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.
Tonight's The Night
Solomon Burke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That you belong to me
Tonight's the night
There'll be no company
Oh, tonight, tonight's the night
Tonight's the night
Yes sir, oh, yes, it is
Someone should call
Don't answer the phone
Somebody knocks on the door
Tell 'em we're not home
I just want it to be, darling
Nobody but me and you, honey, tonight
I don't want no friends around
There's a whole lot of sweet talk, girl
I'm gonna be putting down
Cut off the stereo
Forget about the late, late show
'Cause tonight, honey, oh, tonight
Listen to me
(Tonight's the night)
And when the lights are low
(They you belong to me)
I'm gonna lock all the doors
(Tonight's the night)
And throw away the key, baby
(You're mine exclusively)
And then I wanna talk to you
Some more because tonight
I got something I want to say to you
Honey, tonight, ooh
I wanna hear you say I do
And that ain't all, sugar
And when I get through
I want you to hold me, squeeze me
With all of your might
Because tonight
(Tonight, tonight)
Tonight is the night
Solomon Burke's "Tonight's The Night" is a romantic ballad that expresses the singer's desire to be alone with his beloved, without any distractions or interruptions. The lyrics paint a picture of a private, intimate setting, where the singer can express his feelings to his lover without any inhibitions. He urges the listener to ignore any unwanted callers or visitors, and to focus solely on the moment at hand. The chorus repeats the phrase "tonight's the night" several times, emphasizing the importance of the occasion and the singer's urgency to be alone with his lover.
The song is delivered in a smooth, soulful style, with Burke's deep, rich voice conveying both passion and tenderness. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, but they convey a powerful message of love and desire. The instrumentation is sparse, with a soft, jazzy background that complements the romantic mood of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Tonight's the night
The moment has arrived for us to be together
That you belong to me
You and I will be in a committed relationship tonight
There'll be no company
It will just be the two of us spending time together
Oh, tonight, tonight's the night
Tonight is very special and thrilling
Yes sir, oh, yes, it is
This is indeed happening and I am excited
Now listen to me, honey
Pay attention to what I have to say
Someone should call
There might be interruptions, so be careful
Don't answer the phone
We should not let any phone calls intrude
Somebody knocks on the door
We should ignore any attempts to come into our space
Tell 'em we're not home
We should pretend that no one is home
I just want it to be, darling
I desire an exclusive moment with only you
Nobody but me and you, honey, tonight
We will spend the night alone without any other people
I don't want no friends around
This evening is solely for us and not for any friends
There's a whole lot of sweet talk, girl
I have many things on my mind I want to share with you
I'm gonna be putting down
My goal is to say things to you in a loving way
Cut off the stereo
No music needs to be played right now
Forget about the late, late show
We don't need to watch anything else tonight
'Cause tonight, honey, oh, tonight
Tonight is special and we should cherish it
And when the lights are low
We will set the mood with dim lighting
(They you belong to me)
In this moment, you are mine and I am yours
I'm gonna lock all the doors
I want to create a private environment for us
And throw away the key, baby
We will not let anything, or anyone, disturb us
(You're mine exclusively)
We are committed to each other in this moment
And then I wanna talk to you
I have something important to tell you
Some more because tonight
I want to express my feelings all throughout this night
I got something I want to say to you
I have a special message for you tonight
Honey, tonight, ooh
Tonight is a night to remember
I wanna hear you say I do
I want you to express your commitment to me tonight
And that ain't all, sugar
Our conversation tonight doesn't stop with just that
And when I get through
When I finish speaking to you
I want you to hold me, squeeze me
I want us to embrace tightly
With all of your might
I want to feel your love for me deeply
Because tonight
This special night of ours
(Tonight, tonight)
Will be an unforgettable moment
Tonight is the night
This specific evening is the one for us
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DON COVAY, DONALD COVAY, SOLOMON BURKE, SOLOMON V. BURKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind