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)
How Lucky I Am Parts 1 & 2
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm so proud, proud to have you
And you're mine all mine
And I love you so, girl, girl, I love you so
Oh, just you and me girl
And nobody else, nobody else
You gave your love to me, nobody else
Girl, girl, I love you so, yeah
And oh, and now you know
How lucky, I am, Oh, now you know
To have a good woman standing by my side
Oh, I promise you girl, yes I promise you girl
And you promise me
We've got to stay, got to to stay together
That's the way we said it had to be
And I love you girl
You know girl, you know how much I love you so, yeah
And well, so many years keep passing us by
You know, know either ways baby
I love you till the day I die, love you so, yeah
Girl, girl, I love you so
And oh, and now, now, now, now, now you know
How Lucky, now you know, now you know
To have a good woman standing by my side
And I don't have to worry girl
Oh, you'll be by my side
And I promise you girl, I'll always be there for you.
The Isley Brothers's song "How Lucky I Am" is a love ballad that shows profound appreciation for a woman. The singer expresses how proud and lucky he is to have this woman by his side, and he promises to stay committed to her. The chorus highlights the appreciation the singer has for his partner and how grateful he is to have her by his side. He acknowledges that he does not have to worry about her leaving and promises to always be there for her.
The song's overall themes are love, commitment and appreciation. The songwriter intentionally wrote this song to express how he felt for his partner, and the lyrics reflect the gratitude he has for her. It also showcases the promise of staying together through thick and thin. The lyrics are honest and straightforward, yet they convey a deep sense of love and respect that the singer has for his partner.
In conclusion, "How Lucky I Am" is a love song that shows gratitude and appreciation to a woman who has stood by the singer's side. The lyrics reflect the deep love he has for her and the intention of staying committed. The song emphasises on the importance of having a good partner who will always stand by you no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
Just you and me girl, yes, Two of a kind
We are a perfect match and a unique pair
And I'm so proud, proud to have you
I feel honored and satisfied to have you as my partner
And you're mine all mine
You belong to me and only me
And I love you so, girl, girl, I love you so
I love you deeply and intensely, my dear. I really mean it
Oh, just you and me girl
We don't need anyone else, just us
And nobody else, nobody else
No one else can make me feel the way you do
You gave your love to me, nobody else
You have given me your heart, and I appreciate it a lot
And I, and I love you so
My love for you is unconditional and everlasting
Girl, girl, I love you so, yeah
I can't stop expressing my affection for you, my girl
And oh, and now you know
You finally realize and understand
How lucky, I am, Oh, now you know
I am so fortunate to have you with me, and you realize it now
To have a good woman standing by my side
Having a caring and faithful woman beside me makes me feel blessed
Oh, I promise you girl, yes, I promise you girl
I make you a solemn vow, dear. You can count on me
And you promise me
You make a pledge to me, too
We've got to stay, got to stay together
We must stick together and support each other
That's the way we said it had to be
We made a mutual commitment to make it work this way
And I love you girl
My feelings for you have never diminished, girl
You know girl, you know how much I love you so, yeah
I hope you realize how much I truly love you, my dear
And well, so many years keep passing us by
Time keeps moving on, but my love for you remains strong
You know, know either ways baby
No matter what happens, you can count on me
I love you till the day I die, love you so, yeah
My love for you will never fade away, even if I die
And oh, and now, now, now, now, now you know
I want you to be aware of the depth of my affection for you
How Lucky, now you know, now you know
You understand now how fortunate I feel to have you in my life
And I don't have to worry girl
I don't have any concerns because you are here
Oh, you'll be by my side
I know you will support me and stay by my side
And I promise you girl, I'll always be there for you.
I assure you that I will never leave you alone or abandon you
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