Banks was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and at the age of 16 formed the Soul Consolidators gospel group which toured around the southern states, often performing his own material. After military service, he returned to Memphis in 1964, and started a singing career with the small Genie label where he met Isaac Hayes and David Porter. Soon, Stax founder Estelle Axton hired him to work at the record shop attached to the company's Satellite Studios, where he stayed for three years, also recording for the Minit label. One of his Minit recordings, "(Ain't That) A Lot of Love", provided the basic riff later used by the Spencer Davis Group on their hit "Gimme Some Lovin'".
Jim Stewart at Stax refused to give Banks a contract as a singer, but eventually Stax did give him a songwriting contract. He began working with co-writer Allen Jones, placing songs with Johnnie Taylor and Sam and Dave, and also writing "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down", later a UK hit for Elvis Costello. Banks had greater success with the Staple Singers, writing their first Stax single "Long Walk To DC", and then some of their biggest hits including "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)".
In 1968 he formed a songwriting trio with Bettye Crutcher and Raymond Jackson, calling themselves We Three. Their first song was "Who's Making Love", which was recorded by Johnnie Taylor and became a # 3 pop hit and # 1 R&B hit, Stax's biggest. Banks also wrote, with Jackson and Carl Hampton, "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right", a powerful song of guilt and deception. The song was first recorded by The Emotions, became a smash hit when recorded by Luther Ingram, and later became a key song for both Isaac Hayes and Millie Jackson as well as being recorded by many other singers including Barbara Mandrell, Rod Stewart and Cassandra Wilson.
Banks' twin brother James also worked for Stax, co-writing the company's last big hit, Shirley Brown's "Woman to Woman".
After Stax folded, Homer Banks and Carl Hampton then won a publishing deal with A&M Records and moved to California, where they continued to write but with less success. In 1977, as Banks and Hampton, they recorded the album Passport To Ecstasy for Warner Bros. Records. In the 1980s Banks formed the Two's Company recording company with Lester Snell, which released albums by J. Blackfoot and Ann Hines.
Homer Banks died in Memphis of cancer, aged 61.
aint that a lot of love
Homer Banks Lyrics
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that I feel in my heart for you
If I could spread it out across the sea,
I know my love would cork it up
Ain't that a lot of love for one heart to hold
If the bees only knew how sweet you are baby
They would seal up their honeycomb
They would tighten up the song
Ain't that a lot of love for one heart to hold
Your lips are so sweet, honey you're my every need
You got a smile so rare
A love like yours I just can't compare
Ain't that a lot of love for one heart to hold
Ain't that a lot of love for one heart to hold
If the cook in the kitchen had a touch as hot as yours
They wouldn't need a fire
I can't think of a word that describes you better
Than the sight of her
The song A Lot Of Love by Homer Banks is a soulful ode to the vastness of love. The lyrics describe the overwhelming feelings of the singer towards his beloved. He talks about how the desert could not hold all the love he feels for his partner in his heart. The love is so immense that it could fill the ocean, and if the bees knew how sweet his partner is, they would seal up their honeycomb. He talks about how birds, upon hearing the sweetness of his partner's voice would tighten up the song. He repeats the refrain "Ain't that a lot of love for one heart to hold" which highlights the enormity of his love towards his partner.
The singer elucidates on the exquisiteness of his partner's qualities. He says her lips are so sweet and that she is his every need. He describes her smile as rare and acknowledges that a love like hers just can't be compared. Banks also refers to how if the cook in the kitchen had a touch as hot as hers, they wouldn't need a fire. The lyrics signify how the love he feels for his partner is all-encompassing and stands out even among other forms of love.
Overall, the lyrics of A Lot Of Love by Homer Banks convey the intensity of the singer's feelings towards his partner. The theme of the song is that love can be massive, so much that it could fill an ocean or be compared to sweet honeycomb or tighten up a songbird's melody. The lines, "Ain't that a lot of love for one heart to hold" are a recurring refrain, signifying the depth of the singer's love for his partner.
Line by Line Meaning
I know the desert can't hold all the love
that I feel in my heart for you
If I could spread it out across the sea,
I know my love would cork it up
Ain't that a lot of love for one heart to hold
The love I have for you is so immense that even the biggest space, like a desert, can't enclose it entirely. Even if I could divide it and cover the sea with it, I am confident it will still fill it up. Isn't it amazing how much love one person can have?
If the bees only knew how sweet you are baby
They would seal up their honeycomb
If the birds could hear how sweet your voice is
They would tighten up the song
Ain't that a lot of love for one heart to hold
You are too sweet that even the bees would be captivated by how you taste and keep it pure in their honeycomb, and the birds' beautiful songs will become even more beautiful by listening to your angelic voice. I can't hold all the love I have for you in my heart.
Your lips are so sweet, honey you're my every need
You got a smile so rare
A love like yours I just can't compare
Ain't that a lot of love for one heart to hold
Your lips are too sweet, and you complete me. There's no one compared to you. You have a one-of-a-kind smile and my love for you is incomparable. My heart is full of love for you.
If the cook in the kitchen had a touch as hot as yours
They wouldn't need a fire
I can't think of a word that describes you better
Than the sight of her
The passion you have is as intense as the heat of the kitchen. You are so special that even if someone had the same qualities as you, no words can describe you better than your presence. You fill my heart to the brim with love.
Ain't that a lot of love for one heart to hold
Ain't that a lot of love for one heart to hold
I can't help but repeat that it truly is a lot of love for one heart to hold.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HOMER BANKS, WILLIA DEAN PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind