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.
When She Touch Me
Solomon Burke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's using me often refusing me
But when she touches me
The way she touches me nothing else maters
(Nothing else maters)
She cheats on me makes a fool out of me
Spends all my money
But when she touches me
The way she touches me
Nothing else seems to matter
She's using me abusing me
And just the thought of it
Tears me up inside i know she's using me
She's even talking about me
But let me tell you when she touches me
Everything is alright i should leave her
Deceive her try to talk around
Just to get back at her
But oh when she touches me
The way she touches me nothing else matters
And you don't have to believe me
If you ever love someone
And they hurt you so bad
And you needed the love so much
Just about to drive you mad
Solomon Burke's song "When She Touches Me" is a heartfelt portrayal of a man's conflicting emotions toward a woman who mistreats him. He opens the song by lamenting about how she is mean and bad to him, and how she uses him and refuses him often. Despite all of this, when she touches him, nothing else matters. The way she touches him makes him forget about all the wrongs she has done to him. The chorus is repeated twice and serves as an emotional centerpiece for the song with Burke belting out the words "nothing else matters" with great passion.
The second verse of the song is focused on how she cheats on him and spends all his money, yet he is still drawn to her when she touches him. He realizes that he is being used and abused by her and it tears him up inside. He even contemplates leaving her or deceiving her but admits that when she touches him, everything is alright.
The last verse is a plea from Burke to the listener. He asks them to understand that when you love someone who hurts you so much, you need that love so much it can drive you mad. He is telling the listener that he understands his situation is bad, but he can't help how he feels. He wants the listener to know that when she touches him, the way she touches him, everything is okay.
Overall, "When She Touches Me" is a powerful song filled with conflicting emotions. The theme of the song is that love can make people do things that are against their better judgment. Burke's delivery of the lyrics is filled with an emotional depth that conveys the pain and confusion that his character is feeling which truly makes this song a masterpiece.
Line by Line Meaning
She's mean to me she's so bad to me
She treats me poorly and is unkind.
She's using me often refusing me
She takes advantage of me and frequently denies my requests.
But when she touches me
Despite her mistreatment, when she physically touches me...
The way she touches me nothing else maters
...her touch is so powerful that it overcomes all other issues, and I feel cared for and loved.
(Nothing else maters)
She cheats on me makes a fool out of me
She is unfaithful and humiliates me.
Spends all my money
She wastes my money without regard.
And have the nerve to run around
She even has the audacity to have affairs outside of our relationship.
But when she touches me
Despite all this wrongdoing, when she physically touches me...
The way she touches me
...her touch is so powerful that it makes everything else seem insignificant.
Nothing else seems to matter
She's using me abusing me
Her behavior is manipulative and harmful.
And just the thought of it
The idea of her mistreating me...
Tears me up inside i know she's using me
...causes me emotional pain because I am aware of her manipulations.
She's even talking about me
She speaks poorly of me.
But let me tell you when she touches me
Despite all these negative behaviors, when she physically touches me...
Everything is alright i should leave her
...everything feels okay, even though I know I should end the relationship.
Deceive her try to talk around
I consider lying and manipulating her in return.
Just to get back at her
As a form of revenge.
But oh when she touches me
Despite these vengeful thoughts, when she physically touches me...
The way she touches me
...everything else fades away and I feel loved and cared for.
nothing else matters
And you don't have to believe me
I understand if you do not trust my perspective.
If you ever love someone
If you have ever loved someone deeply...
And they hurt you so bad
...and they have caused you tremendous pain...
And you needed the love so much
...and despite this pain, you still crave their love and affection...
Just about to drive you mad
...to the point where it is almost unbearable.
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