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.

Meet Me In The Church
Solomon Burke Lyrics

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I don't have the love that
I've been used to
You see I don't have nobody to say
"Daddy, daddy, I miss you"
So if this is true and you're blue
'Cause I saved things as happened to you
Don't hesitate, don't make me wait
Meet me in church

Come on, meet me in church
I want you there, no matter what
No matter where
I want your love there by myself
I promise I'll say "I do"
Always cherish and love you
Come on, come on, let's try one more time
Listen

My last love affair didn't go right
And I know some othеr man has been holding
My baby tight
So, if this is true, and it applies to you
And not the samе thing has happened
To you, too
Don't hesitate, don't make me wait
Meet me in church come on, meet me in church
I want you there
I just don't want one more night
Without your love i need you so bad
The things I have made of loving you
Lord, what in the world could I do
Just very thought
Just about to drown me in the sea

I've got a ring, and I've got the rights
I've got flowers just waiting on isles

Please don't hesitate, don't make me wait
Meet me in church

Overall Meaning

Solomon Burke's "Meet Me In The Church" is a song about love and heartbreak, longing and desperation. The lyrics are a plea for a lost love to come back, an acknowledgment that mistakes were made but a vow to do better this time. The opening lines set the stage for the rest of the song: "I don't have the love that I've been used to / You see I don't have nobody to say 'Daddy, daddy, I miss you'". The singer is missing the love and attention that he used to receive, and he wants his lost love to know that he wants her back.

The chorus of the song is a direct invitation: "Meet me in church / Come on, meet me in church / I want you there, no matter what / No matter where / I want your love there by myself / I promise I'll say 'I do' / Always cherish and love you / Come on, come on, let's try one more time". The church is a symbolic setting for this renewed commitment, a place of redemption and forgiveness. The singer is asking for another chance to make things right, to love and be loved again.

The second verse further reveals the depth of the singer's desperation: "My last love affair didn't go right / And I know some other man has been holding / My baby tight / So, if this is true, and it applies to you / And not the same thing has happened to you, too". The singer is aware that he may not be the only one who has been hurt, but he is still pleading for his lost love to come back to him. The final lines of the song are a plea for urgency: "Please don't hesitate, don't make me wait / Meet me in church".

Line by Line Meaning

I don't have the love that I've been used to
I have lost the love that I was accustomed to having

You see I don't have nobody to say 'Daddy, daddy, I miss you'
I lack someone close to me who shows me affection by expressing how much they miss me

So if this is true and you're blue, 'Cause I saved things as happened to you, Don't hesitate, don't make me wait, Meet me in church
If you can relate to my sadness and loneliness, please don't delay in meeting me at church to talk things over

Come on, meet me in church, I want you there, no matter what, No matter where, I want your love there by myself
Please come meet me at church, regardless of any obstacles; I need your love and support beside me

I promise I'll say 'I do', Always cherish and love you
I vow to always say 'I do' and show you the love and attention that you deserve

Come on, come on, let's try one more time, Listen
Let's give our love another chance and listen to each other

My last love affair didn't go right, And I know some other man has been holding My baby tight
My previous relationship failed and I suspect someone else is with the person I love

So, if this is true, and it applies to you, And not the same thing has happened To you, too
If you can relate and have experienced similar heartache in your life, and not because of the same person

Don't hesitate, don't make me wait, Meet me in church come on, meet me in church
Please don't delay in meeting me at church so we can reconcile and move on from the pain

I just don't want one more night Without your love, I need you so bad
I cannot continue living without your love, and every night without you is unbearable

The things I have made of loving you, Lord, what in the world could I do, Just very thought Just about to drown me in the sea
My love for you has consumed me, and the mere thought of losing you is like drowning in a sea of despair

I've got a ring, and I've got the rights, I've got flowers just waiting on isles, Please don't hesitate, don't make me wait, Meet me in church
I am ready to commit to you with a ring and all the rights that come with a marriage, and I have flowers waiting for you; please don't delay meeting me at church

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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