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)
Do It Right
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't break my heart, don't do it babe
Don't break my heart, please don't do it babe
Don't you break my heart
'Cause I sacrifice to make you happy
Get nothin' for myself
Now you wanna leave me
For the love of someone else
I believe, baby, you'd better keep on keepin' on
Girl, I try to do my best
Girl, I try to do my best, don't do it babe
Don't break my heart, oh don't do it baby
Don't break my heart
My biggest mistake was lovin' you too much
And lettin' you know
'Cause now you've got me where you want me
And you're gonna let me go
My heart was made glad when you strolled, you see
Heartaches and misery you've been causin' me
Girl, I try to do my best
Girl, I try to do my best
Don't you do it, don't break my heart
Go down to the river and there I'll be
I'm gonna jump in, baby, if you don't see by me
Open up your eyes; can't you see I love you?
Open up your heart; can't you see I need you?
I'm no good without you, can't go on without you
Life's no good without you, what'm I gonna do without you?
Baby don't do it, don't you break my heart
Don't you do it, baby, don't you break my heart
What'm I gonna do without you?
Got to go on, baby
Baby don't you do it
The Isley Brothers hit song "Baby Don't You Do It" is a plea from a desperate lover to his partner, begging her not to break his heart by leaving him for someone else. The song is full of emotion as the lyrics express the singer's willingness to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of his lover's, and his realization that he may have made a mistake in loving her too much. As a result, he feels vulnerable and powerless to prevent her from leaving him. The chorus is a passionate plea for her to reconsider, as he cannot imagine life without her.
The first verse sets up the situation, with the singer explaining how he has given everything to make his lover happy. He has sacrificed his own happiness and gotten nothing in return, but now she wants to leave him for someone else. The second verse reveals that his mistake was in loving her too much, and now she has all the power in the relationship. He is heartbroken and can't imagine a future without her. The bridge includes a vivid image of the singer contemplating suicide if she leaves him, but ultimately he decides to keep trying to make things work.
Overall, "Baby Don't You Do It" is a powerful and relatable song about the pain of heartbreak and the lengths we'll go to try to prevent it. The Isley Brothers' smooth vocals, soulful instrumentation, and powerful lyrics combine to create a timeless classic that still resonates with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby don't you do it, don't do it babe
Please don't take actions that will hurt me.
Don't break my heart, don't do it babe
Please don't cause me emotional pain.
Don't break my heart, please don't do it babe
Please don't destroy my feelings of love and trust.
Don't you break my heart
Please don't ruin our relationship by betraying my trust.
'Cause I sacrifice to make you happy
I've been putting my own needs aside to please you.
Get nothin' for myself
I haven't been getting anything in return.
Now you wanna leave me
You're considering abandoning our relationship.
For the love of someone else
Because you found affection for someone else.
My pride is all gone, whether right or wrong
I feel humiliated and defeated, regardless of the reasons behind it.
I believe, baby, you'd better keep on keepin' on
I think it's best if you continue as you were. I can handle this on my own.
Girl, I try to do my best
I put in effort to make things work between us.
Don't you do it, don't break my heart
Please don't ruin our relationship by betraying my trust.
My biggest mistake was lovin' you too much
The extent of my love for you caused trouble.
And lettin' you know
I made the error of showing too much affection.
'Cause now you've got me where you want me
You hold power over me because of my love for you.
And you're gonna let me go
You're preparing to end our relationship.
My heart was made glad when you strolled, you see
I enjoyed every moment I spent with you.
Heartaches and misery you've been causin' me
You've been causing me great emotional distress.
Go down to the river and there I'll be
I'll be somewhere close enough to take drastic measures if you leave me.
I'm gonna jump in, baby, if you don't see by me
I might harm myself if you leave me.
Open up your eyes; can't you see I love you?
I care deeply for you and I hope you can see it.
Open up your heart; can't you see I need you?
I hope you'll understand how much I rely on our relationship.
I'm no good without you, can't go on without you
I'm dependent on your love and support.
Life's no good without you, what'm I gonna do without you?
I can't envision a fulfilling life without you in it.
Got to go on, baby
I need to find the strength to move on.
Baby don't you do it
Please don't ruin our relationship by betraying my trust.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Edward Jr. Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jack Pea
That Black soulful voice just makes this song more powerful.
Steven Albert Bartlett
all these years..I regret..not hearing this version..why plz tell me WHY..??
rpags226
got lucky with a nice lady way above my pay grade with this song
layoutzz
Oh, it was all over once the Isleys stepped on this. They made this the standard that all other versions are measured by. James Taylor wrote a good song, but he didn't sing it like this. Yes, better than the original.
Helen M. Dupree
How have I missed this? ♥️
Paul Diggs
James. Taylor & Isley both have great expressions of song , Taylor country western , billy rock , Isley’s. Rhythm &. Blues . Both beautiful music !! 🎹🪕🎺🎺🥁
Emil Grover
I don't wanna be lonely tonight. Don't let me be lonely tonight. I feel those statements.
yele009
better than the original...
Magnus Primal
Ladies Man Soundtrack.=)
Lyle Darbonne
Gone Do It 2019