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)
Highways of My Life
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Makin' sure I stay to the right
Moving down the highways of my life
So I shan't be concerned
With the other side of the road
Reading all the signs along the way
Knowing where I am not what they say
So I can't concern
With the other side of the road
Da da dop da da ah
Down the highway da de ah
Da da dop da da ah
Down the highway da de ah
Da da dop da da ah
Down the highway da de ah
Da da dop da de ah
Down the highway da de ah
Leaving all the sorrows and the pain
There's no love between us that remains
Although you are the one
You're not the same
So the other side of the road
Can only take me back home
Da da dop da da ah
Down the highway da de da
Da da dop da da ah
Down the highway da de da
Da da dop da da ah
Down the highway da de da
Da da dop da de ah
Down the highway da de ah
The Isley Brothers' song "Highways of My Life" is an introspective and reflective song about the journey of life. The lyrics suggest that the singer is moving down the highways of his life, staying to the right and not concerning himself with the other side of the road. He is reading all the signs and knowing where he is, but not worrying about what they say. He is getting closer to his destination each day and is leaving behind all the sorrows and pain. The other side of the road can only take him back home.
This song expresses a sense of determination and self-reflection. The singer is focused on his own journey and is taking control of his own life. He is not allowing outside distractions to divert him from his goal. The song suggests that the journey of life can be difficult and full of obstacles, but by staying true to oneself, one can overcome these challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Moving down the highways of my life
Traveling through the journey of my existence
Makin' sure I stay to the right
Ensuring that I make the right choices and decisions
So I shan't be concerned
Not worrying about
With the other side of the road
The paths I did not take or the choices I did not make
Reading all the signs along the way
Taking cues from the occurrences in my life
Knowing where I am not what they say
Understanding who I am, not influenced by public opinion
My destination's closer day by day
I am getting closer to my end goal each and every day
So I can't concern
Cannot worry about
With the other side of the road
The unchosen routes I did not take on this journey
Leaving all the sorrows and the pain
Moving away from past disappointments and hurt
There's no love between us that remains
The relationship between them is not what it used to be
Although you are the one
Even though the person in question was significant to the artist
You're not the same
They have changed, matured and moved on from the past
So the other side of the road
The decisions they did not take before, are in the past
Can only take me back home
Cannot help me move forward only back to where I began
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