History
The Bar-Kays began in Memphis, Tennessee as a favorite recording studio session musician group, backing major artists at Stax Records. They were chosen in 1967 by Otis Redding to play as his backing band. 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 (Alexander was on another plane, since there were eight members in Redding's party and the chartered plane could only hold seven) 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 on Mercury Records. They continued to score hits on R&B charts well into the 1980s and have performed all over the world. The band took a hiatus in the late 1980s, but then reformed in 1991 with Alexander as the only remaining original member. Lloyd Smith joined The Bar-Kays in 1973.
Holy Ghost
The Bar Kays Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A-shakin' in my bones
I never felt such a feelin'
In all the days I been round, yeah
Whenever I feel the pressure
(Jah!) I can't seem to hypnotise my mind
(Well!) Your love, it's got the Holy Ghost
And I feel like I've been born a second time
Hey! Hey!
Your love, it's got the Holy Ghost
The antidote that saved my soul
And no psycho could ever describe
This feeling that sucks my soul over
You put; a run in my walk
And you put; a tremble in my talk
And this feeling that I have within
Love, it makes me feel like I've been born again
Hey! Hey!
[Instrumental breakdown]
(Hold it!) Yeah you put, a run in my walk
(Hold it!) Girl you put, a tremble in my talk
(Hold it!) Girl I'm feeling like I; never felt
(Hold it!) Girl you ought to be ashamed of yourself
(Hold it!) Yeah you got me, a-shakin' in my bones
(Hold it!) I just can't leave your love alone!
(Hold it!) Girl you spin me
(Hold it!) A round-round-round
(Hold it!)
(Hold it!)
(Hold it!)
(Hold it!)
(Hold it!)
(Hold it!)
(Hold it!)
(Hold it!)
(Hold it!)
The lyrics of The Bar Kays's song Holy Ghost speak of the intense feeling the singer experiences when in love, comparing it to the power of the Holy Ghost. The first verse describes how the love they feel is so profound that it shakes them to the core, something they have never experienced in their life. The second verse goes on to say that the feeling of love is so strong that it is almost like an antidote that saved their soul. It is a feeling that cannot be described by any psychologist, and it takes them over entirely.
The bridge of the song repeats the theme of the first verse, where the singer speaks about feeling a run in their walk and a tremble in their talk. These physical manifestations of their emotions show how their love controls them so entirely. The instrumental breakdown is a showcase of the band's musical abilities, emphasizing the power of the music behind the lyrics. The final verses of the song continue to emphasize the overwhelming power of love, with the singer saying that they cannot resist it, and it continues to shake them to their bones.
Line by Line Meaning
Your love, it's got the Holy Ghost
The singer's love interest has a spiritual and transformative effect on them
A-shakin' in my bones
The effect is powerful and affecting the deepest parts of the singer
I never felt such a feelin'
The singer has never experienced this level of emotion before
In all the days I been round, yeah
The artist has been around for a while and experienced a lot, but nothing like this
Whenever I feel the pressure
When the artist is feeling stressed or overwhelmed
(Jah!) I can't seem to hypnotise my mind
The singer can't ease their mind or calm themselves down
(Well!) Your love, it's got the Holy Ghost
But the love interest still has this profound effect on them, helping them to process and deal with their emotions
And I feel like I've been born a second time
The artist feels like they have been reborn with this spiritual and transformative experience
The antidote that saved my soul
The love interest is saving the artist's emotional wellbeing and soul
And no psycho could ever describe
Even a mental health professional wouldn't be able to accurately describe this feeling
This feeling that sucks my soul over
The feeling is all-consuming and overwhelming
You put; a run in my walk
The love interest gives the artist confidence and swagger
And you put; a tremble in my talk
The love interest makes the singer feel emotional and vulnerable
And this feeling that I have within
The singer is describing the intense, transformative feeling of being in love
Love, it makes me feel like I've been born again
Being in love feels like a new beginning and has had a profound effect on the singer
(Hold it!) Yeah you put, a run in my walk
The artist repeats the earlier line to emphasize its impact on them
(Hold it!) Girl you put, a tremble in my talk
The artist repeats the earlier line to emphasize its impact on them
(Hold it!) Girl I'm feeling like I; never felt
The singer is feeling an intensity of emotion like never before
(Hold it!) Girl you ought to be ashamed of yourself
The love interest should be ashamed for having such a profound effect on the singer
(Hold it!) Yeah you got me, a-shakin' in my bones
The artist is repeating an earlier line again to emphasize the power of the effect the love interest is having on them
(Hold it!) I just can't leave your love alone!
The artist is very much in love and can't get enough of it
(Hold It!) Girl you spin me
The love interest is having a dizzying and transformative effect on the artist
(Hold It!) A round-round-round
The love interest is spinning the singer around emotionally
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE MARION, HENDERSON JR. THIGPEN, JAMES BANKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JDanseuse92
My grandad played the drums for this song for the Bar-Kays =)
@cynthiaroper8595
He killed them drums❣
@habv3397
He BaD!
@indianman34
God Bless your grandfather for doing the drums for this particular piece....he should have been estatic to have played with the Bar-Kays...hands down one of my favorites....the solo part was sampled for '' Pump Up The Volume'' by M/A/R/R/S in 1991...peace
@cjjaxxon
Every time the song starts and I hear that roll around the drums..........I air drum right along with him. Lol. Loved it when it came out as a kid and still do now.
@tekelawaller7419
Are you carrying it forward???
@coderef5616
...Back when musicians could jam for 8 mins or MORE....and you could tirelessly GROOVE WITH them
@andyc8711
Im a skinny white boy bassist and this is the sickest funk groove Ive heard in my life- I'm addicted to this band...the groove is as wide as the grand canyon !! hell yeah what a bass line
@diegosanchez1203
You learn it, you perpetuate it, no excuses.
@daddytroy
Rest In Peace to my big brother Frankie J Thompson passed away 6/16/2020. Trombonist for the Barkays