The band's first taste of mainstream success came with the release of their fourth album Wild and Peaceful (1973), which contained the US top-ten singles "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging". Kool & the Gang subsequently entered a period of decline before they reached a second commercial peak between 1979 and 1986 following their partnership with Brazilian musician and producer Eumir Deodato and the addition of singer James "J.T." Taylor to the lineup. Their most successful albums of this period include Ladies' Night (1979), Celebrate! (1980), and Emergency (1984), their highest selling album with two million copies sold in the US. Their hit singles during this period included "Ladies' Night", the US No. 1 "Celebration", "Get Down on It", "Joanna", "Misled", and "Cherish". The band continues to perform worldwide, including as support for Van Halen in 2012 and their fiftieth-anniversary tour in 2014.
Kool & the Gang have won numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and, in 2006, a Music Business Association Chairman's Award for artistic achievement. As well the band has been inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame and been bestowed with a MOBO Award for Outstanding Achievement, the Soul Train Legend Award, the Marian Anderson Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. During 2018, the Bells, Brown, and Taylor were also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and received their first-time nomination into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. Their discography includes 23 studio albums and almost 70 singles. They have sold 7.5 million and 4.5 million RIAA-certified albums and singles, respectively, in the United States. Worldwide, they have sold 70 million albums.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kool_&_the_Gang
Discography
Kool and the Gang (1969)
Music Is the Message (1972)
Good Times (1972)
Wild and Peaceful (1973)
Light of Worlds (1974)
Spirit of the Boogie (1975)
Love & Understanding (1976)
Open Sesame (1976)
The Force (1977)
Everybody's Dancin' (1978)
Ladies' Night (1979)
Celebrate! (1980)
Something Special (1981)
As One (1982)
In the Heart (1983)
Emergency (1984)
Forever (1986)
Sweat (1989)
Unite (1992)
State of Affairs (1996)
Gangland (2001)
The Hits: Reloaded (2004)
Still Kool (2007)
Kool for the Holidays (2013)
Perfect Union (2021)
People Just Wanna Have Fun (2023)
Who's Gonna Take The Weight
Kool & The Gang Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And knowledge can be the difference between life or death
You should know the truth and the truth shall set you free
I was raised like a Muslim prayin' to the East
Nature of my life relates rhymes I release
Like a cannon 'cause I been plannin' to be rammin' what I wrote
Straight on a plate down your throat
At who's who while I'm readin' from my good book
And let's dig into every nook and every cranny
Set your mind free as I slam these thoughts
And just like a jammy goes, "Baow"
You're gonna see what I'm sayin' now
You can't be sleepin' 'cause things are gettin' crazy
You better stop being lazy, there's many people frontin'
And many brothers droppin'
All because of dumb things, let me tell you somethin'
I've been through so much that I'm such
A maniac, but I still act out of faith
That we can get the shit together so I break
On fools with no rhymes skills messin' up the flow
And people with no sense who be movin' much too slow
And so, you will know the meaning of the Gang Starr
Guru with the mic and Premier raise the anchor
Swiftly, as we embark on a journey, I had to get an attorney
I needed someone to defend my position
Decisions I made, 'cause now it's time to get paid
And ladies, these rhymes are like the keys to a dope car
Maybe a Lexus or a Jaguar
Still, all of that is just material
So won't you dig the scenario
And just imagine if each one is teachin' one
We'll come together so that we become
A strong force, then we can stay on course
Find your direction through introspection
And for my people out there I got a question
Can we be the sole controllers of our fate?
Now who's gonna take the weight?
You can't, you can't, you can't
You can't handle the whole weight
You can't handle the whole weight
The weight of the world is heavy on my mind
So as my feelings unwind I find
That some try to be down just 'cause it's trendy
Others fall victim to envy
But I'll take the road less travelled
So I can see all my hopes and my dreams unravel
Relievin' your stress, expressin' my interest
In the situation that you're facin'
That's why I'm down with the Nation
Spirituality supports reality
We gotta fight with the right mentality
So we can gain what is rightfully ours
This is the meaning of the chain and the star
Land is power, so gimme forty acres
Let's see how far I can take ya
Original invincible
That's how I'm lookin' at it
I use my rhymes like a Glock automatic
Any means necessary, I'm goin' all out
Before the rains bring the nuclear fallout
So let me ask you, is it too late?
Ayo, who's gonna take the weight?
You can't handle the whole weight
You can't, you can't, you can't handle the whole weight
You can't, you can't, you can't handle the whole weight
You can't, you can't, you can't handle the whole weight
The lyrics of Kool & The Gang's song "Who's Gonna Take The Weight" are focused on the importance and power of knowledge. In particular, the song's message is that knowledge can be the difference between life and death. The rapper reflects on his own experiences and the importance of understanding the world around us. He encourages listeners to take a closer look at people, and to be aware of who is who in their lives. By doing this, he believes that we can set our minds free and gain control over our lives.
The rapper also addresses the issue of laziness, suggesting that too many people are wasting their potential by not taking action. He points out that people are constantly putting up a front and trying to be something they're not, when they should be focusing on developing their skills and becoming successful in their own right.
All in all, "Who's Gonna Take The Weight" is a powerful message about the importance of knowledge, hard work, and taking action to improve our lives. The lyrics are an insightful commentary on the state of the world and a call to action for all those who are willing to take on the weight and do what needs to be done.
Line by Line Meaning
Knowledge is power
The more you know, the more equipped you are to face life's challenges
And knowledge can be the difference between life or death
Knowing the right information can make a huge impact on the outcome of a situation
You should know the truth and the truth shall set you free
Truth is liberating and it's important to seek it out
I was raised like a Muslim prayin' to the East
My upbringing and culture have influenced my perspective
Nature of my life relates rhymes I release
My life experiences inspire the lyrics I write
Like a cannon 'cause I been plannin' to be rammin' what I wrote Straight on a plate down your throat
I'm delivering my message with force and intensity
So digest as I suggest we take a good look At who's who while I'm readin' from my good book And let's dig into every nook and every cranny
Let's examine every detail and aspect of the situation
Set your mind free as I slam these thoughts And just like a jammy goes, "Baow" You're gonna see what I'm sayin' now
Let my words set you free to think and understand the situation
You can't be sleepin' 'cause things are gettin' crazy You better stop being lazy, there's many people frontin' And many brothers droppin'
There are serious issues we need to address and we can't ignore them
All because of dumb things, let me tell you somethin' I've been through so much that I'm such A maniac, but I still act out of faith That we can get the shit together so I break
I've experienced a lot of hardships but I still have hope that things can improve
On fools with no rhymes skills messin' up the flow And people with no sense who be movin' much too slow And so, you will know the meaning of the Gang Starr Guru with the mic and Premier raise the anchor
Let's remove the obstacles that are hindering progress and move forward
Swiftly, as we embark on a journey, I had to get an attorney I needed someone to defend my position Decisions I made, 'cause now it's time to get paid
I needed legal protection to ensure I get what I deserve
And ladies, these rhymes are like the keys to a dope car Maybe a Lexus or a Jaguar Still, all of that is just material So won't you dig the scenario
My rhymes are valuable but material possessions are ultimately insignificant
And just imagine if each one is teachin' one We'll come together so that we become A strong force, then we can stay on course Find your direction through introspection
We can strengthen our community by sharing knowledge and supporting each other
And for my people out there I got a question Can we be the sole controllers of our fate? Now who's gonna take the weight?
We need to take control and responsibility for our lives and future
You can't, you can't, you can't You can't handle the whole weight You can't handle the whole weight
The burden of responsibility can be overwhelming for one person
The weight of the world is heavy on my mind So as my feelings unwind I find That some try to be down just 'cause it's trendy Others fall victim to envy
The weight of the world's problems weighs heavily on me and some people are insincere or jealous
But I'll take the road less travelled So I can see all my hopes and my dreams unravel Relievin' your stress, expressin' my interest In the situation that you're facin'
I'm determined to forge my own path and help others while pursuing my goals
That's why I'm down with the Nation Spirituality supports reality We gotta fight with the right mentality So we can gain what is rightfully ours
We need to stay grounded in our beliefs and have the right mindset to achieve what we deserve
This is the meaning of the chain and the star Land is power, so gimme forty acres Let's see how far I can take ya
The symbol of the chain and star represents power and we need land to achieve our goals
Original invincible That's how I'm lookin' at it I use my rhymes like a Glock automatic Any means necessary, I'm goin' all out Before the rains bring the nuclear fallout
I'm a force to be reckoned with and will do whatever it takes to succeed before it's too late
So let me ask you, is it too late? Ayo, who's gonna take the weight?
We need to act now before it's too late and we need to take responsibility together
You can't handle the whole weight You can't, you can't, you can't handle the whole weight You can't, you can't, you can't handle the whole weight
We need to work together to share the burden of responsibility
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Chris E. Martin, Keith Elam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind