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)
My Best Was Good Enough
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tryin' to understand just what went wrong
The girl I love has gone away
But the reason why she left, she didn't say
Perhaps she just got tired of makin' plans
And promises of things we never had
Well, I done my best, yet things got kind of worse
Good enough
I tried to keep an open mind
That she would come to realize, in time
But as I go from day to day
I tell myself that there's no other way
Perhaps she never, never understood
That this man was doin' the best he could
I wish the girl all the very, very best of luck
But for me, my best was good enough
Oh, my best, my best, baby
Oh, perhaps she never, never understood
That this man was doin' the best, the best he could
I wish the girl all the very best of luck
But for me, my best was good enough
My best, my best was good enough
But for me my best was good enough
I know, I know my best was good
Oh, my best was good enough
I wanna wish this girl
All the best of luck, I do
Oh, but for me, my best was good enough
Yes, it was
Yeah, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, I know, I know my best is good enough, yeah
I wish you, baby
I wish you, baby
All the best of luck
Ah, yes, I do
The Isley Brothers' My Best Was Good Enough is a melancholic ballad that recounts the experience of heartbreak and confusion resulting from a failed relationship. The singer is left alone trying to comprehend the reasons his love interest walked away, and despite his efforts to be the best partner he could be, still the girl left without an explanation. The lyrics explore themes of effort, commitment, and honesty, and how relationships can sometimes leave one party questioning whether their best was truly good enough.
The song's opening line, "Sittin' by the windows all alone. Tryin' to understand just what went wrong," sets the tone for the story that the song tells. The singer's longing and confusion are evident from the onset, as they reflect on what they could have possibly done to make their partner leave. The lines, "Perhaps she just got tired of makin' plans and promises of things we never had. Well, I done my best, yet things got kind of worse. But for me, my best was good enough," suggest that the efforts to keep the relationship afloat may have been one-sided. Alternatively, it could mean that even when both parties tried their best, their efforts were not enough to overcome the challenges.
Overall, the song captures the essence of heartbreak, rejection, and disappointment. The singer's acceptance that his best was good enough despite his partner's departure demonstrates self-acceptance and the need to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Sittin' by the windows all alone
The singer is alone and deep in thought, possibly about a troubled relationship.
Tryin' to understand just what went wrong
The singer is struggling to comprehend why the relationship failed.
The girl I love has gone away
The subject of the singer's thoughts is a girl who has left him.
But the reason why she left, she didn't say
The girl did not give a reason for why she ended the relationship.
Perhaps she just got tired of makin' plans
One possible reason for the girl leaving is that she became frustrated with the lack of progress or success in their planning together.
And promises of things we never had
The singer made promises that they were unable to fulfill and achieve together.
Well, I done my best, yet things got kind of worse
Despite the singer's efforts, things did not improve and may have even become more difficult.
But for me, my best was good enough
Despite the relationship ending, the artist knows that they did all they could and did their best in the circumstance.
I tried to keep an open mind
The artist attempted to stay open to the possibility of the girl returning or having a change of heart.
That she would come to realize, in time
The artist hoped that given enough time, the girl would come to see the value and effort of their relationship.
But as I go from day to day
With the passage of time, the singer still thinks about the lost relationship.
I tell myself that there's no other way
The artist comes to the realization that there is no changing the outcome and accepts it.
Perhaps she never, never understood
It's possible that the girl never fully grasped how hard the singer worked for their relationship.
That this man was doin' the best he could
The singer believes they put their all into the relationship.
I wish the girl all the very, very best of luck
Despite the hurt, the singer wishes the girl well in her future endeavors.
But for me, my best was good enough
The artist knows that as long as they did their best, they can have peace with themselves and the situation.
Oh, my best, my best, baby
The artist emphasizes how much they gave in the relationship, even referring to it as 'baby.'
I know, I know my best was good
The singer is certain and confident that their best was adequate and fulfilling.
I wanna wish this girl
The singer expresses a desire to extend well-wishes to the girl who left him.
All the best of luck, I do
Again, the artist wishes nothing but the best for the girl's future.
Yeah, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
The artist is repeating their confidence in their effort and contribution to the relationship.
I know, I know, I know my best is good enough, yeah
The artist reiterates that they are sure of their best being good enough.
I wish you, baby
The singer continues to address the girl as 'baby' while expressing their wishes for her future.
All the best of luck
Once more, the artist desires nothing but positive outcomes for the girl.
Ah, yes, I do
The singer emphatically confirms their genuine hopes for the girl's luck and success.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SKIP SCARBOROUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind