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
My Prayer
The Impressions Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the twilight is gone you come into my heart
And here in my heart you will stay while I pray
My prayer is to linger with you
At the end of the day in a dream that's divine
My prayer is a rapture in blue
With the world far away and your lips close to mine
Tonight while our hearts are aglow
Oh tell me the words that I'm longing to know
My prayer and the answer you give
May they still be the same for as long as we live
That you'll always be there at the end of my prayer
The Impressions' song "My Prayer" is a beautiful ballad that speaks of a lover's desire to be with their significant other at the end of the day. The song starts by describing a moment when daylight turns into night, and there are no birds singing. It's in this quiet moment that the lover's thoughts turn to their significant other, who comes into their heart, and they suggest that this person will always stay in their heart while they pray.
The lyrics then go on to describe the lover's prayer, which is to be able to spend time with their significant other, to be close to them, and for the world to be far away. At the same time, they express their hope that their significant other feels the same way. Finally, they ask their significant other to tell them the words they've been longing to hear, and they hope that their prayer and their partner's answer remain the same for as long as they are together.
Overall, this song is a beautiful expression of love and devotion. It speaks to the longing that people feel when they are apart from the ones they love and the hope that they hold for the future.
Line by Line Meaning
When the twilight is gone and no songbirds are singing
It is when the sun has set and there's no longer the sweet chirps of birds in the air
When the twilight is gone you come into my heart
At twilight's end, you appear in my heart as the night sets in
And here in my heart you will stay while I pray
While I pray, you will remain safe and sound in my heart
My prayer is to linger with you
All I wish for is to be with you always
At the end of the day in a dream that's divine
After the day's work, I dream of being around you
My prayer is a rapture in blue
My prayer is to feel a sudden extreme feeling of joy around you
With the world far away and your lips close to mine
In a world far from here, I hope our lips touch as we get intimate
Tonight while our hearts are aglow
As we fall in love, our hearts burn with passion
Oh tell me the words that I'm longing to know
Please say to me the words I'm desperately anticipating
My prayer and the answer you give
The questions I ask you and the response you provide
May they still be the same for as long as we live
I pray they remain the same as long as our lives continue
That you'll always be there at the end of my prayer
That you'll always be hanging around me every time I need you
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC. , Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MASSIMILIANO FRANCESCHIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Keith Fuqua
on People Get Ready
Amen brothers. Get ready people