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)
Hurry Up And Wait
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Standin' in line
I don't want to be someone in love
Wastin' my time
Can I get right to the point, baby
You know I care
Tell me what you want, yeah, baby
And I'm right here
[Chorus:]
Now tell me what it is I'm supposed to do
And someday I'll get to you
But in the meantime
I know what I gotta do
Hurry up and wait, yeah, baby
On your love
Hurry up and wait, yeah, baby
On your love
I don't want to be your standby, girl
Hangin' around
I know you would tell me, baby
If I ever let you down
But I cannot second guess you, huh
From what I see
You're not saying nothin', baby
But I know you want to talk to me, yeah
[Chorus]
Now tell me what it is I'm supposed to do
And someday I'll get to you, girl
But in the meantime
I know what I gotta do
Hurry up and wait, yeah, baby, ooh
On your love
Hurry up and wait, yeah, baby
On your love
Hurry up and wait
I don't want to be your standby, baby
Hangin' around, yeah, girl
I don't want to be someone in love
Wastin' my time
Hurry up and wait, yeah, baby
Waitin' here on your love
[Repeat x 3]
The lyrics to The Isley Brothers' song "Hurry Up and Wait" express the frustration of being in a relationship where one person feels like they're waiting around for the other person to make a move or give direction. The song's narrator doesn't want to waste their time being a "clock watcher" or someone "in love wastin' my time." They want the other person to be clear about what they want so they can move forward.
The chorus of the song captures this sentiment perfectly, with the repeated refrain "hurry up and wait" expressing the frustration of feeling like you're stuck in limbo waiting for something to happen. The singer knows they can't just sit around waiting forever, but they also don't know what to do next. They need the other person to communicate with them so they can figure out what their next move is.
Overall, "Hurry Up and Wait" is a song about the challenges that come with relationships when communication is unclear or lacking. The singer is trying to navigate their feelings and figure out what they want, but they need the other person to be clear and direct with them to make progress.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to be no clock watcher
I don't want to be someone who is too focused on the time and not enjoying the moment.
Standin' in line
I don't want to waste my time waiting in line for something that's not worth it.
I don't want to be someone in love
I don't want to be in a relationship that's not going anywhere.
Wastin' my time
I don't want to spend my time on something that's not worth it.
Can I get right to the point, baby
Can we stop beating around the bush and get straight to the issue?
You know I care
I want you to know that I care about you.
Tell me what you want, yeah, baby
Please tell me what you want so we can work towards it together.
And I'm right here
I'm willing and ready to help you in any way I can.
Now tell me what it is I'm supposed to do
Please give me some direction so I can fulfill your needs.
And someday I'll get to you
I promise that I'll make sure to reach you and give you what you need.
But in the meantime
While I work towards making that happen,
I know what I gotta do
I know what I need to do to achieve that goal.
Hurry up and wait, yeah, baby
I'll work quickly to complete my task, but I know I'll have to wait for your response.
On your love
I'm waiting patiently for your love.
I don't want to be your standby, girl
I don't want to be someone who's just waiting around for you.
Hangin' around
I don't want to waste my time on something that's not going anywhere.
I know you would tell me, baby
I know you would communicate openly and honestly with me if I ever let you down.
If I ever let you down
If I ever disappoint you.
But I cannot second guess you, huh
But I can't assume what you're thinking or feeling.
From what I see
Based on what I'm seeing and observing.
You're not saying nothin', baby
You're not communicating with me.
But I know you want to talk to me, yeah
But I'm aware that you have something you want to discuss with me.
Waitin' here on your love
I'm patiently waiting for your love.
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