On December 10, 1967, Redding, his manager, and band members Jimmy King (b.1949; guitar), Ronnie Caldwell (b. 1948; organ), Phalon Jones (b. 1949; saxophone), and Carl Cunningham (b. 1949; drums) died in a plane crash in Lake Monona while on their way to a performance in Madison, Wisconsin.
Trumpeter Ben Cauley survived the crash and bassist James Alexander (who missed the flight due to returning a rental car) rebuilt the group.
The reformed band consisted of Cauley; Alexander; Harvey Henderson, saxophone; Michael Toles, guitar; Ronnie Gorden, organ; Willie Hall, drums and later Larry Dodson, lead vocals.
The group backed dozens of major Stax artists on recordings afterwards, including on Isaac Hayes' Hot Buttered Soul album, and changed direction in the 1970s to have a successful funk music career. Lloyd Smith joined the Bar-Kays in 1973. They continued to score hits on R&B charts well into the 1980s and lately have incorporated contemporary rap & remix elements into their continuing career and have performed all over the world.
Open Your Heart
The Bar-Kays Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girl I've never been this close, yeah
Like you're making me to, ah
You know
Am feeling this love is too much, yeah
It's suffocating me for real, oh (Suffocating, suffocating)
Oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah
3 words stuck in my head I wish
I wish I could say them, but my tongue is trembling
I wanna be more than a friend, oh yeah
I wanna be part of your life believe me
Baby I mean it
Oooh ah yeahee ah
Girl I know, that am barely alive, in your hands do I breathe
You know
Even though, time might take us into, different places I know, you will be mine
Give me a piece of your heart
I wanna be more than a friend
I see myself much clear with you, (I see myself, I see myself)
Give me a piece of your heart, (Heart)
I wanna be part of your life, (Life)
I see myself much clear with you, (I see myself, I see myself)
Sometimes I feel, like am losing someone
Cze am afraid, to tell how am feeling inside
Cze your beauty and your smile, gatt me afraid of losing
I wanna tell you that I love you, I wanna tell you that I need you
Girl I hope you keep the feelings, dont throw it away
Tell me that you love me, tell me that you tryna
Girl I'll be your man, from the first day to the last day
Every night holding you, everytime kissing you
Girl I wanna be the only guy that you will never forget
Ah only me only me only me and you
Come closer let me feel your body
Girl I love you like nobody can ever do
I know the other guys cant love you like I did
Girl I know, that am barely alive, in your hands do I breathe
You know
Even though, time might take us into, different places I know, you will be mine
Give me a piece of your heart
I wanna be more than a friend
I see myself much clear with you, (I see myself, I see myself)
Give me a piece of your heart, (Heart)
I wanna be part of your life, (Life)
I see myself much clear with you, (I see myself, I see myself)
The Bar-Kays' "Open Your Heart" is a love song about a man who is deeply in love with his female friend and wants to take their relationship to the next level. In the first few lines of the song, the man expresses how he has never been as close to someone as he is with his female friend. He then admits that his love for her is so strong that it is suffocating him.
As the song progresses, the man talks about how he has been friends with the woman for a long time, but he wishes he could tell her that he wants to be more than just friends. He sees himself more clearly when he is with her and wants to be a part of her life. He is afraid of losing her, but he wants to express his feelings and hopes that she will reciprocate them.
Overall, "Open Your Heart" is a relatable song that captures the emotions of being in love with someone and wanting to take your relationship to the next level. The Bar-Kays' use of soulful vocals and the classic R&B sound makes the song a timeless love ballad.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah ah ah
The singer begins the song with an expressive and emotional sound.
Girl I've never been this close, yeah
The singer confesses to the girl that he has never been so close to anyone before.
Like you're making me to, ah
The girl is making the singer feel something he has never felt before.
You know
The singer implies that the girl must already know what he is feeling.
Am feeling this love is too much, yeah
The singer feels overwhelmed by this new love he is experiencing.
It's suffocating me for real, oh (Suffocating, suffocating)
The love he is feeling is so intense that it is making him feel suffocated and trapped.
Oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah
The singer emphasizes his feelings with additional sounds and expressions.
We been friends for quite long, enough
The singer and the girl have been friends for a significant amount of time.
3 words stuck in my head I wish
The singer has three words that he wishes to express to the girl, but he is struggling to say them.
I wish I could say them, but my tongue is trembling
The singer feels so nervous and anxious that he cannot get the words out.
I wanna be more than a friend, oh yeah
The singer wants to take their friendship to the next level.
I wanna be part of your life believe me
The singer wants to be a significant and permanent part of the girl's life, and he is sincere about it.
Baby I mean it
The singer repeats his sincerity and genuine desire to be with her.
Oooh ah yeahee ah
The singer adds more expression to emphasize his feelings.
Girl I know, that am barely alive, in your hands do I breathe
The singer is deeply in love with the girl to the point where he feels like he is barely alive without her.
Even though, time might take us into, different places I know, you will be mine
The singer believes that they will always end up together, even if life takes them in different directions.
Give me a piece of your heart
The singer wants the girl to give him a chance and let him in emotionally.
I wanna be more than a friend
The singer reiterates his desire to turn their friendship into something more intimate and romantic.
I see myself much clear with you, (I see myself, I see myself)
The singer feels like he understands himself better when he is with the girl.
Give me a piece of your heart, (Heart)
The singer repeats his request for emotional intimacy with her.
I wanna be part of your life, (Life)
The singer wants to be involved in every aspect of the girl's life, not just as a friend.
Sometimes I feel, like am losing someone
The singer feels like he might lose the girl if he doesn't express his feelings.
Cze am afraid, to tell how am feeling inside
The singer is afraid to express his true feelings to the girl.
Cze your beauty and your smile, gatt me afraid of losing
The singer is afraid of losing the girl because of how beautiful and special she is to him.
I wanna tell you that I love you, I wanna tell you that I need you
The singer finally expresses his feelings to the girl: that he loves and needs her.
Girl I hope you keep the feelings, dont throw it away
The singer hopes the girl will reciprocate his feelings and not reject him.
Tell me that you love me, tell me that you tryna
The singer directly asks the girl if she loves him and wants to be with him.
Girl I'll be your man, from the first day to the last day
The singer promises to be there for the girl and love her unconditionally for their entire lives.
Every night holding you, everytime kissing you
The singer envisions a romantic relationship with the girl, where they spend every night together and share intimate moments.
Girl I wanna be the only guy that you will never forget
The singer wants to leave a lasting impression on the girl and be the only man she remembers for the rest of her life.
Ah only me only me only me and you
The singer emphasizes his desire and intention to be with the girl and nobody else.
Come closer let me feel your body
The singer is physically attracted to the girl and wants to be close to her.
Girl I love you like nobody can ever do
The singer believes that his love for the girl is unique and unparalleled.
I know the other guys cant love you like I did
The singer believes that his love is special and different from any other guy's.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Michael Omet
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind