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.

Won't You Give Him
Solomon Burke Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(If you give him one, One more chance)
(That's all he needs is one more chance)

Just let me prove that my love is real
Baby, won't you let me show ya how I feel?

(All he wants is one, One more night)
(That's all he needs)

(To make things right)

Why can't you see that my love is true?
Can't you see that I'm still
In love with you?

I don't care what's in the past
It's all over

(It's all gone, It's all gone)

I don't care what people say
I know that you're the one
(If you give him one, One more chance)
(That's all he needs is one more chance)

If you let me try i'll make you see
Oh, yeah
The only man you'll ever need in life is me

(If you give him one, One more chance)
(That's all he needs is one more chance)

If you let me try i'll make you see
Oh, yeah
The only man you'll ever need in life is me
Oh!

(If you give him one)
All I need is just one more chance, baby

(If you give him one)
All I need is just one mo' chance
To show how much love yeah
Just let the groove it from love enter
Real, all I need is one more
Oh they don't know how much I love ya
Love ya, love ya, love ya, baby

Can't you see that the love is getting real
Getting real

Overall Meaning

In Solomon Burke's song "Won't You Give Him," the singer pleads with his lover to give him one more chance to prove his love is genuine. Burke croons about his unwavering devotion and the opportunity to right any wrongs from their past. Through the lyrics, Burke begs for his lover to understand that he is the man who can provide everything she needs and craves in life. He assures her that his love is pure and that he will never let her down again. He also emphasizes that no matter what people say, he knows she is the one for him, and his love for her is real.

The lyrics of "Won't You Give Him" depict the common theme of love and redemption. The song is a plea for a second chance in a relationship that went awry. Burke sings with passion and conviction, highlighting the depth of his feelings for his lover. The song's verses poignantly express the pain and regret that Burke feels for any mistakes he may have made in the past. He asks for forgiveness, hoping that he can repair the damage he may have caused, and move forward with the love of his life.

Overall, "Won't You Give Him" is a soulful and moving ballad about the power of love and the possibility of redemption. It is a song that speaks to the heart and soul of anyone who has ever made mistakes in a relationship and seeks to make amends. Through his emotive lyrics and powerful voice, Solomon Burke delivers a timeless message about the strength and enduring nature of true love.

Line by Line Meaning

(If you give him one, One more chance)
All he needs is one more chance

(That's all he needs is one more chance)
He's confident that he can make things right with just one chance

Just let me prove that my love is real
Allow me to demonstrate the authenticity of my love

Baby, won't you let me show ya how I feel?
Please let me express my emotions to you

(All he wants is one, One more night)
All he desires is one more opportunity

(To make things right)
To rectify the situation

Why can't you see that my love is true?
I'm bewildered as to why you can't discern the authenticity of my love

Can't you see that I'm still
I'm still in love with you

In love with you?
I'm still enamored by you

I don't care what's in the past
I'm not concerned about what happened before

It's all over
It's all been concluded