He began his adult life as a young preacher in Philadelphia, where he hosted a gospel radio show. In the 1960s, he signed with Atlantic Records and began moving towards more secular music. His first hit was Just Out Of Reach Of My Open Arms, a cover of a country song. Though well-received by both peers and critics, and attaining a few moderate pop and several major R&B hits, Burke never could quite break through into the mainstream as did his contemporaries like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin.
Nevertheless, his emotive delivery, polished production, as well as the touches of country and pop sensibility in his music won him admirers and imitators. In 1964 he wrote and recorded Everybody Needs Somebody To Love his most prominent bid for an enduring soul standard. Covered by the Rolling Stones the same year, other well-known versions include one by Wilson Pickett and another a decade and a half later in the 1980 feature film by The Blues Brothers. Burke's biggest hit was a 1969 cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's Proud Mary.
His career was to some degree revived in 2002, with the release of the album Don't Give Up On Me, produced by Joe Henry, where he sang songs written specifically for the album by a roster of top-rank artists, including Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits and Joe Henry himself.
He is featured in the 2004 movie Lightning in a Bottle singing Turn on Your Love Light and Down in the Valley.
As of October 2002 Burke was the father of 14 daughters and 7 sons with 64 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. Several of his children and grandchildren have had successful careers in various facets of the music industry, though none as much so as their patriarch.
Burke died, arriving at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam where he was supposed to perform with Dutch band De Dijk with whom he recorded an album, entitled Hold on Tight.
Rock icon Mick Jagger performed a tribute to Burke at the 2011 Grammy Awards, laying down Burke's classic hit "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love".
A cover of Everybody Needs Somebody To Love received huge exposure as the music for Amazon's 2019 Christmas commercial.
Candy
Solomon Burke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some say it's honey and the bee,
Well sit right down and let me tell you
What my love is to me.
"Candy"
I call my sugar "Candy"
Because I'm sweet on "Candy"
He/She understands me,
My understanding "Candy"
And "Candy"'s always handy
When I need sympathy
I wish that there were four of him/her
So I could love much more of him/her
He/She has taken my complete heart,
Got a sweet tooth for my sweetheart
"Candy"
Its gonna be just dandy
The day I take my "Candy"
And make him mine all mine
Mine
Solomon Burke's song Candy talks about the sweetness of love and how he compares it to candy. He suggests that some people might say that love is like a rose or honey and bees, but he thinks of it as sweet as candy. Burke refers to his loved one as "Candy" and remarks that he is quite fond of Candy, and Candy loves him back. Candy understands him completely and is always willing to be there for him whenever he needs sympathy. Burke symbolically expresses his desire for more of Candy by insisting that he wished there were four of him/her so that he could love even more. He also confesses that Candy has taken hold of his heart, and he has a sweet tooth for him/her.
The song has a very catchy beat, and it's a classic soul composition. Burke's smooth and distinct vocals, backed by the piano, guitar, drums, and bass, make for a really entertaining presentation. The lyrics of the song are an embodiment of the sweetness and pleasurable sensation that love brings. Candy is used as a metaphor for the sweet and delightful feeling that love creates.
Line by Line Meaning
Some say that love is sweet as a rose,
Love is often compared to a sweet-smelling rose
Some say it's honey and the bee,
Others say that love is like the relationship between a bee and honey
Well sit right down and let me tell you
Let me explain what love means to me
What my love is to me.
My personal definition of love
I call my sugar 'Candy'
I affectionately refer to my loved one as 'Candy'
Because I'm sweet on 'Candy'
I am deeply in love with 'Candy'
And 'Candy' is sweet on me
'Candy' loves me just as much as I love him/her
My understanding 'Candy'
'Candy' understands me
And 'Candy's always handy
'Candy' is always there for me
When I need sympathy
Especially when I need emotional support
I wish that there were four of him/her
I love 'Candy' so much that I wish there were more like him/her
So I could love much more of him/her
So I could experience more of this type of love
He's taken my complete heart,
'Candy' has my entire heart
Got a sweet tooth for my sweetheart
I crave my loved one like a sweet dessert
'Candy'. It's gonna be just dandy
Being with 'Candy' is going to be wonderful
The day I take my 'Candy'
The day I commit to 'Candy'
And make him mine, all mine
And make him/her exclusively mine
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joan Whitney, Alex Kramer, Mack David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind