Wilson's solo career begin with 1957's "Reet Petite", written by the then unknown Berry Gordy, Jr. and recorded on the Brunswick Records label with whom Wilson would remain throughout his career. He had his first top 40 hit in 1958 with "To Be Loved". At the end of that year he had his first big success with "Lonely Teardrops" that went to #7 on the charts. The song, also written by Berry Gordy, Jr. became his signature tune. That same year saw Wilson release his first LP titled He's So Fine.
Wilson's brand of pop-soul and R&B helped him cross over to the mainstream, having several pop hits. His dynamic stage performances earned him the nickname "Mr. Excitement". His performance of "Lonely Teardrops" on the Ed Sullivan Show is considered one of its classics. In the 1960s, Wilson continued to record singles, many of them operatic, such as "Danny Boy" or "Night", others were up-tempo and exciting, such as "Baby Workout" in 1963. Although married to Frida Hood since 1951, Wilson was a notorious womanizer and was shot and wounded by one of his alleged lovers, Juanita Jones, on February 15 1961 in a jealous rage as he returned to his apartment with another woman, fashion model Harlean Harris, an ex-girlfriend of singer Sam Cooke. As a married man conducting extra-marital affairs, his management decided, as a way not to damage his career, to concoct a story that Jones was an obsessed fan who threatened to shoot herself, and that Wilson's intervention concluded in him being shot. Astonishingly, the story was accepted, and no charges were brought against Juanita Jones. He was divorced from Frida in 1965, and married Harlean Harris from 1967 until his death in 1984.
His career began to suffer in the mid-60s, though he managed a brief revival by collaborating with Carl Davis, a legendary Chicago producer. This resulted in two hits, "Whispers" and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher". The revival was short-lived, though, and Wilson rarely charted in the 1970s. Wilson suffered a massive heart attack while playing a Dick Clark show at the Latin Casino in New Jersey on September 29, 1975, falling head-first to the stage; he was singing "Lonely Teardrops". A comatose Wilson lived in a hospital until his death in 1984 at age 49. His medical costs were paid for by Dick Clark. In 1985, successful soul/funk band The Commodores, recorded "Nightshift" which was a song in memory of Wilson, as well as soul singer Marvin Gaye, who died in the same year as Wilson.
Van Morrison also recorded a tribute song called "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)" on his 1972 hit album Saint Dominic's Preview. This song was later covered by Dexy's Midnight Runners. When the track was performed on the British TV show Top of the Pops, a picture of Wilson was intended to be used in the background - but an intentional joke by the band and the production staff meant that a picture of darts player Jocky Wilson was used instead. Wilson is mentioned in the rap song "thugs mansion" Tupac and Nas. The exact quote is, "Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night, it had me shook Drinkinn peppermint Schnapps, with Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke".
Wilson scored a posthumous hit when "Reet Petite" reached number one in the United Kingdom in 1986. The following year,he also hit the UK charts again with "I Get The Sweetest Feeling"(No.3), and "Higher and Higher"(No.11). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987; that same year, he was portrayed in the Richie Valens biopic La Bamba by Howard Huntsberry.
Wilson is interred in the Westlawn Cemetery in Wayne, Michigan.
Baby Workout
Jackie Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come out here on the floor
Let's rock some more
Come out here on the floor
Honey, let's rock some more, yeah
Now when you get out here
Don't you have no fear
And let your backbone slip
And work out
Oh, my momma, move up (first step)
Party move back (second step)
Shuffle to the left (third step)
Wobble to the right (fourth step)
Now it's plain to see
You put a hurtin' on me
But it's a natural fact
Ha, I like it like that
So work out
Yeah, baby work out (work baby, work out)
Honey, work out
Ah, baby work out
Shout and turn the joint out
Work out (work out)
Work out (work out)
Work all night long
Yeah, yeah ('round and around and around and around)
('Round and around and around and around)
('Round and around and around and around)
('Round and around and around and around)
('Round)
Ah, baby, round and round we go
Don't you know, don't you know?
'Round and 'round we go
Where we stop, nobody knows
Yeah, the band is swinging on the stand
We're moving in, we're moving out
Then we'll step back now and end this dance with a shout
So work out
Now when I tell you to shout I want you to jump at it
Yeah, baby let's shout (shout baby shout, shout)
Honey, let's shout (shout baby shout, shout)
Ah baby, let's shout (shout baby shout, shout)
Yeah, shout and turn it out, baby
Hey, let's shout, let's shout, shout all night long
I gotta have it just one more time
Now here we go
Round and round we go
Ah baby
Round and round we go
Now work out, work out, work all night long, ah
Work, work out, baby
Ah, work out woman
Shout and turn the joint out
Work out, work out, baby, baby
In the song Baby Workout by Jackie Wilson, the lyrics are a call to action for the subject of the song to come out onto the dance floor and "rock some more." This is followed by instructions on how to dance: to put your hands on your hips, let your backbone slip, and move in a series of steps including moving up and back, shuffling to the left, and wobbling to the right. The lyrics go on to express the enjoyment the singer is experiencing from the performance, stating "it's a natural fact, I like it like that" and encouraging the audience to shout and turn the joint out.
One interpretation of this song is that it is a celebration of dancing itself and the joy it brings. The lyrics are filled with exhortations to move and instructions on how to dance, and the energetic tempo of the song supports this interpretation. It is a song that encourages people to let go of inhibitions and experience the sheer pleasure of physical movement.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, you
Addressing someone special to come to the floor
Come out here on the floor
Inviting the person to the dance floor
Let's rock some more
Suggesting to continue having fun on the dance floor
Honey, let's rock some more, yeah
Sweetly mentioning to have more fun and enjoy on the dance floor
Now when you get out here
When you join me on the dance floor
Don't you have no fear
Asking the person to not have any worries or doubts
Put your hands on your hip
Place your hands on your hips
And let your backbone slip
Relax your body and let loose
And work out
Start dancing
Oh, my momma, move up (first step)
Suggesting a simple move in a fun way
Party move back (second step)
Suggesting another move in a fun way
Shuffle to the left (third step)
Suggesting yet another move to the left
Wobble to the right (fourth step)
A move to the right
Now it's plain to see
It's clear to everyone
You put a hurtin' on me
You're hurting me, but in a good way
But it's a natural fact
It's just a natural way of having fun
Ha, I like it like that
I love the way we're having fun together
So work out
Continue dancing and having fun
Yeah, baby work out (work baby, work out)
Encouraging the person to continue dancing
Honey, work out
Sweetly encouraging the person to continue dancing
Ah, baby work out
Adorably encouraging the person to continue dancing
Shout and turn the joint out
Shouting and having fun together
Work out (work out)
Continue dancing
Work out (work out)
Again, suggesting to continue dancing
Work all night long
Dance all night long
Yeah, yeah ('round and around and around and around)
Imitating the dance moves while singing and having fun
('Round and around and around and around)
Continuing the imitation of dance moves
('Round and around and around and around)
More imitation of dance moves
('Round and around and around and around)
Even more imitation of dance moves
('Round)
Still continuing with the imitation
Ah, baby, round and round we go
Having fun by dancing in circles
Don't you know, don't you know?
A rhetorical question to show how much fun they're having
'Round and 'round we go
More of having fun while dancing in circles
Where we stop, nobody knows
Continuing the fun of dancing without any worry or care of where they stop
Yeah, the band is swinging on the stand
The band is playing great music and adding to the fun atmosphere
We're moving in, we're moving out
Continuing to dance and feeling great
Then we'll step back now and end this dance with a shout
Preparing to end the dance by shouting and feeling great
Now when I tell you to shout I want you to jump at it
Telling the person to be ready to shout and jump
Yeah, baby let's shout (shout baby shout, shout)
Encouraging to shout and jump together
Honey, let's shout (shout baby shout, shout)
Sweetly encouraging to shout and jump together
Ah baby, let's shout (shout baby shout, shout)
Adorably encouraging to shout and jump together
Yeah, shout and turn it out, baby
Shouting and feeling great
Hey, let's shout, let's shout, shout all night long
Continuing to shout and have fun all night long
I gotta have it just one more time
Wishing to have this experience of dancing and having fun again
Now here we go
Starting the dancing cycle again
Round and round we go
Circling and having fun while dancing
Ah baby
Expressing how much fun they're having, feeling free and happy
Round and round we go
Continuing to circle and have fun dancing
Now work out, work out, work all night long, ah
Ending on a high note, inviting and encouraging to dance and have fun all night long
Work, work out, baby
Encouraging to dance and have fun
Ah, work out woman
Calling out to the woman to dance and have fun
Shout and turn the joint out
Feeling great, shouting and having fun
Work out, work out, baby, baby
Continuing to encourage to dance and have fun
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Wilson Tucker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind