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)
Love Is A Wonderful Thing
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They simply spread their wings
The sun shines, it don't ask why
Or what the whole thing means
The same applies to you and I
We never question that
So good, it's just understood
Ain't no conjecture
Love is a wonderful thing
Make ya smile through the pouring rain
Love is a wonderful thing
I'll say it again and again
Turn your world into one sweet dream
Take your heart and make it sing
Love, love is a wonderful thing
The only thing a river knows
Is runnin' to the sea
And every spring when a flower grows
It happens naturally
The same magic when you're in my arms
No logic can define
Don't know why, just feels so right
I only know it happens every time
Oh when the cold wind blows
I know you're gonna be there to warm me
That's what keeps me goin'
And our sweet love will keep on growin'
Love is a wonderful, wonderful thing
Love is a wonderful, wonderful thing
It's what makes honey taste sweet
It's what makes your life complete
The Isley Brothers's song Love Is A Wonderful Thing is a sweet and romantic tune that emphasizes the beauty of love in a simple yet profound way. The opening lines of the song compare the natural behaviors of birds and the sun to the simplicity and instinctiveness of love. The lyrics suggest that just as birds fly and the sun shines without stopping to question why, love functions the same way, without any need for explanation or analysis. The song goes on to identify the rewards of love, including the way it brings a smile to one's face even in difficult times, how it can turn one's world into a sweet dream and make one's heart sing.
The second half of the song compares love to natural phenomena, like the way a river flows to the sea and a flower grows in springtime, suggesting that love is likewise innate and inevitable. The lyrics claim that love is something that just feels right, even if there is no logical or rational explanation for these feelings. The final lines of the song confirm that love is always present when one needs it the most, and that it is the thing that makes life feel complete.
Overall, The Isley Brothers's Love Is A Wonderful Thing is a song about the beauty of love, and how it can bring joy and meaning to life even in the most challenging times.
Line by Line Meaning
Birds fly, they don't think twice
Birds don't overthink before flying.
They simply spread their wings
They just use their wings and fly.
The sun shines, it don't ask why
The sun shines without questioning its purpose.
Or what the whole thing means
It doesn't question the meaning of life.
The same applies to you and I
We also accept and embrace life as it comes.
We never question that
We don't question the power of love.
So good, it's just understood
Love is so good that it needs no explanation.
Ain't no conjecture
It's not based on guesses or speculations.
Just a matter of fact
It's simply a fact that love is wonderful.
Love is a wonderful thing
Love has the power to bring happiness.
Make ya smile through the pouring rain
Love can make you happy even in tough times.
I'll say it again and again
The message of love is worth repeating.
Turn your world into one sweet dream
Love has the power to make your life better.
Take your heart and make it sing
Love can fill your heart with joy and happiness.
The only thing a river knows
A river flows naturally, without questioning why.
Is runnin' to the sea
Its destination is predetermined (the sea).
And every spring when a flower grows
Flowers bloom naturally in springtime.
It happens naturally
It's just part of nature.
The same magic when you're in my arms
Being with the one you love is magical.
No logic can define
There's no explanation needed for love.
Don't know why, just feels so right
Love doesn't need a reason to exist.
I only know it happens every time
Love is consistent and reliable.
Oh when the cold wind blows
When things get tough in life.
I know you're gonna be there to warm me
The one you love will be there for you in tough times.
That's what keeps me goin'
Love gives you strength to keep moving forward.
And our sweet love will keep on growin'
Love will continue to flourish and get stronger.
It's what makes honey taste sweet
Love is what makes life enjoyable.
It's what makes your life complete
Love is what makes life fulfilling.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: O'KELLY ISLEY, RONALD ISLEY, RUDOLPH ISLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind