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)
Don't Say Goodnight Parts 1 & 2
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Over and over again
I wanna see, see what your life, life can be
(Over and over)
Hey, hey, baby
Don't say goodnight when you know
It's time for love
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Don't say goodnight, oh, when you know
I gotta have your love
I wanna feel you
I wanna thrill you, girl
I want to caress you
Ooh, never let you go
Hey, hey, hey, hey, baby
(Don't say goodnight)
Don't say goodnight, oh, when you know
I gotta have your love
And oh, baby
(Don't say goodnight)
Don't say goodnight when you know
I gotta have your love
Some people say that life is for the livin'
So let's live it, baby, yeah
Most of the people say that love is for the givin'
So let me love you, girl, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, hey
(Don't say goodnight)
Don't say goodnight, oh, when you know
It's time for love
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, baby
(Don't say goodnight)
Don't say goodnight when you know
I gotta have your love
Some people say that life is for the livin'
So let's live it, baby, yeah
Most of the people say that love is for the givin'
So let me love you, girl, yeah
And hey, baby
(Don't say goodnight)
Don't say goodnight, oh, when you know
I gotta have your love
And hey, baby
(Don't say goodnight)
Don't you ever say goodnight, oh, when you know
I gotta have your love
And ooh-wee, baby
(Don't say goodnight)
Don't ever, ever say, ever say
Don't ever, ever say, ever, ever, ever say
Don't say goodnight
The lyrics of “Don’t Say Goodnight” by The Isley Brothers show an emotional plea from the singer directed towards his love interest. He wishes to love his partner over and over again and explore everything her life can offer. The singer passionately begs his love interest not to say goodnight and instead stay with him, as he craves her love and affection. The chorus is repeated multiple times emphasizing the singer's desperation for their love to last through the night.
The song highlights the joy of living life and love through its lyrics. The singer encourages his love interest to live life to the fullest and let him love her fully. It shows the importance of being together and living happily with someone that we love. The song ends with a powerful punch as the singer repeats the phrase "Don't say goodnight" over and over again, emphasizing his desire for their love to last forever.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna love you, yeah, yeah
The singer expresses their desire to love the other person repeatedly.
Over and over again
The singer wants to love the other person repeatedly without stopping.
I wanna see, see what your life, life can be
The singer desires to explore the possibilities of what the other person's life can be like.
(Over and over)
Reiterating the desire to do things like love repeatedly.
Hey, hey, baby
The singer directly addresses the other person affectionately.
Don't say goodnight when you know
The other person is urged not to say goodnight because it's time for love.
It's time for love
The current moment is a great opportunity for the two people to express their love for each other.
Hey, hey, hey, hey...
The singer is excited and enthusiastic about the prospect of love in this moment.
Don't say goodnight, oh, when you know
The other person is reminded not to say goodnight because the singer needs their love.
I gotta have your love
The singer expresses a strong desire and need for the other person's love.
I wanna feel you
The singer wants to physically feel the other person's presence.
I wanna thrill you, girl
The singer wants to excite and please the other person.
I want to caress you
The singer wants to touch the other person gently and lovingly.
Ooh, never let you go
The singer wants to hold onto the other person and never let them go.
Some people say
The singer acknowledges that there are those who hold this belief.
That life is for the livin'
Some people believe that life should be lived to the fullest.
So let's live it, baby
The singer urges the other person to live life to the fullest with them.
Most of the people say
The majority of people hold this belief.
That love is for the givin'
Most people believe that love should be freely given to others.
So let me love you, girl
The singer expresses their desire to love and give to the other person.
And hey...baby
The singer affectionately addresses the other person again.
Don't you ever say goodnight, oh, when you know
The other person is urged not to ever say goodnight because the singer needs their love.
And ooh-wee, baby
The singer expresses their excitement and passion for the other person.
Don't ever, ever say, ever say
The other person is urged not to say goodnight under any circumstances.
Ever, ever, ever say
The singer emphasizes the importance of not saying goodnight.
Don't say goodnight
The overall message of the song is to urge the other person to not say goodnight so that they can enjoy and express their love for each other without interruption.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Christopher Jasper, Christopher H Jasper, Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, O'kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@LU-qu4gu
I wanna love you, yeah, yeah
Over and over again
I wanna see, see what your life, life can be
(Over and over)
[Chorus]
Hey, hey, baby
Don't say goodnight when you know
It's time for love
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Don't say goodnight, oh, when you know
I gotta have your love
[Verse 2]
I wanna feel you
I wanna thrill you, girl
I want to caress you
Ooh, never let you go
[Chorus]
Hey, hey, hey, hey, baby
Don't say goodnight (Don't say goodnight), oh, when you know
I gotta have your love
And oh, baby
Don't say goodnight (Don't say goodnight) when you know
I gotta have your love
[Bridge]
Some people say
That life is for the livin'
So let's live it, baby, yeah
Most of the people say
That love is for the givin'
So let me love you, girl, yeah
[Chorus]
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Don't say goodnight (Don't say goodnight), oh, when you know
It's time for love
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, baby
Don't say goodnight (Don't say goodnight) when you know
I gotta have your love
[Bridge]
Some people say
That life is for the livin'
So let's live it, baby, yeah
Most of the people say
That love is for the givin'
So let me love you, girl, yeah
[Chorus]
And hey baby
Don't say goodnight (Don't say goodnight), oh, when you know
I gotta have your love
And hey baby
Don't say goodnight (Don't you ever say goodnight), oh, when you know
I gotta have your love
[Outro]
And ooh-wee, baby
Don't say goodnight
Don't ever, ever say, ever say
Don't ever, ever say
Ever, ever, ever say
Don't say goodnight
Don't say goodnight
@user-xe5cg7vy9f
The Isley Brothers are such a great group...They've made some the best love ballads of all time
@gypsydancer6477
I used to listen to this song on WBLS. I would lie in bed thinking of my boyfriend. 40 years later, I listen to this song on youtube, lying in bed, and turn over to watch him sleeping. ❤ I still love this song.
@Pygoman12
Jasmin, that's awesome. God bless!
@logicsfinest3471
Jasmin Torres Yvonne Mobley, Sunday Nights after Frankie Crocker on WBLS. This song was her mainstay 👍
@acoop30125able
Beautiful
@scroogebeats
Lying Is Not Good !
@RaymoZenitram
Ha gay!
@georgeedwards9374
How come they don't make songs like these anymore!!. Music like this just send you higher heights and loving deeper depths. 🎺🎷🎷🎻🎸🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵🤗😚😙🤗
@wandahorton9549
This song is beautiful ❤
@jamescosey2346
It's artists who make love songs like this, that inspires people not to give up on love and also inspires couples to never give up on each other. Great song, by a great group of men...