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 Your Thing
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
If you want me to love you, maybe I will
Believe me woman, it ain't no big deal
You need love now, just as bad as I do
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
I'm not trying to run your life, I know you wanna do what's right
Give your love now, to whoever you choose
How can you lose, with the stuff you use now
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
Don't let me tell you, who to sock it to
It's your thing, I do what I wanna do
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
In "It's Your Thing", The Isley Brothers offer a simple yet powerful message - do what you want with your life and your love. The song is about individual freedom and empowerment, with the hook "it's your thing, do what you wanna do" reinforcing the importance of personal choice and self-expression.
The first verse of the song lays out the central theme - the singer cannot dictate how the listener should live or who they should love. The second verse shifts the tone slightly, with the singer offering to love the listener on their own terms, without any expectations or demands. The chorus repeats the empowering message of freedom, followed by a bridge that reiterates the singer's support for the listener's choices.
This song has become an iconic R&B hit, with its catchy melody and simple yet powerful lyrics. It not only celebrates personal freedom and empowerment, but it also represents an important moment in the history of black American music. "It's Your Thing" was one of the first major hits recorded by a black-owned label, T-Neck Records, which was formed by The Isley Brothers themselves. The song's success helped pave the way for other black-owned labels and artists, making it an important part of the cultural and social history of American music.
Line by Line Meaning
It's your thing, do what you wanna do
You have the freedom to express yourself however you want
I can't tell you, who to sock it to
I cannot dictate who you should be with or what you should do
If you want me to love you, maybe I will
I am open to the possibility of loving you if that is what you desire
Believe me woman, it ain't no big deal
I want you to know that loving you is not a difficult thing for me
You need love now, just as bad as I do
We both have a need for love and affection
Make's me no difference now, who you give your thing to
It does not matter to me who you choose to be with or express your love to
I'm not trying to run your life, I know you wanna do what's right
I understand that you want to make your own choices and I respect that
Give your love now, to whoever you choose
You have the power to decide who you want to give your love to
How can you lose, with the stuff you use now
You have the necessary tools and resources to succeed in whatever you choose to do
Don't let me tell you, who to sock it to
I do not want to influence your decisions or actions in any way
It's your thing, I do what I wanna do
I also have the freedom to make my own choices and do what I want
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: O'Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@a.a.armstrong5326
For my Grandma Anna, who passed yesterday at 97, she loved the Isleys! She did her thing and she did what she wanted to do!
@maureeng.obrien9259
A QUEEN.
EXCELLENT!!!!
I LOVE HER!
AND YOU!
@red5158077
Yeah she did the old time timers had the jams and the style and good times
@rayharness8332
Your Gran knew the good stuff in life. My Dad went 19 years ago, always telling me, " turn that xxxx down". Never understood the problem myself!
@joylannetter2451
That's what I'm talking about!
Praise God for the longevity of Grandma and your having been able to enjoy her thoroughly before she transitioned!!
@howiekarpe4564
Bless her heart
@onlythemarkk
After watching that one movie
This song will haunt me forever
@bigfatdohnut
LMAO that scene was funny
@NateS917
@@bigfatdohnut "want me to be the hamburglar? Rabble rabble, rabble rabble
@bigfatdohnut
@@NateS917 IM FILLIN YOU!!