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.

That`s How I Got To Memphis
Solomon Burke Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If you love somebody enough you'll follow wherever they go
That's how I got to Memphis, that's how I got to Memphis
If you love somebody enough you'll go where your heart wants to go
That's how I got to Memphis, that's how I got to Memphis

I know if you'd seen her you'd tell me 'cause you are my friend
I've got to find her and find out the trouble she's in
If you tell me that she's not here I'll follow the trail of her tears

That's how I got to Memphis, that's how I got to Memphis

She would get mad and she used to say
That she'd come back to Memphis someday
That's how I got to Memphis, that's how I got to Memphis
I haven't eaten a bite or slept for three days and nights
That's how I got to Memphis, that's how I got to Memphis

I've got to find her and tell her that I love her so
I'll never rest 'til I find out why she had to go
Thank you for your precious time, forgive me if I start to cry and
That's how I got to Memphis, that's how I got to Memphis

That's how I got to Memphis, that's how I got to Memphis

That's how I got to Memphis, that's how I got to Memphis
That's how I got to Memphis

Overall Meaning

Solomon Burke's song "That's How I Got to Memphis" is a heart-wrenching tale of love and devotion. The song opens with the singer describing how love compels him to follow the object of his affections - even to a distant city like Memphis. He knows that his friend would tell him if she had been seen in Memphis, and he is determined to find her and uncover the cause of her troubles. The chorus continually reinforces the singer's belief that love drives him to pursue her, no matter where it takes him or how much he suffers.

The second verse offers some insight into the woman's character, as she is described as someone who would get mad and threaten to come back to Memphis someday. This is clearly a significant detail to the singer, as it helps explain his compulsion to find her there. He is so consumed by his love for her that he hasn't slept or eaten in days. The final verse sees the singer pleading with the listener for understanding, thanking them for their time, and hinting that he may break down in tears. The song ends on a repeated chorus, with the singer doubling down on the idea that love is the only thing driving him to continue his search for his lost love.

Overall, "That's How I Got to Memphis" is a poignant exploration of the lengths we will go for love. The lyrics paint a vivid portrait of a man consumed by his feelings for a woman and determined to find her, no matter what. The repetition of the chorus drives home the idea that love is what propels us forward, even in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

If you love somebody enough you'll follow wherever they go
If you truly love someone, you'll go wherever they go.

That's how I got to Memphis, that's how I got to Memphis
That's why I ended up in Memphis.

If you love somebody enough you'll go where your heart wants to go
Love will take you where your heart desires.

I know if you'd seen her you'd tell me 'cause you are my friend
I trust you'll tell me if you've seen the person I'm searching for since you're my friend.

I've got to find her and find out the trouble she's in
I need to locate her and get to the bottom of her problems.

If you tell me that she's not here I'll follow the trail of her tears
If she's not around, I'll track her down through her tears and sorrows.

She would get mad and she used to say
She was often angry and vocalized that

That she'd come back to Memphis someday
But mentioned that she'll return to Memphis one day.

I haven't eaten a bite or slept for three days and nights
I haven't eaten or slept in 72 hours.

I've got to find her and tell her that I love her so
I need to locate her and confess my love for her.

I'll never rest 'til I find out why she had to go
I'll keep searching until I know the reason for her departure.

Thank you for your precious time, forgive me if I start to cry and
Thank you for taking the time to listen, I apologize if I get emotional.

That's how I got to Memphis, that's how I got to Memphis
That's why I ended up in Memphis.

That's how I got to Memphis
This is how I ended up in Memphis.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TOM T. HALL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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