A top group of the funk & disco era, this guitar & bass playing duo feature… Read Full Bio ↴A top group of the funk & disco era, this guitar & bass playing duo featured two brothers, and in 1977 their single Strawberry Letter 23 ( written by Shuggie Otis) was a top hit on the Pop and R&B charts. In 1980 their single Stomp! was another huge hit, reaching #1, and appearing on the album "Light Up The Night" which itself rose to number 5 on the Billboard album charts, being mentioned as number 46 on the year end "Top 100 LPs of 1980" list in Rolling Stone Magazine. Other hit top 40 singles included I'll Be Good to You ( #3 1976) and Get The Funk Out Ma Face ( which hit #30 in 1976)

George Johnson and Louis Johnson (aka Thunder Thumbs and Lighting Licks) or Brothers Johnson, originally began their career in Southern California backing live shows of acts like Bobby Womack and The Supremes. They eventually joined Billy Preston's band, and Preston recorded their songs Music in My Life and The Kids and Me before they left his group in 1973. They performed as studio musicians in LA and songwriters for Quincy Jones on his LP Mellow Madness, for which he recorded their compositions Is It Love That We're Missing? and Just a Taste of Me before he went on and produced their hit debut album in 1976 which hit #1 on the R&B charts. Their "Right On Time" album reached number 13 on the Billboard album charts the next year and a followup "Blam!!" came out in August 1978 and reached number 7 on the Billboard 200.

The duo eventually split up in 1982, Louis Johnson played bass on Michael Jackson's Thriller album and George released a solo single on Quincy Jones' Qwest label and contributed guitar to albums including a project done with Steve Lorber and others.

They regrouped in the early 2000's and play sporadicaclly together, and occasionally with other funk musicians in amalgamations including Michael Henderson, Adina Howard, Ray Parker Jr., and others.

Louis Johnson died on Thursday, May 21st. He was 60, a cause of death has yet to be revealed.

The Real Thing
The Brothers Johnson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So glad we've got a good thing
You know you make my heart sing
You are the real thing
You know you make my heart sing

I've longed to have this chance
With you, I feel romance
It?s all for love and I want it bad

Seeing you is just a turn on
And loving you, I want to hold on
There's a feeling in my heart
That just won't let you go

I?ll hold on, I?ll keep on
(I?m holdin? on)
I?ll keep on, I?ll hold on
(I?m holdin? on)
I?ll hold on, I?ll keep on
I?ll hold on to your love

So glad we've got a good thing
You know you make my heart sing
You are the real thing
You know you make my heart sing

So glad we've got a good thing
You know you make my heart sing
You are the real thing
You know you make my heart sing

Seeing you is just a turn on
Loving you, I want to hold on
There's a feeling in my heart
That just won't let you go

I?ll hold on, I?ll keep on
(I?m holdin? on)
I?ll keep on, I?ll hold on
(I?m holdin? on)
I?ll hold on, I?ll keep on
I?ll hold on to your love

So glad we've got a good thing
You know you make my heart sing
You are the real thing
You know you make my heart sing

So glad we've got a good thing
You know you make my heart sing
You are the real thing
You know you make my heart sing

So glad we've got a good thing
You know you make my heart sing
You are the real thing
You know you make my heart sing

So glad we've got a good thing
You know you make my heart sing
You are the real thing
You know you make my heart sing

So glad we've got a good thing

Overall Meaning

The Brothers Johnson's song The Real Thing expresses the depth of love and affection between two people. The lyrics convey the joy and gratefulness of having found someone who is not just a fling, but is the real deal. The singer in the song sings to his lover, thanking her for making his heart sing and for being the real thing. This real thing is not just a physical attraction or simple affection, but rather a deep emotional connection that comes with true love. The singer longs for this love, and he feels romance with this person. He wants this love so badly and will hold on to it.

The lyrics emphasize the idea that love is more than just a feeling; it's an action, an ongoing commitment to hold on and keep fighting for that relationship. Seeing and loving this person is a turn on for the singer, and he wants to hold on so that the feeling in his heart won't let them go. Overall, the song conveys the joy, love, and gratitude for a real and genuine love.

Line by Line Meaning

So glad we've got a good thing
I am so grateful that we have a strong and happy relationship

You know you make my heart sing
Your presence in my life brings me so much joy and happiness

You are the real thing
You are authentic and genuine in your love for me

I've longed to have this chance
I have always desired the opportunity to be with you

With you, I feel romance
Being with you makes me feel passionate and romantic

It's all for love and I want it bad
My feelings for you are genuine and I deeply desire a loving relationship with you

Seeing you is just a turn on
Just being in your presence arouses me and makes me feel deeply attracted to you

And loving you, I want to hold on
My love for you is so strong that I never want to let go

There's a feeling in my heart
I have such strong emotions for you that I cannot even articulate them

That just won't let you go
I am so deeply in love with you that I could never imagine being without you

I'll hold on, I'll keep on
I will always be here for you and our love will endure

(I'm holdin' on)
I am committed to our love and I will never let go

I'll hold on to your love
I will cherish and protect our love from anything that could harm it

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICKY HANLEY, ROBERT DERBYSHIRE, DEBBIE SMITH JOHNSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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