Together with a fourth brother, Vernon, the group performed gospel music until Vernon's death a few years after its formation. After moving to the New York City area in the late 1950s, the group had their first successes during these early years, first coming to prominence in 1959 with their fourth single, "Shout", written by the three brothers. Initially a modest charted single, the song eventually sold over a million copies. In the 1960s, the group recorded songs for a variety of labels, including the top 20 single "Twist and Shout" and the Motown single "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)", before recording and issuing the Grammy Award-winning hit "It's Your Thing" on their own label, T-Neck Records.
Influenced by gospel and doo-wop music, the group began experimenting with different musical styles incorporating elements of rock and funk as well as pop balladry. The inclusion of younger brothers Ernie Isley (lead guitar, drums) and Marvin Isley (bass guitar), and Rudolph's brother-in-law Chris Jasper (keyboards, synthesizers), in 1973 turned the original vocal trio into a complete band and reached the height of their success. For the next full decade, they recorded a string of top-selling albums from 3 + 3 to Between the Sheets, including the number one album The Heat Is On.
The six-member band splintered in 1983, with Ernie, Marvin, and Chris Jasper forming the short-lived spinoff group Isley-Jasper-Isley. The oldest member, O'Kelly, died in 1986 and Rudolph and Ronald released a pair of albums as a duo before Rudolph retired to a life in the Christian ministry in 1989. Ronald reconvened the group two years later in 1991 with Ernie and Marvin; five years later, in 1996, Marvin Isley left the group due to complications of diabetes. The remaining duo of Ronald and Ernie achieved mainstream success with the albums Mission to Please (1996), Eternal (2001) and Body Kiss (2003). Eternal spawned the top twenty hit "Contagious". As of 2019, the Isley Brothers continue to perform under the lineup of Ronald and Ernie.
The Isley Brothers have sold over 18 million units in the United States alone. They have had several hit songs including four Top 10 singles on the United States Billboard chart. With their first major hit charting in 1959 ("Shout"), and their last one in 2001 ("Contagious"), they are among the few groups ever to have hit the Billboard Hot 100 with new music in five different decades. Sixteen of their albums charted in the Top 40 and thirteen of those albums have been certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum by the RIAA. The brothers have been honored by several musical institutions, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted them in 1992. Five years later, they were added to Hollywood's Rockwalk, and in 2003 they were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. They received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Isley_Brothers
Studio albums
Shout! (1959)
Twist & Shout (1962)
Twisting and Shouting (1963)
This Old Heart of Mine (1966)
Soul on the Rocks (1967)
It's Our Thing (1969)
The Brothers: Isley (1969)
Get into Something (1970)
Givin' It Back (1971)
Brother, Brother, Brother (1972)
3 + 3 (1973)
Live It Up (1974)
The Heat Is On (1975)
Harvest for the World (1976)
Go for Your Guns (1977)
Showdown (1978)
Winner Takes All (1979)
Go All the Way (1980)
Grand Slam (1981)
Inside You (1981)
The Real Deal (1982)
Between the Sheets (1983)
Masterpiece (1985)
Smooth Sailin' (1987)
Spend the Night (1989)
Tracks of Life (1992)
Mission to Please (1996)
Eternal (2001)
Body Kiss (2003)
Baby Makin' Music (2006)
Power of Peace (2017)
Cold Bologna
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I'm 5 years old, and it sho' is cold
Mama's out cookin' steak for someone else
Sure am sleepy, but I'm gonna wait 'til my mama comes
Well, if the rich folks don't eat up
all that good meat, y'all, mama's gonna bring me some
Cold Bolonga and mayonnaise and bread
If it wasn't for cold bologna by now (Cold bologna)
y'all know I would end up in bed
Mama sure looks tired
she said, "what's that you eatin' son?"
"That bologna sandwich sure looks good --
won't you Ahh, Owww, fix your mama one?"
Talkin' bout that
Cold Bolonga and mayonnaise and bread (Cold bologna)
If it wasn't for cold bologna by now (Cold bologna)
y'all know I would've in bed
Bologna was good enough for my father (Good enough)
good enough for my mother (Good enough)
That bologna saved me (saved me)
and my brother (Oh yes, it did)
(Cold Bologna) Cold bologna (Cold bologna)
Mayonnaisse and bread (Cold bologna)
Cold bologna (Cold bologna)
Ya'll know I would've in bed (Cold bologna)
Cold bologna (Cold bologna)
Cold bologna Ahhhhhh, Yeah now! (Cold bologna)
Cold Bologna (Cold Bologna)
Mayonnaisse and bread (Cold Bologna)
If it wasn't for (Cold Bologna) Cold Bologna
I'd have wound up in bed (Cold Bologna)
Cold bologna
The Isley Brothers' song "Cold Bologna" tells the story of a five-year-old boy who is left at home on a cold night while his mother goes out to cook steak for someone else. The boy is left with nothing to eat but a bologna sandwich, and he's so tired that he falls asleep while waiting for his mother to come home. He dreams of his mother bringing him a steak, but in reality, she only brings him more bologna. The boy is disappointed, but he knows that if it wasn't for the bologna, he would have gone to bed without any food at all. The lyrics are a poignant commentary on poverty, hunger, and the resilience of children who are forced to grow up too soon.
The song is notable for its use of simple, straightforward lyrics that tell a moving story without any unnecessary frills or embellishments. The Isley Brothers' soulful vocals and tight harmonies perfectly capture the emotions of the boy in the song, and the instrumentation is sparse but effective. The use of repetition throughout the song, particularly in the chorus ("Cold bologna and mayonnaise and bread"), underscores the monotony and routine of the boy's life. Despite its simple structure and straightforward lyrics, "Cold Bologna" is a powerful song that speaks to the human experience in a way that is both relatable and deeply affecting.
Line by Line Meaning
Cold Bologna, and I'm home by myself
I am alone at home with only cold bologna to eat.
Well, I'm 5 years old, and it sho' is cold
I am a young child and feeling cold.
Mama's out cookin' steak for someone else
My mother is cooking a nice meal for someone else, not me.
Sure am sleepy, but I'm gonna wait 'til my mama comes
I am tired but waiting for my mother to come home.
Well, if the rich folks don't eat up
all that good meat, y'all, mama's gonna bring me some
If the wealthy people don't eat all of the good meat, my mother will bring some home for me.
Talkin' bout that
Cold Bolonga and mayonnaise and bread
If it wasn't for cold bologna by now (Cold bologna)
y'all know I would end up in bed
I am talking about my meal of cold bologna, mayonnaise, and bread. This meal is keeping me from feeling too sick to stay awake.
Mama sure looks tired
she said, "what's that you eatin' son?"
"That bologna sandwich sure looks good --
won't you Ahh, Owww, fix your mama one?"
My mother looks tired and asks what I am eating. She likes the look of my bologna sandwich and I offer to make her one.
Bologna was good enough for my father (Good enough)
good enough for my mother (Good enough)
That bologna saved me (saved me)
and my brother (Oh yes, it did)
Bologna was good enough for my parents and has helped save me and my brother from going hungry.
(Cold Bologna) Cold bologna (Cold bologna)
Mayonnaisse and bread (Cold bologna)
Cold bologna (Cold bologna)
Ya'll know I would've in bed (Cold bologna)
I keep repeating the phrase 'cold bologna' and describe the sandwich with mayonnaise and bread. I remind listeners that without this meal, I would be too sick to stay awake.
Cold bologna (Cold bologna)
Cold bologna Ahhhhhh, Yeah now! (Cold bologna)
Once again, I am emphasizing the meal of cold bologna.
Cold Bologna (Cold Bologna)
Mayonnaisse and bread (Cold Bologna)
If it wasn't for (Cold Bologna) Cold Bologna
I'd have wound up in bed (Cold Bologna)
I reiterate the importance of my meal of cold bologna with mayonnaise and bread, and how it has helped me avoid feeling too ill to stay up.
Cold bologna
The phrase is repeated one last time, tying together the significance of the meal to the entire song.
Contributed by Julia Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.