They continued their partnership over the next several years under the name 'Oister', going for a catchy, hook-filled sound very reminiscent of The Beatles and other British invasion groups. Twilley and Seymour signed with Shelter Records in 1974 as the Dwight Twilley Band. Their first single,"I'm on Fire", reached #16 on the charts in 1975 with relatively no promotion. Tasting mainstream success as a jangly rock act. the future seemed bright.
During an appearance on American Bandstand, the band played what was to be the follow-up single, "Shark". The success of the film Jaws, however, caused the label to reject the single to keep the group from being perceived as a cash-in novelty act. This was just the beginning of bad luck that would plague the group from that point on.
According to the I'm On Fire Songfacts, Shelter Records was in turmoil at the time, and as a result could not release their debut album until a year later, which killed the momentum generated by this song. A second album recorded in England was left unreleased. The belated follow-up single, "You Were So Warm", failed to become another hit due to distribution problems, although many fans of underground rock helped the band gain a reputation as a cult act. When the group's album 'Sincerely' was finally released in 1975, it failed commercially as well. Under different circumstances, Twilley could have been a major star, latching onto the late 70s power pop boom that artists such as Cheap Trick and The Knack rode into rock stardom with, yet his group kept on working hard as time passed.
Seymour and Twilley befriended the like-minded Tom Petty and contributed backing vocals on several of his tracks. Petty repaid the favor for their second album, "Twilley Don't Mind," for Arista Records in 1977. Their work with Petty brought them critical respect and praise from fellow musicians, but Twilley's album proved to be another commercial disappointment. Seymour left the band the following year, pursuing a brief solo career until he died of lymphoma in 1993.
Twilley continued as a solo act, releasing "Twilley" for Arista in 1979 and "Scuba Divers" for EMI America in 1982. He finally found success again with the album "Jungle" in 1984, which included Twilley's second hit single "Girls." His 1986 followup album "Wild Dogs" went unnoticed on its CBS Records. In addition, Twilley recorded an album in 1980, Blueprint, that remains unreleased and contributed one track to the 1992 Wayne's World soundtrack, "Why You Want to Break My Heart." In 1993, DCC released "The Great Lost Twilley Album," which collected a fraction of the "hundreds" of early unreleased songs Twilley and Seymour had recorded.
Two newly recorded songs appeared on the best-of collection "XXI" (The Right Stuff) in 1996, and in 1999, Twilley released both another rarities collection, "Between the Cracks, Vol. 1 (Not Lame Archives)," and his first new album in 13 years, "Tulsa" (Copper). In 2001, Twilley released "The Luck" (Big Oak), an album he had actually completed in 1994. The seasonal EP "Have a Twilley Christmas" (dmi) appeared in 2004, followed by Twilley's ninth studio album, "47 Moons," in 2005.
In November 2014, Twilley released his album Always through Big Oak Records. The 12-song LP featured an array of appearances from power-pop and rock and roll musicians such as Ken Stringfellow, Timm Buechler and Mitch Easter.
somebody to love
Dwight Twilley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blowing since I don't know when
Ever since the child was born
Holding on to something warm
Somebody to love
Somebody that you can depend on
Some place in the sun
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Nothing's the same inside
When there's nobody there by your side
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Stand by you
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
The rest of your life
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Wherever you go
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
It don't matter if you want
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Think about what won't forget
Everyone that ever was
Trying to find that piece of love
Somebody to love
Somebody that you can depend on
Some place in the sun
One feeling there's no denying
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
It gotta be somehow
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
To wave goodbye
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
To hold you tight
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
For the jealous mind
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
To let you go
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Break your heart
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Spend your money on
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Make you cry
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Whenever, let go
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Doesn't matter if you want
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
When he just keeps going on
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
The lyrics of Dwight Twilley's song "Somebody To Love" convey an overwhelming sense of loneliness and longing for a loving, dependable companion. The opening lines, "Like a paper in the wind, blowing since I don't know when," suggest a feeling of aimlessness and lack of direction, while the subsequent line, "Ever since the child was born, holding on to something warm," paints a picture of a person desperately searching for emotional warmth and stability. The repeated chorus of "Somebody to love" reinforces the idea of a deep-seated desire to find a person to depend on for emotional support and companionship.
The song speaks to the universal human need for love and connection, and its lyrics could be interpreted as reflective of the artist's own personal struggles with loneliness and isolation. The repeated lines that express a willingness to "stand by you/ the rest of your life/ wherever you go" reinforce the idea of a strong commitment to a partner, while the final lines "Somebody to love/ It gotta be somehow/ to wave goodbye/ to hold you tight/ for the jealous mind/ to let you go/ break your heart/ spend your money on/ make you cry" suggest a sense of vulnerability and a recognition that love is not without its difficulties and challenges.
Overall, Dwight Twilley's "Somebody To Love" is a poignant and emotive expression of the human longing for love and companionship, delivered with the artist's characteristic soulfulness and honesty.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a paper in the wind
Lost and directionless, blown around by the winds of life
Blowing since I don't know when
Long-term feeling of being lost and directionless
Ever since the child was born
Feeling lost and directionless since the singer was young
Holding on to something warm
Seeking comfort and love in a world that feels cold and empty
Somebody to love
Somebody that you can depend on
Some place in the sun
One feeling there's just no denying
Desiring love and affection from someone who is dependable and trustworthy, and a place of happiness and contentment that cannot be denied
Nothing's the same inside
When there's nobody there by your side
Feeling empty and incomplete without someone to love and depend on
Stand by you
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
The rest of your life
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Wherever you go
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
It don't matter if you want
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Wanting someone who will stand by you through thick and thin, for the rest of your life, no matter where you go or what you want
Think about what won't forget
Everyone that ever was
Trying to find that piece of love
Reflecting on past relationships and experiences, searching for that missing piece of love and affection
It gotta be somehow
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
To wave goodbye
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
To hold you tight
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
For the jealous mind
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Realizing that finding true love is difficult and requires strength (to say goodbye to the wrong people), tenderness (to hold on to the right person), and trust (to overcome jealousy)
To let you go
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Break your heart
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Spend your money on
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Make you cry
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Acknowledging the risks and potential pain involved in love, such as the possibility of heartbreak, financial loss, and emotional hurt
Whenever, let go
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Doesn't matter if you want
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
When he just keeps going on
(Somebody to love, somebody to love)
Love is unpredictable and uncontrollable, and it doesn't matter whether you want it or not - it just keeps going on
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Summing up the deep desire for love and affection throughout the entire song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DWIGHT A. TWILLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind