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".
Hijackin' Love
Johnnie Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got to tell you something
Hey, girl, let me tell you something
I swear every word is true
When your man stay out all night long
There must be something wrong with you
She could be Miss Pompous every day
She give him good loving in the morning
In the evening, in the midnight hour
When he need it, that's why
He never turn away
Let me ask you something else
If somebody can steal a jet plane
Baby, right from out of the sky
If you ain't doing what
You're supposed to do
Somebody will snatch your man
Right out from under your eye
They call it hijacking, hijacking love
You never thought about
Hijacking, hijacking love
That's where he goes and
He gets what he needs with her
Hijacking, hijacking love
All you fellas trying to be greedy
Trying to have your cake and eat it too
Let me tell you something
It's wrong to be one woman's man
When you're sneaking 'round making love with two
Meanwhile, your woman found a part-time love
Just as greedy as you, lookie here
He's in your home, while you're gone
Doing your job better than you
That's what they call
Hijacking, hijacking love
That's what I'm talking about
Hijacking, they're hijacking love
Every chance he gets
He's hijacking love
If you ain't lonesome, out to get
You better try to give your woman a little respect
Better tell her, I need you, baby
Better hold her in your arms
Better turn on all your charm
If you don't do it, let me tell you one thing
You better get ready 'cause, hey
If somebody can steal a plane
Baby, right from out of the sky
When you looked around
Somebody who stole your love
Right from under your eye
You know what they call that, boy
Hijacking, that's hijacking love
Have you ever thought about trying
Now hijacking love
Hijacking love
Hijacking love
Hijacking love
Hijacking love
Hijacking love
In "Hijackin' Love," Johnnie Taylor is warning his female listeners that when their partners start to spend extended periods of time outside of the house, there's a high possibility that they're cheating. He then goes on to explain that these cheating partners are usually seduced by other females who can give them what their significant others are lacking. The other woman, according to Taylor, is completing the job that the original partner is failing at. The scenario is explained as the other woman providing exceptional love and attention to the cheating partner, which keeps him coming back for more. Taylor refers to the act of stealing someone's partner this way as "hijacking love."
Taylor also calls out cheating men in the song, telling them that being with one woman and seeking pleasure outside of the relationship is not right. He then warns men that even if they think they're being careful, their significant others will eventually catch on, and they could end up losing them to another man who is doing a better job.
The song serves as a warning to both men and women, telling them to respect their relationships by providing full attention and affection to their partners. Neglecting your relationship will only create room for other people to come in and steal your lover, hence hijacking your love.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, girl, let me tell you something
The singer is addressing a woman and wants to share some information with her.
I swear every word is true
The singer is emphasizing the truthfulness of their statements.
When your man stay out all night long
The singer is addressing situations where a woman's partner is not at home at night.
There must be something wrong with you
The artist suggests that if a woman's partner is not at home at night, there may be an issue with her.
The other woman's doing your job
The artist believes that another woman is taking over the role that the woman should be fulfilling in her relationship.
She could be Miss Pompous every day
The other woman may have various qualities or attributes that make her appealing.
She give him good loving in the morning
The other woman provides satisfying sexual experiences for the singer's partner in the morning.
In the evening, in the midnight hour
The other woman is available to please the artist's partner throughout the day and night.
When he need it, that's why
The other woman is always available to provide sexual fulfillment for the artist's partner when he desires it the most.
He never turn away
The artist's partner does not refuse or decline the other woman's advances or sexual experiences.
If somebody can steal a jet plane
The singer is using a metaphor to explain how someone can take away another person's partner if they are not fulfilling their duties in the relationship.
If you ain't doing what you're supposed to do
The artist is suggesting that if a woman is not fulfilling her role in the relationship, someone else may take her partner away.
Somebody will snatch your man
Someone else will take the singer's partner away if she does not fulfill her duties in the relationship.
Right out from under your eye
The other person may take the singer's partner away from her without her noticing.
They call it hijacking, hijacking love
The singer refers to this situation as 'hijacking love,' where someone else takes a partner away from their significant other without their awareness.
All you fellas trying to be greedy
The artist is addressing men who try to have multiple partners.
Trying to have your cake and eat it too
The artist is saying that men who try to have multiple partners are attempting to have the benefits of a relationship with multiple people, which is impossible.
Meanwhile, your woman found a part-time love
The singer is explaining that while a man is cheating, his partner may find someone else to fill her emotional and sexual needs.
Just as greedy as you, lookie here
The person the singer's partner found may be just as greedy and dishonest as the man who is cheating.
He's in your home, while you're gone
The man that the artist's partner found may be in their shared living space while the man is away.
Doing your job better than you
The person the artist's partner found may be fulfilling the woman's duties in the relationship better than she is.
Every chance he gets
The artist suggests that the man takes every opportunity he can to be with someone else.
If you ain't lonesome, out to get
The singer is suggesting that if a man isn't seeking multiple partners because he is lonely, then he is simply trying to be unfaithful.
You better try to give your woman a little respect
The artist is advising men to show respect to their partners.
Better turn on all your charm
The singer is suggesting that men should be charming to their partners to keep them happy and prevent them from leaving.
You better get ready 'cause, hey
The singer is warning men that if they do not change their behavior, they will lose their partner.
You know what they call that, boy
The singer is asking a rhetorical question to emphasize the point that if a man cannot fulfill his partner's needs, someone else will.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTHONY HESTER, RICHARD WAYNE WYLIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Imani M
Johnnie's lyrics crack me up 😂 And I love to hear him sing. I love his music 💕
JB
Thanks for adding this. I've been looking for this song on here for years. I'm surprised its taken so long for someone to recognize how great it is.
Jeremiah Rose
such a great song. J.T. is a legend. love this era of music
RAL Driver rodney
good song
Carousel Red
The Blues Wailer! I know he musta tore this up when he did it live! This studio recording is a notch below Who's Making Love, Take Care of Your Homework and Jody ,but it's still great and well worth listening to.
glenda mattox
That laugh at 2:44 says it all.
M Wright
Wow Yesssss!!!! Love it!!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰👁️👁️☮️☮️☮️☮️💯💯💯💯
EL CANIBAL
yeah!!! good song!!!!!!
lindacalton08
Everytime I would go to Johnnie Taylor show I always got a close look at him. The first time it was in (1970) at the Airbie in Fort Worth, Tx. And the next was at the the Panther Hall, he came up behind me and ask would I buy him a Drink.
A B
She now has 3 of his children