The group was founded as The Roosters by Chattanooga, Tennessee natives Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks, and Arthur Brooks, who moved to Chicago, Illinois and added Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield to their lineup to become Jerry Butler & the Impressions. By 1962, Butler and the Brookses had departed, and after switching to ABC-Paramount Records, Mayfield, Gooden, and new Impression Fred Cash collectively became a top-selling soul act. Mayfield left the group for a solo career in 1970; Leroy Hutson, Ralph Johnson, Reggie Torian, and Nate Evans were among the replacements who joined Gooden and Cash before the group's demise in 1983.
Inductees into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, The Impressions are best known for their 1960s string of hits, many of which were heavily influenced by gospel music and served as inspirational anthems for the Civil Rights Movement.
Personnel:
Jerry Butler (1958 - 1960)
Curtis Mayfield (1958 - 1970)
Sam Gooden (1958 - 1983)
Arthur Brooks (1958 - 1962)
Richard Brooks (1958 - 1962)
Fred Cash (1960 - 1983)
Leroy Hutson (1970 - 1973)
Ralph Johnson (1973 - 1976)
Nate Evans (1976 - 1979)
Reggie Torian (1973 - 1983)
Discography
Albums
1963: The Impressions
1964: Keep on Pushing
1964: The Never Ending Impressions
1965: One by One
1965: People Get Ready
1966: Ridin' High
1967: The Fabulous Impressions
1968: We're a Winner
1968: This Is My Country
1969: The Young Mods' Forgotten Story
1969: The Versatile Impressions
1969: Amen
1970: Check out Your Mind!
1972: Times Have Changed
1973: Preacher Man
1974: Finally Got Myself Together
1974: Three the Hard Way
1975: First Impressions
1975: Sooner or Later
1976: It's About Time
1976: Originals
1976: Loving Power
1979: Come to My Party
1981: Fan the Fire
Just One Kiss From You
The Impressions Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To see me through
Just once more might I look in your eyes
You'd be so surprised
And might I say
I'd love you in every sweet way
All I need is just one kiss from you
It would be just this
You my love, for now and forevermore
For that's all I live for
And sometimes at night
I'd dream of you and you're out of sight
Take me in your arms and need me too
I guess we'll always just be good friends
Seems there it will end
You know we're missing such a sweet romance
Our one and only chance
Be with me tonight
And I'll prove how our love can be so right
All I need is just one kiss from you
All I need is just one kiss from you
All I need is just one kiss from you
The Impressions' "Just One Kiss From You" is a song about unrequited love and longing for that one moment of true love. The opening lines "All I need is just one kiss from you, to see me through" emphasizes how important that one moment of physical intimacy is, in order to feel fulfilled emotionally. This sentiment is echoed further throughout the song with phrases such as "For myself if I had just one wish, It would be just this, You my love, for now and forevermore, For that's all I live for".
The lyrics also detail the singer's dreams and desires for their love interest, as they state "And sometimes at night, I'd dream of you and you're out of sight, Take me in your arms and need me too". The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "All I need is just one kiss from you", underlining the depth of the singer's desire for the one moment of affection they crave, to complete their love story.
The final verse acknowledges the unlikelihood of the relationship ever happening, stating "I guess we'll always just be good friends, Seems there it will end, You know we're missing such a sweet romance, Our one and only chance". Despite this, the singer is still pleading with their love interest to give them that one moment together, to experience the fullness of their love, erasing any doubts they might have in their minds.
Overall, the song's message is a poignant one of longing for that one moment of connection, and the power it holds to transform emotional landscapes.
Line by Line Meaning
All I need is just one kiss from you
A single kiss from you is all I require to feel content
To see me through
Your kiss can make everything alright
Just once more might I look in your eyes
I long to gaze into your eyes again, if only once more
You'd be so surprised
I believe you'll be stunned by how much love and tenderness I have for you
And might I say
I would like to express
I'd love you in every sweet way
I would shower you with affection and care in every kind manner
For myself if I had just one wish
If I had the power to make a single request
It would be just this
There's only one thing I want
You my love, for now and forevermore
To have you as mine, now and forevermore, my love
For that's all I live for
There's nothing else in this world that I desire more than you
And sometimes at night
During times of stillness and solitude
I'd dream of you and you're out of sight
I dream of you so vividly, as if you're right beside me
Take me in your arms and need me too
Hold me tight and show me that you want me as much as I want you
I guess we'll always just be good friends
I suppose we'll never be more than just friends
Seems there it will end
It appears that our relationship is incapable of blossoming into something more intimate
You know we're missing such a sweet romance
We both recognize that we're lacking a charming and affectionate love affair
Our one and only chance
This is our sole opportunity to make something genuinely special happen between us
Be with me tonight
Spend the evening with me and explore the potential of our love for each other
And I'll prove how our love can be so right
I will demonstrate that our affection for each other is genuine and worth pursuing
All I need is just one kiss from you
All it takes is a single kiss from you to ignite the love that I have for you
All I need is just one kiss from you
A single kiss from you is all I need to feel complete
All I need is just one kiss from you
My yearning heart can be satisfied with just one kiss from you
Contributed by Charlie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Keith Fuqua
on People Get Ready
Amen brothers. Get ready people