In the 1950s, Johnson sang and played with blues artists Magic Sam, Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Wells and Howlin' Wolf, before recording with Jimmy Reed for Vee-Jay in 1959. He made his solo debut that same year with Federal, a subsidiary of King Records of Cincinnati, backed by Freddie King on guitar.
He then began recording for Twinight Records of Chicago in the mid 1960s. Beginning with his first hit, Come On Sock It to Me in 1967, Johnson dominated the label as both a hitmaker and producer. His song Different Strokes, also from 1967, featured recently on the Ultimate Breaks and Beats breakbeat compilation.
Like other black songwriters of the period, several of his records at this time explored themes of African-American identity and social problems in songs including Is It Because I'm Black, which reached Number 11 in the R&B charts in 1969.
In 1971, Willie Mitchell brought Johnson to Hi Records, for whom he recorded three albums and a number of singles. Produced in Memphis with the Hi house band, these yielded music of power and enduring value, including the hits We Did It, Back for a Taste of Your Love and Take Me to the River, his biggest success, reaching Number 7 on the R&B charts in 1975. However, at Hi Johnson was always to some extent in Al Green's shadow commercially, if not artistically.
After the Hi years ended, Johnson produced two LPs for his own Shama label, the latter of which (Ms. Fine Brown Frame, 1982) was picked up for distribution by Boardwalk Records and produced Johnson's last hit record, the title cut.
Around the mid-eighies, Johnson started a fast-food fish restaurant business, and became semi-retired from performing, only making occasional appearances at blues club gigs.
In 1992, Johnson found out that his classic song "Different Strokes" have been sampled by number of rappers including Wu-Tang Clan, Hammer, and the Ghetto Boys. Stimulated by this fact, he decided to make a come back in the music business. In 1994, he released the album Back in the Game on Delmark Records. The album featured the the Hi rhythm section and his youngest daughter Syleena Johnson.
Blues guitarist and singer Jimmy Johnson, and bassist Mack Thompson, are his brothers.
Same Kind Of Thing
Syl Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But yours is a different kind
Somebody done broke your heart
Somebody broke mine
′Cause we've got the same kind of thing goin' on
We′ve got the same kind of thing goin′ on
So if we go into business together
No, I don't want something for nothing
And you want a love that′s real
To make love grow, I know
We both gotta give, yeah
And we've got the same kind of thing goin′ on
We've got the same kind of thing goin' on
So if we go into business together
We′ll have a love that′s strong, yeah, now
Come on, babe
Alright
Yeah
C'mon
Uh
No, I don′t butt into nobody's business
But yours is of different kind
Somebody done broke your heart
Somebody broke mine
′Cause we've got the same kind of thing goin′ on
And we've got the same kind of thing goin' on
So if we go into business together
We′ll have a love that′s strong, yeah
And we've got the same kind of thing goin′ on
We've got the same kind of thing goin′ on
And we've got the same kind of thing goin′ on
We've got the same kind of thing...
The lyrics of Syl Johnson's "Same Kind of Thing" express empathy and understanding between two people who have had their hearts broken. While the singer doesn't typically meddle in other people's affairs, they recognize that their situation is different and that they share a common experience with the other person: both have been mistreated in love.
The singer suggests that they could "go into business together" in order to build a strong love. This metaphor may imply that they could become partners in a romantic sense or that they could join forces to help each other heal from their past relationships. Regardless, the implication is that their shared emotional experience could help them to form a connection that is stronger than the kind of love they have experienced in the past.
Overall, the lyrics of "Same Kind of Thing" highlight the power of empathy and shared experience in building relationships. The singer recognizes that they are both vulnerable and in need of support, and suggests that they can help each other heal by coming together and sharing their burdens.
Line by Line Meaning
No, I don't butt into nobody's business
I'm not one to meddle or pry
But yours is a different kind
But your situation is unique
Somebody done broke your heart
Someone has hurt you deeply
Somebody broke mine
Someone has hurt me too
′Cause we've got the same kind of thing goin' on
Our experiences of heartbreak are similar
We've got the same kind of thing goin' on
We share a common bond of heartbreak
So if we go into business together
If we come together
We'll have a love that's strong, yeah, now
We'll create a relationship that is resilient
No, I don't want something for nothing
I don't expect something for nothing
And you want a love that's real
You value authenticity in relationships
To make love grow, I know
To build a strong relationship, I believe
We both gotta give, yeah
Both of us have to put in effort
Come on, babe
Let's do this
Alright
Yes
Yeah
Agreeing enthusiastically
C'mon
Let's go
Uh
Exclamation signifying agreement
Writer(s): Syl Johnson, Carl William Smith
Contributed by Ruby Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.