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.
Perfect Song
Solomon Burke Lyrics
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Stop the hunger and pain
Stop the poverty and strain
For once and for all time
Could there be a song that would
Make the soldiers drop their guns
Make the sun shine for the ones
Hurt by violence and crime
Soothe the souls of those who suffer
From their lives just getting tougher
Until all hatred's gone astray
And if there'd be a song that could
Fertilize the desert neutralize all hazard
I would write one right away
Once I wrote it we would sing it
And it would be a perfect song
Perfect verses perfect chorus
But I'm afraid I'd get it slightly wrong
I wish there'd be a song that would
Perform God's miracles
Make the lame stand up and walk
Give sight back to the blind
And if there'd be a song that could
Bring love and peace on earth
Tear down every crooked church
I'd write a dozen of the kind
Once I wrote it we would sing it
And it would be a perfect song
Perfect verses perfect chorus
But I'm afraid I'd get it slightly wrong
Once I wrote it we could sing it
And it would be a perfect song
Perfect verses perfect chorus
But I'm afraid I'd get it slightly wrong
Perfect verses perfect chorus
But I'm afraid it can't be done
Perfect Song
The lyrics of Solomon Burke's song "Perfect Song" express a longing for a song that has the power to bring about positive change and transformation in the world. The singer wishes for a song that can alleviate suffering, end poverty, and stop violence. They yearn for a song that can soothe the souls of those who are struggling and bring an end to hatred. The singer imagines a song that can bring about miracles, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and restoring the disabled. They also fantasize about a song that can bring love and peace to the world, dismantling corrupt institutions and promoting harmony.
However, the singer expresses a sense of doubt and self-doubt throughout the song. They fear that if they were to write this perfect song, they might get it slightly wrong. This highlights the challenges and limitations of addressing complex societal issues through a song. The lyrics suggest that while music has the power to inspire and unite, it may not be able to fully solve the world's problems.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish there'd be a song that would
Express the desire for a song that can bring about positive change
Stop the hunger and pain
End the suffering caused by hunger and physical agony
Stop the poverty and strain
Put an end to the hardships and burdens brought by poverty
For once and for all time
Permanently, without any future occurrences
Could there be a song that would
Is it possible to have a song that can
Make the soldiers drop their guns
Influence soldiers to lay down their weapons
Make the sun shine for the ones
Bring brightness and happiness to those
Hurt by violence and crime
Affected by acts of violence and criminal activities
I wish there'd be a song that would
Express the desire for a song that can
Soothe the souls of those who suffer
Provide comfort and solace to those in distress
From their lives just getting tougher
As their lives become increasingly difficult
Until all hatred's gone astray
Until all hatred is eradicated and lost
And if there'd be a song that could
And if such a song exists that can
Fertilize the desert neutralize all hazard
Make barren lands fertile and remove all threats and dangers
I would write one right away
I would immediately compose such a song
Once I wrote it we would sing it
Once I completed writing the song, we would perform it
And it would be a perfect song
And it would be an impeccable composition
Perfect verses perfect chorus
Flawless lyrics and captivating chorus
But I'm afraid I'd get it slightly wrong
However, I'm concerned that I might make minor mistakes
I wish there'd be a song that would
Express the desire for a song that can
Perform God's miracles
Accomplish miraculous acts attributed to God
Make the lame stand up and walk
Enable the physically disabled to regain their mobility
Give sight back to the blind
Restore vision to those who have lost it
And if there'd be a song that could
And if such a song exists that can
Bring love and peace on earth
Promote love and harmony throughout the world
Tear down every crooked church
Dismantle institutions corrupted by deception and wrongdoing
I'd write a dozen of the kind
I would write multiple songs of similar nature
Once I wrote it we would sing it
Once I finished writing it, we would perform the song
But I'm afraid I'd get it slightly wrong
However, I worry that there may be slight errors in my composition
Once I wrote it we could sing it
Once I completed writing the song, we would have the ability to perform it
And it would be a perfect song
And it would be an flawless and remarkable composition
Perfect verses perfect chorus
Impeccable lyrics and captivating chorus
But I'm afraid I'd get it slightly wrong
However, I'm concerned that I might make minor mistakes
Perfect verses perfect chorus
Impeccable lyrics and captivating chorus
But I'm afraid it can't be done
However, I fear that it is an unattainable goal
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HUUB VAN DER LUBBE, NICO ARZBACH, ROLAND BRUNT, WOUTER PLANTEIJDT, SOLOMON BURKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind