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.
Uptight Good Woman
Solomon Burke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Along the road to Gundagai
Where the blue gums are growing, the Murrumbidgee's flowing
Beneath that sunny sky
Where my Mummy and Daddy are waiting for me
Where the pals of my childhood are waiting for me
So no more will I roam till I'm headed right for home
There's an old fashioned Ford made of rubber, tin and board
Along the road to Gundagai
The radiator's hissing, and half the engine's missing
The oil tank's running dry
There's water in the petrol and sand in the gears
And it hasn't seen a garage for more than twenty years
But O lord hear the roar when the pedal hits the floor
Along the road to Gundagai.
Solomon Burke's Uptight Good Woman is a fast-paced and energetic song that captures the essence of a woman who is uptight but can't help but let her guard down when she finds herself attracted to someone. The lyrics "There's a track winding back to an old-fashioned shack along the road to Gundagai" suggest that the woman may have come from humble beginnings and is still holding on to some of those values. She may be guarded around men because of past experiences or insecurities, but deep down longs for a connection.
The second verse tells the story of an old-fashioned Ford that is falling apart but still manages to make it down the road to Gundagai. This could represent the woman's life, which may not be perfect, but she's still trying to push forward despite the obstacles she faces. The line "But O lord hear the roar when the pedal hits the floor" could represent the woman's determination to keep going despite the challenges she faces.
Overall, the song seems to be about the power of attraction and the ability to let go of one's inhibitions. The woman in the song may be uptight and guarded, but she can't help but let herself go when she finds someone she's attracted to.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a track winding back to an old fashioned shack
There's a path that leads to a classic home
Along the road to Gundagai
On the way to a specific destination
Where the blue gums are growing, the Murrumbidgee's flowing
Where the trees are blue and the river is running
Beneath that sunny sky
Under the bright and shining sun
Where my Mummy and Daddy are waiting for me
Where my parents eagerly anticipate my arrival
Where the pals of my childhood are waiting for me
Where my childhood friends excitedly await my return
So no more will I roam till I'm headed right for home
I won't wander anymore until I'm pointed directly towards home
There's an old fashioned Ford made of rubber, tin and board
There's an outdated car crafted from unconventional materials
The radiator's hissing, and half the engine's missing
The cooling system is making a sizzling sound and part of the machinery is absent
The oil tank's running dry
The reservoir of lubricating fluid is almost empty
There's water in the petrol and sand in the gears
There's liquid in the fuel and particles stuck in the machinery
And it hasn't seen a garage for more than twenty years
And it hasn't visited a repair shop in over 20 years
But O lord hear the roar when the pedal hits the floor
But oh my, listen to the noise when the accelerator is pushed to the limits
Along the road to Gundagai.
On the journey to Gundagai.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIMMY JOHNSON, SPOONER OLDHAM, DAN PENN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeffrey Aalders
Personaly one of the best albums of solomon!
Just like Laura Lee at chess and Fame studios! My kind of sound!
Doris Anthony
Excellent track, this is the kind of music I grew up on. ..where have I've great artis?,are they gone forever?
Тая Петрова
Крутая тема!
Muziekgenot
Sounds a lot like Joe Tex
s mack
You often hear Tex Walker Ottis Redding and Soloman Burke mentioned together.