1) The Intruders was a mid-60s punk group out of St. Louis, MO, who made a … Read Full Bio ↴1) The Intruders was a mid-60s punk group out of St. Louis, MO, who made a total of two singles (I'll Go On; That's The Way) both for local St. Louis labels in 1966.

2) The Intruders is a former American soul music group most popular in the 1960s and 1970s. As one of the first groups to have hit songs under the direction of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, they had a major influence on the development of Philadelphia soul.

Formed around 1960, the group originally consisted of Sam "Little Sonny" Brown, Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, Phillip "Phil" Terry and Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards.[1] In 1969, Sam Brown was replaced as lead singer by Bobby Starr, only to rejoin the group in 1973.

In 1965, when songwriters and record producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff first contemplated leaving the Cameo-Parkway record label to risk launching their own label, the vocalists on which they pinned all their hopes and venture capital were The Intruders. Like many other subsequent acts the duo produced, which includes the popular Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and The O'Jays, The Intruders had already developed a vocal sound that was both theirs and uniquely Philadelphian.

Brown, Daughtry, Terry and Edwards had been recording and performing one-off singles together since 1961, blending Philly's street corner doo-wop tradition with black gospel fervor. The result was neither as pop-infected as Motown, nor as funky and blues-inflected as Stax. The sound which The Intruders refined for the Excel, Gamble and Philadelphia International imprints reflected a different attitude than either Stax or Motown.

Gamble and Huff's success with The Intruders helped convince Columbia Records to grant them the money to launch Philadelphia International. Gamble and Huff acknowledged that their work with The Intruders was the very foundation of what they called "The Sound Of Philadelphia".

The Intruders, meanwhile, were undergoing some internal turmoil. When the group resurfaced on the 1970 Gamble LP, When We Get Married, lead singer Brown was replaced by nightclub singer, Bobby Starr (born Robert Ferguson). The title song, "When We Get Married" (R&B #8, Pop #45), a Dreamlovers cover, became a hit on the charts, as was the follow-up "(Win, Place Or Show) She's A Winner". Starr's tenure with the group was short-lived; Brown returned to the group in 1973 for the album Save The Children, which spawned The Intruders' last two big hits, "I'll Always Love My Mama" (R&B #6, Pop #36) and "I Wanna Know Your Name" (R&B #9, Pop #60).

"Cowboys To Girls" (R&B #1, Pop #6) remains the only chart topping single of their career. It was awarded an R.I.A.A. gold disc for one million sales in mid May 1968.[1] It was recently covered by the Hacienda Brothers. Other covers of their hit singles include Tiarra's cover of "Together", which was also done by Gladys Knight & The Pips on their Silk'N'Soul LP.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, in the West Coast, their music was popular among Latino, specifically Chicano, youth.[citation needed] Daughtry died of cancer in 1994, and Brown committed suicide in 1995. The Intruders continues to exist in 2 forms: The Philly Intruders, who appear on "the Big Show" DVD, and the Bobby Starr-led Intruders, who feature on the "My Music DVD hosted by Patti LaBelle on PBS.

Mother & Child Reunion
The Intruders Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

No, I would not give you false hope
On this strange and mournful day
But the Mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh, little darling of mine

I can't for the life of me
Remember a sadder day

I know they say let it be
But it just don't work out that way
And the course of a lifetime runs
Over and over again

No, I would not give you false hope
On this strange and mournful day
But the Mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh, little darling of mine

I just can't believe it's so
Though it seems strange to say
I never laid so low
In such a mysterious way
And the course of a lifetime runs
Over and over again

But I would not give you false hope
On this strange and mournful day
When the Mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away

Oh, the Mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away

Oh, the Mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away.

Overall Meaning

The Intruders’ song ‘Mother & Child Reunion’ is a poignant song that explores a mother's love for her child. The opening lines, ‘No, I would not give you false hope, On this strange and mournful day’ set the tone for the song, indicating that the lyrics will be emotional and heartfelt.

The song touches on the deep bond between a mother and her child, and how it can be difficult to cope with separation or loss. The mother and child reunion are described as ‘only a motion away,’ emphasizing that even if the bond may have been broken, it can be restored with effort and persistence. The song explores the feelings of sadness and grief as well as hope and possibility, offering a comforting message to those who are struggling.

The repeated line ‘And the course of a lifetime runs, Over and over again’ touches on the cyclical nature of life and the many challenges that it brings. Ultimately, the message of the song is one of hope and perseverance, encouraging us to never give up on our loved ones.

Line by Line Meaning

No, I would not give you false hope
I won't deceive you with optimism

On this strange and mournful day
Today is peculiarly sad

But the Mother and child reunion
The meeting of a mother and child

Is only a motion away
Requires only a simple action, close distance

Oh, little darling of mine
My dear child

I can't for the life of me
I can't in any way

Remember a sadder day
Recall a time more miserable

I know they say let it be
I understand the advice to let things go

But it just don't work out that way
But it's not as simple as that

And the course of a lifetime runs
The journey of a life proceeds

Over and over again
Repeatedly, without respite