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
We're In Love
The Impressions Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't care who knows about it
We're gonna get married
Tell the world as plain as I can shout it
Is there anybody here
Who don't think this shoulda be
Step right up now
'Cause we're in love
With the sweetest woman at last I've found
I'm gonna build a house myself on the edge of town
'Cause we're in love
We're in love
We're in love
When I saw her love come down so easy
She's so wonderful
I'm gonna keep her no matter, come what may
If there's anybody here
Who don't think this shoulda be
Step right up now
And make your peace with me
'Cause we're in love
With the sweetest woman at last I've found
I'm gonna build a house myself on the edge of town
'Cause we're in love
We're in love
Say we're in love
We're in love
The Impressions’ “We’re In Love” is a joyful declaration of love and commitment. The repeated refrain “We’re in love” sets the tone of the entire song with its simple yet powerful message: the lovers are unapologetically in love and want everyone to know it. The upbeat tempo of the song combined with its catchy melody makes it easy to dance to and feel good about. The song is also remarkably progressive for its time in that it challenges conventional social norms for relationships. Back then, interracial relationships were frowned upon and stigma was attached to people who were open about their love lives. In this song, The Impressions are pushing boundaries and breaking social taboos by announcing their love openly and proudly despite diversity.
The lyrics in the song include lines like “Don’t care who knows about it” and “Tell the world as plain as I can shout it” which reiterate the unapologetic stance towards love that the couple shares. The lover’s commitment to each other is also underscored with the line “I’m gonna keep her no matter, come what may”. Even though there might be pushback from people who do not approve of the relationship, the lovers are steadfast and committed to each other. Additionally, the line “I’m gonna build a house myself on the edge of town” suggests that the couple is willing to build a new life together on the peripheries of society if that is what it takes for them to be together. Overall, this declaration of love can be seen as a form of rebellion against regressive societal norms, where the lovers are not only in love with each other but also in love with the idea of throwing convention to the wind and being with the person they want.
Line by Line Meaning
We're in love
We are both deeply in love with each other.
Don't care who knows about it
We don't mind if others know that we are in love.
We're gonna get married
We are planning to get married and spend our lives together.
Tell the world as plain as I can shout it
We are so happy and in love that we want to shout it out loud for everyone to hear.
Is there anybody here
Are there any individuals present in this location?
Who don't think this shoulda be
Who disagrees with our love or relationship?
Step right up now
Come forward and make yourself known.
And make your peace with me
Resolve any conflicts or differences that you have with me.
'Cause we're in love
Because we are deeply in love with each other.
With the sweetest woman at last I've found
I have finally found the sweetest woman and fallen in love with her.
I'm gonna build a house myself on the edge of town
I am so committed to this relationship that I am building a home for us to live in together.
When I saw her love come down so easy
I fell in love with her easily because she loves so freely and openly.
She's so wonderful
I think she is amazing and wonderful as a person.
I'm gonna keep her no matter, come what may
No matter what happens, I am committed to staying with her and keeping her in my life.
Say we're in love
Let's verbally express our love and commitment to each other.
We're in love
We are both deeply in love and committed to each other.
Contributed by Gabriel G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Keith Fuqua
on People Get Ready
Amen brothers. Get ready people