Solomon Burke (born March 21, 1940 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, died… Read Full Bio ↴Solomon Burke (born March 21, 1940 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, died October 10, 2010 at Schiphol Airport, The Netherlands) was a soul music pioneer and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite releasing numerous rnb chart hits in the 1960s, he never had a Top 20 hit on the pop charts. Burke's influence, however, has outstripped his mainstream commercial success. He is considered a legend of American music.

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.

I Really Don
Solomon Burke Lyrics

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Oh how many arms have held you
And hated to let you go
How many, oh how many, I wonder
But I really don't want, I don't wanna know

Oh how many lips have kissed you
And set, set your soul aglow, yes they did
How many, oh how many, I wonder, yes I do

But I really don't want to know

So always make, make me wonder
And always make, make me guess
And even, you know even if I ask you
Oh darling oh don't you, don't confess

Just let it, let it remain your secret
Oh for darling, darling I love you so

No wonder, yeah no wonder, I wonder
Mmm, 'cause I really don't want, I don't wanna know

Overall Meaning

Solomon Burke's song "I Really Don't Want to Know" is about a person who is aware of their partner's romantic past but prefers to remain ignorant of the details. The opening lines "Oh how many arms have held you, and hated to let you go. How many, oh how many, I wonder. But I really don't want, I don't wanna know" suggest that the person has trouble accepting that their partner has had relationships before their own. They are aware that their partner is desirable and have probably been with many other people before they got together.

Later in the song, Burke talks about how his lover's past lovers made her soul glow with their kisses. He admits that he is curious about how many past lovers she has had but implies that he would not like to know because it would only cause him pain. He prefers to remain in the dark and savour the present moment in their relationship without any baggage or awkwardness.

The chorus of the song is mainly about remaining in the dark and in blissful ignorance. It says, "So always make, make me wonder, and always make, make me guess. And even, you know even if I ask you. Oh darling, oh don't you, don't confess. Just let it, let it remain your secret. Oh for darling, darling I love you so. No wonder, yeah no wonder, I wonder. Mmm, 'cause I really don't want, I don't wanna know."

Overall, the song is about the insecurities and self-doubt that may arise in romantic relationships. It highlights the importance of communication and honesty while also acknowledging that sometimes it may be better to keep some things to oneself.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh how many arms have held you
I wonder how many people have held you tightly in their arms.

And hated to let you go
I wonder if these people were sad to let you go.

How many, oh how many, I wonder
I am curious about the number of people who have held you.

But I really don't want, I don't wanna know
However, I do not actually want to know the answer.

Oh how many lips have kissed you
I wonder how many people have kissed your lips.

And set, set your soul aglow, yes they did
I wonder if these kisses made you happy and excited.

How many, oh how many, I wonder, yes I do
I am curious about the number of people who have kissed you.

But I really don't want to know
However, I do not actually want to know the answer.

So always make, make me wonder
Please always keep me guessing and wondering.

And always make, make me guess
Please keep me guessing and wondering all the time.

And even, you know even if I ask you
Even if I ask you outright, please don't tell me the truth.

Oh darling oh don't you, don't confess
Sweetheart, I beg of you, do not confess anything to me.

Just let it, let it remain your secret
Please keep it a secret between you and whoever kissed or held you.

Oh for darling, darling I love you so
I love you very much, my dearest.

No wonder, yeah no wonder, I wonder
It's no surprise that I'm curious about your past.

Mmm, 'cause I really don't want, I don't wanna know
But I really don't want to know the truth about it.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DON ROBERTSON, DONALD I. ROBERTSON, HOWARD ELLINGTON RIDDIFORD BARNES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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