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".
Love Bones
Johnnie Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like I'm doing time
The foreman say you
Got to do some overtime
Mister foreman, got to tell you
I can't wait until noon
Cause I got to get on home
I know my baby's waiting
Cause she's anticipating
I'm gonna be connected so
Our love can be protected
(Going home to get my love bone)
Going home and get my love bone
(Going home to get my love bone)
I'm going home, right or wrong
(Going home to get my love bone)
(If I were you, I'd check mine too)
Mister foreman seem so dumb
He's just sitting there
I think you better cut
Out on this overtime
Now, overtime might help
To make the money grow
But it gives me neighbor time
To steal my love bone
I know my baby's waiting
She's anticipating
I'm gonna be connected so
Our love can be protected
(Going home to get my love bone)
I'm going home and get my love bone
(Going home to get my love bone)
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah
(If I were you, I'd check mine too)
Hey, hey, get it
Get it, get on home
You're gone ??
Oh, a man is a fool to be
Get it, alright
Get it, you better check
It out now, baby
(Going home to get my love bone)
Going home and get my love bone
(Going home and check my love bone)
(Going home to get my love bone)
(If I were you, I'd check mine too)
Mister foreman, I think we
Better make a compromise
If you keep me any longer
It won't be too wise
My baby thinks I'm
Fooling with another ?
Now fire me if you wanna
Cause I'm going home
I know my baby's waiting
Cause he's anticipating
I'm gonna be connected so
Our love can be protected
Going home, get my love bones
If I were you, I'd check my love bone
I'm going home and get my love bone
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Going on home
You take like James Brown
You better check on your love bone
And you, Wilson Pickett
You better get on the telephone
And check at home
I remember that number you
Gave me that time 634-5789
You better call it right now
And check on your love bone
Tyrone Davis
You better check on your love bone
Tell 'em J.T. told you
You better check on your love bone
In โLove Bonesโ by Johnnie Taylor, the song portrays a story about a hardworking man who has been working all day and feels like he is in jail. The foreman then requires the man to work overtime, however, the man declines to work overtime because he has a special place he needs to go. The place he needs to go is home to meet up with his lover, whom he calls his โlove bones.โ The singer knows that his lover is anticipating his arrival and is looking forward to connecting with him to protect their love. The singer is reluctant to work overtime because it would interfere with his desire to be with his lover, so he decides to leave work on time.
โLove Bonesโ lyrics convey the message that love is more important than money or status. It talks about the importance of affection and the joy a person gets from a meaningful romantic relationship. This song is an excellent example of what soul music was all about, and how it became one of the most popular genres in the 1960s and 1970s. The song has a very catchy tune, which is memorable and easy to sing along to. The use of guitar, saxophone, trumpet, and the dynamic percussion all work together perfectly to make this song an iconic rhythm and blues classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Been working all day
I have been busy with work all day
Like I'm doing time
I feel like I'm stuck in prison at work
The foreman says you
My supervisor tells me
Got to do some overtime
I have to work longer hours than usual
Mister foreman, got to tell you
Hey boss, I need to let you know
I can't wait until noon
I am eager to leave early
Cause I got to get on home
I need to go home as soon as possible
To my love bones
To connect with my loved ones
I know my baby's waiting
My sweetheart is eagerly waiting for me
Cause she's anticipating
She guesses what's gonna happen next
I'm gonna be connected so
When I am with her, I feel more bonded
Our love can be protected
Our affection stays protected when we are together
(Going home to get my love bone)
Going home to connect with my sweetheart
Going home and get my love bone
I am going home to be with my loved ones
I'm going home, right or wrong
I am stubborn, my home is my happy place
(If I were you, I'd check mine too)
I suggest you check your connection with your loved ones as well
Mister foreman seems so dumb
My supervisor seems so insensitive
He's just sitting there
He is not bothered at all
I think you better cut
I would recommend you cancel
Out on this overtime
The extra work hours are unnecessary
Now, overtime might help
Extra work hours might benefit financially
To make the money grow
To improve the financial situation
But it gives me neighbor time
The extra hours are stealing time from my loved ones
To steal my love bone
The extra work hours could affect my connection with my loved ones
My baby thinks I'm
My sweetheart accuses me of
Fooling with another
Cheating on them
Now fire me if you wanna
I dare you to fire me
Cause I'm going home
I am leaving work now
(Going home to get my love bone)
I am on the way to be with my sweetheart
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Expressing enthusiasm and joy
You better check on your love bone
I advise you to check on your connection with your loved ones
And you, Wilson Pickett
A reference to the singer Wilson Pickett
You better get on the telephone
I recommend you make a call
And check at home
Check the connection with your loved ones
Tyrone Davis
A reference to the singer Tyrone Davis
Tell 'em J.T. told you
Inform them that Johnnie Taylor gave the advice
You better check on your love bone
I repeat, check your connection with your loved ones
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AL BELL, ALFRED R BELL, DON DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kenya Nkhrumah
One Of The Greatest R&B Artists Of All Time. Long Live Johnny Taylor!!!
prettycountrygirl2
Say it Johnnie. Still sounding great, after all these years.
Eloise Warren
One of the best Johnny Taylor songs ever!!!!
Sharon Hayes
Always loved this song. Go head JOHNNIE.......sang it....
Eloise Warren
One of my old favorites!!!
ztruth4u
JT tried to school the brothers in the game of love. "Overtime might help to make by money long but it gives my neighbor time to steal my love bones." He mentioned many greats in this song: James Brown, Wilson Pickett & Tyrone Davis may they all rest in peace!
Velma Tobias
ztruth4u adadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadaada
Tamara Hines
I am in love with this man's music because I love soul. I was living then, but anyway it sounds good.
YajaBeige
FANTASTIC audio! Love it!!!
MississippiSoulchic
this is one of my dad's favorites by ole JT!!! Thanks for posting!