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)
I Know Who You Been Socking It To
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who you been socking it to
If you don't tell on me
I won't tell on you
I know who
Who you been socking it to
If you don't tell on me
Don't worry bout me talking
Girl I'm cool
I'm quiet
And come to think about it
I got a-something on the side
It's nobody's business
Girl what you do
Remember what I'm saying
Is between me and you
Girl I know who
Who you been socking it to
If you don't tell on me
I won't tell on you
I know who
Who you been socking it to
No doubt about it
Girl you better believe that I do
Hey
Alright
Better watch it baby
I know who
Who you been socking it to
If you don't tell on me
I won't tell on you
I know who
Who you been socking it to
No doubt about it
Girl you better believe that I do
I saw you last night
Over ????
You saw your old man coming
And you ducked back in the alley
When you stayed in the alley
I stayed behind a tree
Oh I saw you baby
But you didn't see me
That's why I know who
Oh who you been socking it to
No doubt about it
Girl you better believe that I do
I know who
Who you been giving it to
No doubt about it
Girl you better believe that I do
The Isley Brothers’ song ‘I Know Who You Been Socking it To’ tells the story of a man who has discovered that his girlfriend has been cheating on him. The song is told from the perspective of the man who has caught her out, and is now trying to deal with the situation. The lyrics are a mix of confrontation, wit, and warning.
He reassures the girl that he won’t reveal her secret, but makes it clear that he knows who she’s been ‘socking it to’. He emphasises that his discovery is strictly between the two of them, and warns her that he’s not as innocent as she might think. As the song moves into the second verse, he reveals that he has seen her with another man, and saw her hiding in the alley to avoid being caught.
The song is a classic example of the ‘cheating genre’ of soul music, where the emotions of betrayal and heartbreak are explored through music. The Isley Brothers were known for their deep soulful sound, which helped to make this song a hit. The lyrics are full of witty wordplay and double entendres, which add to the song’s appeal.
Line by Line Meaning
I know who
I am aware of the person
Who you been socking it to
with whom you have been having sexual relations
If you don't tell on me
if you maintain my secrecy
I won't tell on you
I will not reveal your secret
Don't worry bout me talking
you do not need to concern yourself about me disclosing the matter to anyone else
Girl I'm cool
you can trust me to keep silent
I'm quiet
I am not talkative and hence will not tell anyone about it
And come to think about it
furthermore, as I reconsider and ponder
I got a-something on the side
I possess an alternative romantic partner
It's nobody's business
this matter is confidential and not open for public discussion
Girl what you do
you can do as you please without any judgment from me
Remember what I'm saying
please keep in mind what I am communicating
Is between me and you
the contents of our conversation is only known by each of us and nobody else
No doubt about it
undoubtedly, without a shred of doubt
Hey
an exclamation to capture the listener's focus
Alright
a show of agreement or affirmation
Better watch it baby
you should exercise caution
I saw you last night
I witnessed your actions the previous evening
Over ????
unidentifiable aspect or location
You saw your old man coming
you perceived your partner/husband approaching you
And you ducked back in the alley
therefore, you dodged him by returning to a secret place
When you stayed in the alley
while you remained there in that hidden corner
I stayed behind a tree
I sheltered behind a tree
Oh I saw you baby
indeed, I did observe your actions
But you didn't see me
you did not have any awareness of my presence
Who you been giving it to
the person you have been sexually intimate with
I know who
I am cognizant of who it is
Girl you better believe that I do
you should have no doubts that I truly know
Contributed by Brooklyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.