Growing up amidst music, Taylor had one release, "Somewhere to Lay My Head", on Chicago's Chance Records in the 50s as part of a doo-wop group called Five Echoes. Taylor was also part of the gospel group, The Highway QC's also, replacing r&b artist Sam Cooke that had left to become the lead singer of the Soul Stirrers in 1951. Then, after Cooke left the Soul Stirrers in 1957, Taylor was hired to take Cooke's place as lead singer.
A few years later, after Cooke had established his independent SAR Records, Taylor signed on and recorded "Rome Wasn't Built In A Day" in 1962. However, SAR Records quickly became defunct after Cooke's tradic early death in 1964.
In 1966, Taylor moved to Stax Records in Memphis, where he was dubbed "The Philosopher of Soul". While there he recorded with the label's house band, Booker T. & the MGs. His hits included "I Had a Dream", "I've Got to Love Somebody's Baby" (both written by the team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter) and most notably "Who's Making Love?", which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Top 40 and No. 1 on the R&B charts in 1968. During his tenure at Stax, he became an R&B star, with over a dozen chart successes, such as "Cheaper to Keep Her" (Mack Rice) and producer Don Davis's "I Believe in You (You Believe in Me)".
After Stax folded in the mid 1970s, Taylor switched to Columbia Records, where he made his best-known hit, "Disco Lady", in 1976. "Disco Lady" was the first certified platinum single. Columbia pigeonholed Taylor as a disco artist, however, and neglected his wide-ranging talent. Not surprisingly, his record sales slipped.
After a brief stint at Beverly Glen Records, Taylor signed with Malaco Records after the label's founder Tommy Couch and producing partner Wolf Stephenson heard him sing at blues singer Z.Z. Hill's funeral in the spring of 1984. Backed by members of The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section as well as in-house veterans like former Stax keyboardist Carson Whitsett, Malaco gave Taylor the type of recording freedom that Stax had given him in the late 1960s and early 1970s, enabling him to record ten albums for the Malaco label in his sixteen year stint. Taylor's record sales were good but not enough for the singer to receive the measure of stardom he once had.
In 1996, Taylor's eighth album for Malaco, Good Love!, made it to Number One on Billboard's Blues chart (#15 R&B), the biggest record in Malaco's history.
Malaco recorded a live video of Taylor at the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas, Texas in the summer of 1997.
Johnnie Taylor's 1999 album, "Gotta Get the Groove Back", also reached the # 1 Position on the Billboard Blues Charts. This album which featured veteran songwriter, Lamar Thmas (Woman don't be Afraid) was also a Grammy Nominated album during the same year that Johnnie passed.
Taylor was given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1999. He died in Dallas at the age of 66.
In what would turn out to be a sad foreshadowing, Taylor's final song was "Soul Heaven", in which he dreamed of being at a concert featuring deceased Soul music icons Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, and MGs drummer Al Jackson, among others. In one verse, Taylor sang, "I didn't want to wake up/I was havin' such a good time".
Disco Lady
Johnnie Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Move it in move it round, disco lady
Move it in move it out
Move in it and about, disco lady
Shake it up, shake it down
Move it in, move it around, disco lady
Said I like the way you move your thang,
Lord have mercy girl,
You dance so fine, and you're right on time
Girl you ought to be on T.V. On soul train
When you get the groove,
There ain't no stoppin',
Just can't help it, but I'm finger poppin'
Shake it up, shake it down;
Move it in, move it round, disco lady
Move it in, move it out;
Move it in, round about, disco lady
Shake it baby, shake it,
Baby shake your thang; (One time)
Shake it baby, shake it,
Baby shake your thang,
You got me groovin, (Wanna hustle baby)
I feel like movin, (Wanna hustle baby)
You got me movin, (Wanna hustle baby)
Can't sit still I'm groovin (Wanna hustle baby)
(I like that funky stuff)
Shake it up, shake it down,
Move it in, move it round, disco lady
Move it in, move it out,
Shove it in round about, disco lady
Hey sexy lady, (Shake it up, shake it)
Girl, you drive me crazy, (Shake it up, shake)
You dance so fine and your right on time (Shake it up, shake)
Girl you drive me right out of my mind (Shake it up, shake)
If it wasn't for the girl sittin' next to me, (Shake it up, shake)
I'd jump right up and outta my safety seat (Shake it up, shake)
You got me hypnotized, soul mesmorized (Shake it up, shake)
Girl, your movin' me girl your groovin' me (Shake it up, shake)
(Shake it up, shake)
(Shake it up, shake it down)
Shake it on down,
Move it up, move it down to the ground
(Shake it up, shake)
(Shake it up, shake)
(Shake it up, shake)
(Shake it up, shake)
(Shake it up, shake)
Shake it up, shake it down;
Move it in, move it round, disco lady
Move it in, move it out;
Shove it in, shove it out; disco lady
Hey, you've got me soulset in this discothek
Girl, your movin' me girl your groovin' me
Move it in, move it out;
Shove it in round about, disco lady
Shake it baby
The song "Disco Lady" by Johnnie Taylor, arranged by Don Davis and David Van DePitte, is an upbeat and catchy disco tune which praises a woman's sensual dancing. The opening lines of "Shake it up, Shake it down; Move it in move it round, disco lady" set the tone for the rest of the song, encouraging the woman to keep moving and dancing with sensuality. The repetitive chorus emphasizes the disco rhythm and keeps the energy level high throughout the song.
The lyrics describe the attraction of the singer to the woman and her dancing skills. He especially likes the way she moves her body, and she is so good that he believes she should be on TV, on Soul Train. The verse "If it wasn't for the girl sitting next to me, I'd jump right up and outta my safety seat" shows that the woman has captivated the attention of everyone around her, and the singer cannot resist her. The song reaches its climax with the repetition of "Shake it up, shake it down," and the dance moves become more explicit with "Move it in, move it out; Shove it in, shove it out; disco lady."
Line by Line Meaning
Shake it up, Shake it down;
Encourages the disco lady to shake her body up and down
Move it in move it round, disco lady
Tells the disco lady to move her body in and around
Move it in move it out
Encourages the disco lady to move her body in and out
Move in it and about, disco lady
Suggests the disco lady to move her body in and around to the music
Hey sexy lady,
Addresses the disco lady as an attractive woman
Said I like the way you move your thang,
Expresses admiration for the way the disco lady moves her body to the music
Lord have mercy girl,
Expresses awe at the disco lady's dance performance
You dance so fine, and you're right on time
Compliments the disco lady's dance skills
Girl you ought to be on T.V. On soul train
Suggests that the disco lady has the talent to be on a famous dance show
When you get the groove,
Notices the moment when the disco lady starts to dance with rhythm
There ain't no stoppin',
Expresses the excitement of the disco lady's dancing
Just can't help it, but I'm finger poppin'
Feels the urge to snap his fingers while watching the disco lady dance
Shake it baby, shake it,
Encourages the disco lady to continue shaking her body
Baby shake your thang; (One time)
Asks the disco lady to shake her body just one more time
You got me groovin, (Wanna hustle baby)
Expresses the influence of the disco lady's dancing on his body
I feel like movin, (Wanna hustle baby)
Suggests that he also wants to dance like the disco lady
You got me movin, (Wanna hustle baby)
Feels inspired by the disco lady to move his body like her
Can't sit still I'm groovin (Wanna hustle baby)
Describes his own desire to dance
(I like that funky stuff)
Expresses the love for the funky music playing
Hey sexy lady, (Shake it up, shake it)
Repeats the previous line but urging to keep shaking
Girl, you drive me crazy, (Shake it up, shake)
Expresses strong admiration for the disco lady's dancing
Girl you drive me right out of my mind (Shake it up, shake)
Suggests that the disco lady's dancing commands his complete attention
If it wasn't for the girl sittin' next to me, (Shake it up, shake)
Jokes that he would jump and dance if he wasn't embarrassed to do so in front of someone else
I'd jump right up and outta my safety seat (Shake it up, shake)
Describes the urge to dance induced by the disco lady's performance
You got me hypnotized, soul mesmorized (Shake it up, shake)
Feels completely captivated by the disco lady's dance performance
Shake it on down,
Urges the disco lady to continue her dance moves
Move it up, move it down to the ground
Encourages the disco lady to move her body up and down towards the ground
Hey, you've got me soulset in this discothek
Feels attached to the disco lady's performance as if she has him under a spell
Move it in, move it out;
Encourages the disco lady to move her body in and out
Shove it in round about, disco lady
Encourages the disco lady to move her body in roundabout motion
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AL VANCE, DON DAVIS, HARVEY SCALES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind