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".
Next Time
Johnnie Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I could only find her
I'll tell her that I love her so
And it was foolish of me to let her go
She'll get my apology
Down on bended knees
I'm trying to make her see
When she was here, I cheated and lied
Too busy running and running to stop and realize
Love is just like a flower blooms and fades
It's here today, and tomorrow gone away
I'll beg her to take me back
And that's a matter of fact
This pain and misery
Is a little too much for me, yeah
Next time I'll tell her I love her so
I was so foolish to ever let her go
When she was here, I cheated and lied
I was too busy to stop and realize, yeah
I want her to take me back, uh
And that's a matter of fact
This pain and misery
Is a little too much for me
Ooh, I love her so
Ooh, I'll never let her go
Baby, can't you see that I love ya
I'm always thinkin' of ya
I love ya, love ya, love ya
I'll never put no one above ya
The next time I'll do better, baby, yes, I will
The next time I'll take you in my arms and hold you, oh yeah
Oh man, every place I go
Johnnie Taylor's song "Next Time" is a heartbreaking ballad about a love that didn't quite work out. The lyrics speak of a rushing love that was perfect, but the fear crept in and ultimately destroyed the relationship. The singer decides to let go and move on, hoping that their love can find a way back to each other in the future, possibly even "next time". The song is filled with regret, pain, and a longing for a second chance.
The singer starts off by asking to be let off the relationship, citing fear as the reason. They cannot keep up with the pace of the relationship and feel the need to slow it down. The song then goes on to describe the perfect relationship that they shared, like a fairy tale they thought they would never fail. However, the other partner wanted more, something that the singer wasn't quite sure that they could give. The fear and uncertainty ultimately led to the relationship falling apart.
The song ends on a sad note with the singer looking back at what could have been, filled with regret and pain. They hope that in the future, they can find a way back to each other and get it right "next time." The song is filled with raw emotions and serves as a reminder of how love can sometimes hurt.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me out, slow it down, I'll get off here
I want to end this relationship because it's moving too fast and I am not comfortable with it.
It's been a rush for both of us,
But I just can't shake this fear
We both had a good time together, but I have a strong feeling of doubt that just won't go away.
So I'll go away, with nothing to say
But you're gonna be just fine
We got all off track so I'm putting you back
Maybe you'll get it right next time
I am breaking up with you and leaving without saying much, but I believe in you and I hope you learn from our mistakes for your next relationship.
A fairy tale, we'd never fail
It all looked so good
Now you want more, but I'm not sure
That I ever could give you all that you need
We thought we had a perfect relationship, but now you want more than I am willing or able to give.
By the time I came back home
You were gone.
When I came back, you had already moved on from our relationship.
Now I close my eyes
And I try to fight
The pain in my heart
But I still relive
And I can't forgive
The night I tore us apart
I am struggling to move on from the pain of our breakup and I regret the way I ended things between us.
Maybe I'll get it right next time
Perhaps I will learn from this experience and do better in future relationships.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Homer Banks, Raymond E. Jackson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tonja McDonald
This is music, nothing more need to be be said. Nobody did it like Johnnie Taylor.
Karen S.
Girl WHAT?? Say it again!!! Just love, love, love this man!!!!
Wymell Williams
And you no it
Jobu 13
When you think of all the people who ever lived, and then you make a list of the “Coolest to Ever Live” , Johnny Taylor has a high spot
Ophelia Hyman
I Love all of your amazing music and your beautiful voice may your soul R.I.P JT your gone you will never be forgotten I listen to your music everyday I love it🎤🎤
Paul Griffiths
Stax was a guarantee of good music
Dre 2cold
This man was far a head of his time. I don't like blues but I love me some J.t.
prettycountrygirl2
I remembered this song today, and found it, after so many years. I had forgotten the title and the singer. 8-19-22
Chris Alarcon
awsome song!! i have a band called The Pinsetter from El Paso, Tx. We cover this song, im the drummer, my fav. cover song we do. Ill be posting it up soon, look out for it!
Sheila Palmer
Chris Alarcon ilove this jam