to hold
That cute routine you got is wearing thin
So baby can you do it for yourself and for me
I don't wanna lose you, I want us to win
Strange moods jealous anger
That kind of passion that you can't explain
You're high strung that's a fact
But don't you let it drive me away
(guessing games) 'cause I don't wanna play those
Guessing game
(don't wanna)
Please don't make me play'em no
Guessing games
I don't wanna play those
Games
The lyrics of Daryl Hall & John Oates’s “Guessing Games” convey the frustrations of a man who is unsure where he stands in the relationship with his partner. The singer seems to have fallen for a woman who, though enticing, is mercurial and capricious, making him feel like he's playing an endless game of guessing. From the start of the relationship, he saw that she was changing every day. Despite that, he stayed with her, continually guessing how she would behave, what she would do or say, and what her feelings were towards him. She keeps him guessing, and her behavior towards him makes him uncertain of her intentions. Her moods are volatile and often filled with jealousy, and he cannot fathom why she's so high-strung, making it impossible for him to understand what’s going through her mind.
The singer asks her to stop playing games with him, to be honest and straightforward, to communicate her thoughts instead of leaving him puzzled. He wants to hold onto a relationship with her, but he desires clarity, and he wants to know where he stands. Otherwise, the game-playing will drive him away. The lyrics use a repetition technique to emphasize that the guessing games are hurting their relationship. The music, composed by Hall and Allen, complements the lyrics' message, with a pop-soul beat that drives home the sentiment of frustration and confusion.
Line by Line Meaning
When I met you I should've been warned
I should have known something was wrong when we first met
Ooh I could see you change from day to day
I noticed that your mood and behavior were unpredictable
But you kept me guessing
You always kept me unsure of what you were thinking or feeling
Playing for fun
You enjoyed keeping me in the dark about your intentions and emotions
What'll you do what would you say
I never knew how you would react or respond to anything
Strange moods and jealous anger
Your emotions were often unusual and you were prone to jealousy
A kind of passion that I can't explain
Your intensity was hard to understand
You're high strung, that's attraction
Your energy and intensity were part of what originally drew me to you
But your act is driving me away
Your behavior is pushing me further and further from you
(guessing games) I don't wanna play those
I am tired of the uncertainty and confusion that comes from guessing what you want and how you feel
Please don't make me play'em no
I am asking you to stop playing these games
You gotta give me something to hold
I need something solid and real from you
That cute routine you got is wearing thin
Your charming behavior is starting to feel fake and annoying
So baby can you do it for yourself and for me
I am asking you to be honest and genuine for your own sake and for ours
I don't wanna lose you, I want us to win
I value our relationship and want it to succeed
'cause I don't wanna play those
I am reiterating my desire not to participate in guessing games
Guessing game
I am referring to the cycle of uncertainty and unpredictability in our relationship
Games
I am emphasizing how much I dislike the trivial and frustrating behavior that has been happening between us
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DARYL HALL, JANNA M. ALLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind