The original backup group that was so in demand among producers, publishers, artists, and songwriters in the early ‘60’s included Doris Troy and the two Warwick sisters, with both Doris and Dionne enjoying solo careers with hits ("Just One Look" and "Don’t Make Me Over" respectively) in 1963. At that time, Sylvia Shemwell (sister of Judy Clay) replaced Doris; while Cissy Houston took over from Dionne, with Dee Dee Warwick as the group’s official leader. The group sang backup for many stars, including Wilson Pickett, Solomon Burke, Esther Phillips and Aretha Franklin.
Dee Dee left in 1965, when her solo career began to take off. She was replaced by Myrna Smith. Estelle Brown joined the team soon after, and the line-up that was to become an Atlantic recording group was set.
The Sweet Inspirations recorded by themselves for the first time in April 1967 for Atlantic Records. That session produced the first two singles released by Atlantic, a version of "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)," a song previously recorded by The Staple Singers and a soulful version of "Let It Be Me", a French song which had been a pop and R&B hit for Betty Everett & Jerry Butler in 1964.
Though their first singles lacked much chart success, Atlantic was committed to the group, and an August session in Memphis yielded the bulk of songs used for the group’s self-titled debut album, released in the late fall of 1967.
Within a month of their chart climb, the group began work on their second album - a gospel record entitled Songs Of Faith & Inspiration. It was released in 1968 under the name "Cissy Drinkard & The Sweet Inspirations."
Shortly after cutting the gospel set, the group was back in Atlantic’s studios to record their third album. The late April session yielded a version of The Bee Gees’ "To Love Somebody", which became the group’s fourth R&B chart hit, and a version of The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody," which surprisingly gave the group a charted, though minor hit.
In 1968, The Sweet Inspirations began working with Elvis Presley as both background singers and his warm-up act, as well as doing occasional ‘live’ dates with Aretha Franklin.
The Sweet Inspirations’ fourth album was recorded in February 1969 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama with the famed Muscle Shoals rhythm section, who had played on hit recordings by a number of acts including Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, and Clarence Carter.
Cissy's last recording session with The Sweet Inspirations was in October 1969, since she wanted to pursue a solo career and concentrate on her family. The session produced the group’s biggest R&B hit in some time. A Gamble & Huff composition, "Gotta Find Me A Brand New Lover" appeared on the group’s fifth album (Sweet Sweet Soul).
The remainder of the album was recorded in November 1970, with Sylvia, Estelle, Myrna and new member Ann Williams, a friend of Estelle’s who stayed for what turned out to be the group’s last full Atlantic album. Also included from that set are "That’s The Way My Baby Is", and "Flash In The Pan". Anne disappeared during a tour with Elvis Presley and did not return to the group.
A final Atlantic session in June 1970 brought the group (now a trio with Estelle, Myrna, and Sylvia) its last two singles for the label: "This World" (from the musical "The Me Nobody Knows"), and "Evidence".
In 1973, Estelle, Myrna, and Sylvia recorded an album for Stax Records. By 1979, Estelle had quit the group and was replaced by Gloria Brown, who toured with them but didn’t sing on The Sweet Inspirations’ last LP, Hot Butterfly, on RSO, with singer Pat Terry featured on the actual recording. They group broke up shortly thereafter.
In 1978, the group sang backing vocals on Frankie Valli's No.1 hit "Grease" from the film of the same name.
The Sweet Inspirations (Estelle, Myrna and Sylvia) got back together again in 1994, with new member Portia Griffin. They perform at Elvis Presley tribute shows and are set to release new material in 2005. Sylvia suffered a stroke in 2001 that has kept her from performing with the group.
Sweet Inspiration
Sweet Inspirations Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need you here on my mind
Every hour of the day
Without your sweet inspiration
The lonely hours of the night
Just don't go my way
A woman in love
Yeah, and honey that's all I ask,
That's all I ask from you
I've gotta have your sweet inspiration
You know there just ain't no tellin'
What a satisfied woman might do
The way you call me baby, baby
Is such a sweet inspiration
The way you call me darlin', darlin'
Sets my heart to skating
And if I'm out in the rain, baby
And in a bad situation
You know I just reach back in my mind
And there I find your sweet, sweet inspiration
Sweet inspiration
Oh what a power
And I've got the power
Every hour of the day
I need your sweet inspiration
To go on, to go on living
To keep on giving this way
I need your sweet inspiration
Sweet inspiration, sweet inspiration, sweet inspiration
Sweet, sweet inspiration
Sweet, sweet inspiration
I need, sweet inspiration
The lyrics of Sweet Inspirations song Sweet Inspiration speaks to the importance of having someone to lean on in times of need. The singer expresses the need for inspiration and the power that it holds. The opening line "I need your sweet inspiration" sets the tone for the entire song as the singer is calling out to her lover to provide her with the inspiration she needs to get through the day.
The following lines, "Without your sweet inspiration, the lonely hours of the night just don't go my way" further reinforce the message that the singer cannot function without her lover's inspiration. She goes on to say that "a woman in love needs sweet inspiration" as it is what keeps her going. The chorus adds to the power of inspiration as the singer repeats "Sweet inspiration, oh what a power."
The second verse describes how the way her lover calls her "baby" and "darling" is a source of inspiration for her. She mentions that in times of trouble, she can always reach back in her mind and find her lover's sweet inspiration. The final lines of the song reiterate the singer's need for her lover's inspiration, "I need your sweet inspiration. Sweet, sweet inspiration, sweet inspiration, sweet inspiration."
Line by Line Meaning
need your sweet inspiration
The singer needs her lover's inspiration to go on living.
I need you here on my mind
The singer needs her lover to be constantly thinking of her.
Every hour of the day
The singer needs her lover's inspiration all the time, every day.
Without your sweet inspiration
The singer is lost and lonely without her lover's inspiration.
The lonely hours of the night
The singer finds it especially difficult to be without her lover's inspiration at night.
Just don't go my way
Without her lover's inspiration, things don't seem to work out for the singer.
A woman in love
The singer is deeply in love.
Needs sweet inspiration
The singer needs her lover's inspiration to feel fulfilled.
Yeah, and honey that's all I ask,
All the singer wants from her lover is his inspiration.
That's all I ask from you
The singer only wants her lover's inspiration, nothing more.
I've gotta have your sweet inspiration
The singer desperately needs her lover's inspiration.
You know there just ain't no tellin'
The singer doesn't know what she might do without her lover's inspiration.
What a satisfied woman might do
The singer might do anything to maintain the inspiration of her lover.
The way you call me baby, baby
The singer is charmed by her lover's nicknames for her.
Is such a sweet inspiration
Her lover's sweet words inspire the singer.
The way you call me darlin', darlin'
The singer is charmed by her lover's nicknames for her.
Sets my heart to skating
The singer's heart flutters with joy when her lover calls her cute names.
And if I'm out in the rain, baby
Even when the singer is feeling down, she can find strength in her lover's inspiration.
And in a bad situation
The singer can find hope even in tough times when she thinks of her lover's inspiration.
You know I just reach back in my mind
The singer uses her memories of her lover's inspiration to find strength in difficult moments.
And there I find your sweet, sweet inspiration
Her memories of her lover's inspiration help her to feel comforted and inspired.
Sweet inspiration
The singer's lover provides inspiration that is incredibly valuable to her.
Oh what a power
Her lover's inspiration is incredibly powerful and meaningful to her.
And I've got the power
The singer feels empowered by her lover's inspiration.
To go on, to go on living
Her lover's inspiration gives her a reason to keep on living.
To keep on giving this way
The singer can keep giving love to her partner because of the inspiration she receives from him.
Sweet, sweet inspiration
The singer's lover provides inspiration that is incredibly valuable to her.
I need, sweet inspiration
The singer needs her lover's inspiration to feel fulfilled and empowered.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAN PENN, SPOONER OLDHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Larry Jenkins
Loved this song as a teenager! Still love it today! I'm 65 and still rockin!
Edward Durbin
I just turned 63 myself and I'm loving it more and more all the time...
MICHAEL M
same here
Patrick O'Connor
It's a good song.
Mingle CEO
Your comment made me smile :)
Rascal01
Same but 74.
Lawrence Scott
Absolute Queens... Soul music never get old. It gets better with age. I love the instrumental and especially soulful voices.
Greenbel Eleghasim
It never does. So on point - purity for the soul.
Robert Carroll
This is straight up soul can't get no better than this. Love was in hate was out. Black beauty at it's best. The sixties was just the beginning. Love it.
Marilyn Jackson
when I was a teenager, my friends and I were influenced by this song!! We formed a teenage club called the Sweet Inspirations! We made t-shirts with words written in glitter with the name Sweet Inspiration!! On the back of the shirt, it said Sweet Inspiration Ooh, what a power!! It was a lot of fun back then just pure and simple fun and love for our community!!