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)
It's A Disco Night
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a disco night
Baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night
It's gonna be one on one
Let everybody know
We gonna be havin' fun
Everybody's dancin'
Dancin' to the music
Lookin' for some action
Tryin' to find a new thing
But I know what's happenin', baby
I've been lookin' for you, yeah
I wanna give you somethin'
That you just can't lose
Hey, baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night
Baby, we're gonna be thumpin'
It's a disco night
We gonna be all night long
Let everybody know
It's gonna be one on one
Gettin' down at the disco
Ooh, baby
Rock on, girl
Ooh, baby
Rock on, baby
Ooh, baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night
Baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night, ooh
Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop
(Well)
Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop
Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop
Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop
(Rock on all night)
Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop
Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop
(Ooh)
Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop
Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop
(Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop)
Everybody's dancin'
(Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop)
Dancin' to the music
(Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop)
Lookin' for some action
(Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop)
And tryin' to find a new thing
(Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop)
But I know what's happenin', baby
(Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop)
I've been lookin' for you, yeah
(Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop)
I wanna give you somethin'
(Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop)
That you just can't lose
Hey, baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night
Baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night
Baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night
Baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night, rock on, baby
Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop
Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop
(Hey, rock on, baby)
Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop
Rock, don't stop, rock, don't stop
Hey, baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night
(Everybody's rockin')
Baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night
(Oh, kick off your shoes, girl)
Baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night
(Oh, it's me and you, baby)
Hey, baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night
Hey, baby, place is rockin'
It's a disco night
(It's gonna be one on one)
Ooh, baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night
(All night long, baby)
Hey, baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night
(Oh, kick off your shoes, girl)
Hey, baby, the place is rockin'
It's a disco night
Hey, baby
(Oh, the place is rockin')
It's a disco night
Ooh, baby, the place is rockin'
The Isley Brothers' "It's A Disco Night" is a funky disco track that is all about partying, dancing, and having a good time. The song talks about the excitement of going out on a disco night and the joy of letting loose and dancing the night away. The lyrics encourage everyone to have fun and enjoy themselves, while also hinting at the possibility of romance on the dance floor.
The repeated phrase "Rock, don't stop" emphasizes the high-energy, non-stop nature of the disco scene. The Isley Brothers use a call-and-response style in the chorus, with lead vocals alternating with a background vocal group, adding to the festive atmosphere of the song. The band's signature soulful sound is evident throughout, with tight rhythms and grooves that invite listeners to move with the beat.
Overall, "It's A Disco Night" is a classic disco anthem that captures the exuberance and vitality of the disco era. The lyrics celebrate the joy of dancing and the sense of community that comes from being part of a vibrant, energetic scene.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, the place is rockin'
The party is lively and everyone is having a good time
It's a disco night
The party is centered around disco music
It's gonna be one on one
Intimacy and romance are in the air
Let everybody know
Everyone should know about the good time being had
We gonna be havin' fun
The primary goal is to have a good time
Gettin' down all night I know
The party will last all night and everyone will be dancing
Everybody's dancin'
Everyone at the party is dancing
Dancin' to the music
The dancing is synchronized with the beat of the music
Lookin' for some action
Some people are looking to connect romantically or sexually
Tryin' to find a new thing
People are looking to try something new or exciting
But I know what's happenin', baby
The singer is privy to the goings on at the party, including the romantic interests of others
I've been lookin' for you, yeah
The singer is looking for a specific person to connect with
I wanna give you somethin'
The singer wants to offer the named person something that will improve their experience
That you just can't lose
The singer is confident that this offering will be valuable
Hey, baby, the place is rockin'
The singer wants to emphasize again how lively the party is
We gonna be thumpin'
The party will be lively and the dancing will be intense
We gonna be all night long
The party will last until morning
Rock on, girl
Encouragement for a female attendee to continue dancing energetically
Rock on, baby
General encouragement for all attendees to continue enjoying themselves
Rock, don't stop
Keep dancing and having a good time
It's gonna be one on one
Reiteration of the intimate atmosphere
Kick off your shoes, girl
Further encouragement for a female attendee to relax and enjoy herself
Oh, it's me and you, baby
The singer is directing attention to one special attendee
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