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.
No Man Walks Alone
Solomon Burke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
Twenty four
And there's so much more
That makes me think of two.
Love lost, such a cost,
Give me things
That don't get lost.
Like a coin that won't get tossed
Rolling home to you.
Old man take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me
The whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
And you can tell that's true.
Lullabies, look in your eyes,
Run around the same old town.
Doesn't mean that much to me
To mean that much to you.
I've been first and last
Look at how the time goes past.
But I'm all alone at last.
Rolling home to you.
Old man take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me
The whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
And you can tell that's true.
Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.
The lyrics to Solomon Burke's song "No Man Walks Alone" exude a sense of nostalgia and longing for connection. The first verse, "Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were," suggests a comparison between the singer's current circumstances and the old man's past experiences. This comparison continues throughout the song, with the repeated refrain "Old man take a look at my life, I'm a lot like you." The singer is essentially asking for validation that his choices and experiences are similar to those of the older generation.
The second verse introduces the idea of living "alone in a paradise," which is paradoxical because paradise is often associated with happiness and contentment, while living alone connotes loneliness and isolation. The line "That makes me think of two" suggests that the singer is missing someone, perhaps a romantic partner, with whom he could share this paradise. The following lines, "Love lost, such a cost, give me things that don't get lost," further emphasize the singer's need for stability and security.
The final verse brings the narrative full circle, with the singer reflecting on his past experiences and acknowledging that he has been both "first and last." The line "But I'm all alone at last, rolling home to you" implies that although the singer has achieved success and independence, he still feels incomplete without someone to share his life with. Overall, "No Man Walks Alone" is a poignant rumination on the human need for connection and validation.
Line by Line Meaning
Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were.
The singer recognizes that they share similarities with the old man they are addressing.
Twenty four And there's so much more Live alone in a paradise That makes me think of two.
Despite being young and having many opportunities ahead of them, the singer still feels lonely and longs for companionship.
Love lost, such a cost, Give me things That don't get lost. Like a coin that won't get tossed Rolling home to you.
The singer has experienced the pain of losing love and seeks comfort in the stability of things that will never abandon them, like a loyal coin rolling towards a loved one.
Old man take a look at my life I'm a lot like you I need someone to love me The whole day through Ah, one look in my eyes And you can tell that's true.
The artist yearns for someone who will love them constantly, and believes that the old man can see this desire in their eyes.
Lullabies, look in your eyes, Run around the same old town. Doesn't mean that much to me To mean that much to you.
Although the artist and the old man are from different generations and may have different perspectives, they both find comfort in familiar things like lullabies and hometowns.
I've been first and last Look at how the time goes past. But I'm all alone at last. Rolling home to you.
The singer has experienced the highest highs and lowest lows of life, but ultimately feels alone and longs for the stability and comfort of returning home to someone who loves them.
Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were. Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were.
The song ends with a repetition of the first verse, emphasizing once again that the singer sees similarities between themselves and the old man they are addressing.
Contributed by Grayson O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.