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 Wish I Knew
Solomon Burke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It would feel to be free
I wish I could break
All the chains holding me
I wish I could say
All the things that I should say
Say 'em loud say 'em clear
I wish I could share
All the love that's in my heart
Remove all the bars
That keep us apart
I wish you could know
What it means to be me
Then you'd see and agree
That every man should be free
I wish I could give
All I'm longin' to give
I wish I could live
Like I'm longin' to live
I wish I could do
All the things that I can do
And though I'm way over due
I'd be starting a new
Well I wish I could be
Like a bird in the sky
How sweet it would be
If I found I could fly
Oh I'd soar to the sun
And look down at the sea
Than I'd sing 'cause I know, yea
Then I'd sing 'cause I know, yea
Then I'd sing 'cause I know
I'd know how it feels
Oh I know how it feels to be free
Yea yea! oh, I know how it feels
Yes I know
Oh, I know
How it feels
How it feels
To be free
The song "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" by Solomon Burke, is a soulful and poetic expression of freedom, desire and longing. The song expresses a yearning to break free from chains, physical and emotional, and to live a life that is true to oneself. In the first stanza, the singer expresses a desire to break free from any shackles that might be holding him and to express himself freely, without any constraints.
The second stanza is a call for unity, to remove all the barriers that people put up to segregate themselves from others. The song is a cry for everyone to live in harmony with each other, regardless of race, color, or religion. He wishes that people understood what it feels like to be him, and if they did, they would see that every man deserves to be free.
In the third stanza, the singer shares what he wishes he could give out to the world. He wishes he could do everything he wants to, to be free to live life on his terms. The last stanza is a metaphorical expression that describes the singer's deep longing for the freedom to soar, to be able to fly out of all limitations he feels, and to look back at the world he has left behind.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish I knew how
I want to understand what it's like to be free
It would feel to be free
I'm curious about the sensation of being free
I wish I could break
I desire to shatter
All the chains holding me
The bondage that restricts me
I wish I could say
I yearn to speak
All the things that I should say
Everything that's on my mind
Say 'em loud say 'em clear
To articulate them out loud, plain and potent
For the whole round world to hear
So everyone can listen
I wish I could share
I want to give away
All the love that's in my heart
The affection and warmth inside me
Remove all the bars
Eliminate every obstacle
That keep us apart
That cause separation
I wish you could know
I yearn for you to comprehend
What it means to be me
The essence of who I am
Then you'd see and agree
You'd understand and concur
That every man should be free
That everyone deserves liberty
I wish I could give
I aspire to offer
All I'm longin' to give
Everything I've ever desired to impart
I wish I could live
I want to exist
Like I'm longin' to live
In the way that satisfies my yearning
I wish I could do
I desire to accomplish
All the things that I can do
Everything that is within my ability
And though I'm way over due
Even though I should have started a long time ago
I'd be starting a new
I would be commencing afresh
Well I wish I could be
I dream of being
Like a bird in the sky
Like a flying bird
How sweet it would be
It would be wonderful if
If I found I could fly
I realized that I could fly
Oh I'd soar to the sun
I'd fly high up to the sun
And look down at the sea
And gaze at the sea below
Than I'd sing 'cause I know, yea
Then I'd sing because I am aware, yes
I'd know how it feels
I'd understand the sensation
Oh I know how it feels to be free
I know what it's like to be liberated
Yea yea! oh, I know how it feels
Yeah yeah! Oh, I definitely understand the feeling
Yes I know
I am certain of it
How it feels
The sensation
How it feels
The same sensation
To be free
To be liberated
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@roscoec.tarver4118
I loved this song from the 1st time I heard it. I played it until the groves started skipping. It’s funny I don’t remember when or why I stopped. Listening to it, when I heard it today a switch clicked on in my head. And once again I can’t stop listening. Thank u!
@tippybeebassey2649
This is just amazing
Thank you
Solomon Burke 😘
@ignaciovelalayna3066
Very American Studio. Impeccable production.
@robertmccoy8905
Marvelous
@oliverecords8524
Talk about soul!
@daneTshort
Solomon wrote songs. we may never know.. how much he wrote
@byzantinischelosung2100
Maybe, but this was orginally recorded by Billy Taylor.
@bishopaz
Perfect!
@jimmieperryman965
National anthem...
@jeremyreynolds7428
Wow this is good