In total, the duo had 34 singles chart hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, seven RIAA platinum albums, and six RIAA gold albums. Because of that chart success, Billboard Magazine named them the most successful duo of the rock era, surpassing even The Everly Brothers. In 2003, they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. They were also placed #15 on the Billboard Magazine list of the 100 greatest artists of all time and the #1 duo, while VH1 placed the duo as #99 on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.
From their first hit in 1974 onwards, Daryl Hall and John Oates' smooth, catchy take on Philly soul brought them commercial success— including six number one singles and six platinum albums as referred to before. Hall & Oates' music was well-constructed and produced; at their best, their songs were filled with strong hooks and melodies that adhered to soul traditions without being a slave to them by incorporating elements of arena rock and new wave.
Daryl Hall, born on October 11, 1946, 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.
She's Gone
Hall & Oates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody's trying to tell me what is right for me, yeah
My daddy tried to bore me with a sermon
But it's plain to see that they can't comfort me
Sorry, Charlie, for the imposition
I think I got it (got it), I got the strength to carry on, yeah
I need a drink and a quick decision
She's gone, she's gone
Oh I, oh I
I better learn how to face it
She's gone, she's gone
Oh I, oh I
I'd pay the devil to replace her
She's gone, and she's gone
Oh why, what went wrong?
Get up in the morning, look in the mirror
One less toothbrush hanging in the stand, yeah
My face ain't looking any younger
Now I can see love's taken a toll on me
She's gone, she's gone
Oh I, oh I
I better learn how to face it
She's gone, and she's gone
Oh I, oh I
I'd pay the devil to replace her
She's gone, and she's gone
Oh why, what went wrong?
Think I'll spend eternity in the city
Let the carbon and monoxide choke my thoughts away, yeah
And pretty bodies help dissolve the memories
They can never be what she was (was) to (to) me
And she's gone, and she's gone
Oh I, oh I
I better learn how to face it
She's gone, and she's gone
Oh I, oh I
I'd pay the devil to replace her
She's gone, and she's gone
Oh why, what went wrong?
She's gone
Oh I, I better learn how to face it
She's gone, she's gone
I can't believe that she's gone
Oh I, I'd pay the devil to replace her
She's gone
Oh I, I better learn how to face it
She's gone, she's gone
I can't believe that she's gone
Oh I, I'd pay the devil to replace her
She's gone (she's gone)
She's gone (she's gone)
She's gone (she's gone)
She's gone (she's gone)
She's gone (she's gone)
She's gone (she's gone)
She's gone (she's gone)
The lyrics to Hall & Oates's "She's Gone" describe someone going through a difficult breakup and struggling to cope with the loss of their partner. The lines "Everybody's high on consolation, Everybody's trying to tell me what is right for me" suggest that the person is receiving a lot of advice and support from well-meaning friends and family, but at the end of the day, they are the only one who can truly decide how to move forward.
The singer seems to be trying to distract themselves from their feelings by drinking and making quick decisions, but ultimately they can't ignore the pain of their loss. The lines "I better learn how to face it, I'd pay the devil to replace her" show that they are struggling to come to terms with the breakup and would do almost anything to make it right.
In the final verse, the singer contemplates spending "eternity in the city" to escape the memories of their lost love, but ultimately realizes that nothing can replace what they had. The repeated refrain of "she's gone" reinforces the idea that the loss is final and irreplaceable.
Overall, the lyrics of "She's Gone" are a powerful representation of the pain and confusion that can come with the end of a significant relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's high on consolation
Everyone is trying to console me but it's not helping.
Everybody's trying to tell me what is right for me, yeah
Everyone has an opinion on what I should do, but they don't know what's best for me.
My daddy tried to bore me with a sermon
My father tried to give me advice, but it didn't resonate with me.
But it's plain to see that they can't comfort me
Despite their best intentions, their efforts to comfort me are not effective.
Sorry, Charlie, for the imposition
I'm sorry for the inconvenience I'm causing by feeling this way.
I think I got it (got it), I got the strength to carry on, yeah
I think I have the strength to move forward even though it's hard.
I need a drink and a quick decision
I need a drink to help me make a quick decision.
Now it's up to me, ooh, what will be
It's my decision to make, and I don't know what the outcome will be.
She's gone, she's gone
The person I loved is no longer with me.
Oh I, oh I
I'm feeling a great deal of pain and sadness.
I better learn how to face it
I need to learn how to cope with my loss.
I'd pay the devil to replace her
I would do anything to have her back in my life.
Oh why, what went wrong?
I'm questioning why things didn't work out between us.
Get up in the morning, look in the mirror
I wake up every morning and face the reality of my loss.
One less toothbrush hanging in the stand, yeah
Her absence is felt every day in little things like an empty toothbrush holder.
My face ain't looking any younger
The stress and pain of losing her is taking a toll on me.
Now I can see love's taken a toll on me
The effects of love on me have not all been positive and it's affecting me now.
Think I'll spend eternity in the city
I feel like I'll never leave this city because of our memories together here.
Let the carbon and monoxide choke my thoughts away, yeah
I'll let the pollution in the city distract me from my pain.
And pretty bodies help dissolve the memories
I'll try to forget about her with the help of other attractive people around me.
They can never be what she was (was) to (to) me
No one can replace or fill the void that losing her has left behind.
She's gone (she's gone)
I continue to feel her absence and can't get over losing her.
Oh I, I better learn how to face it
I need to come to terms with my loss and emotional pain.
I can't believe that she's gone
It's hard for me to accept that she's no longer in my life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Daryl Hall, John Oates
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jamesgannon6192
Sorry to say… people don’t change…
They are who they are…
Good Luck moving on…
I really mean it…. My daughter has me doing a Storyworth to collect thoughts….
That was a question I had to answer
I told her the same thing…
We try to make better decisions but in the end sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail
Good Luck 🍀
@tammystricklin2668
I’m still here in 2024 still listening to this great song.
@vinylforbreakfast3596
One of the best songs ever made, who's with me....
@primeminister66
Especially if you've been through that situation a time or two which I have been LOL
@stevenboothby8106
I am
@1sackzay577
Facts
@chihuahuamartin24
💜hall and Oates! Lots of memories!
@SUGAR_XYLER
🤷♂️ songs like these are gone ........ what went wrong. No talent these days !
@jasonsanchez1801
Just lost my wife five months ago and every time I hear this song I start to think about her. I miss my wife so very much. I know she's in a better place where there's no more pain and suffering. I love you baby and I will see you again when my time is up on Earth.❤️😢
@vitosciortino3943
Ok I can't wait until songs like these are played again Charlie😚
@lisar915r9
Condolences to you.