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)
Settle Down
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you think you're ready
To settle down, settle down babe
Do you think you're ready
To settle down with me babe
Do you think you're ready
To settle down, settle down with me babe
Settle down with me, babe
Would you like a house on the hill
Overlooking the ocean side
Tell me, would you like that baby
Or how about a high-rise apartment
In Manhattan on the east side
If that's what you need
I'm here to please
Won't you settle down with me, baby
[Chorus]
We could take a jet plane all the way to Spain
Just to buy you a wedding ring
Tell me, would you like that baby
Oh, talk to me girl
We could get married on Christmas day
On the shores of Montego Bay
If that's what you need
I'm here to please
Won't you settle down with me
If you're ready
Only if you're ready
To settle down, settle down babe
Tell me if you're ready, ready yeah
To settle down with me babe
Do you think you're ready
To settle down, settle down with me babe
Settle down, settle down
Settle down
I'm not trying to buy your love
Money ain't in it
You can't put a rpice on love
Tell me if I'm worthy of
Worthy of you're hand
Girl let's start making plans
You're shining like a star above
You're the light of my life
Oh girl, be my wife
Settle down baby
Oh but first
Do you think you're ready
To settle down, settle down babe
I wanna know if you're ready, tell me baby
To settle down with me babe
Do you think you're ready
To settle down, settle down with me babe
Settle down babe
Settle down
Ooh
oh, whoa
Oooh
No no no no no no no
Yeah yes
Oh settle down babe
Settle down
You tell me when you're ready
(I'm ready, I'm ready)
Do you think you're ready
(I, yes I am baby)
Please tell me
(You already know)
When you're ready
(Yes I'm ready)
Then We can settle down
(Settle down babe)
Settle down
(I'm ready)
I wanna know if you're ready
Oh wee, oh it feels like you're ready babe
I can tell if you're ready
We need to settle down babe
Settle down
In this song, The Isley Brothers address the idea of settling down in a romantic relationship. The chorus consists of a simple question; are you ready to settle down with me? The brothers then proceed to ask their partner what kind of life they would like to have. They suggest a house on a hill overlooking the ocean, a high-rise apartment in Manhattan on the east side, a jet plane all the way to Spain, or getting married on Christmas day on the shores of Montego Bay. They try to accommodate the wishes of their partner by offering different possibilities. All of this is done with one goal in mind; to know if their partner is willing to start a lifelong commitment with them.
The Isley Brothers make it clear in the song that they are not trying to buy anyone's love with material possessions or money. Instead, they want to know if they are worthy of their partner's hand in marriage. They reassure their partner that they are ready to make plans and start building a life together. The song ends with The Isley Brothers hoping to get an answer from their partner about whether they are ready to settle down and start their journey towards a lifetime of love and commitment.
Overall, the song Settle Down is a sweet and heartfelt declaration of love, commitment, and the desire to build a future together. It communicates the idea of taking a big step in a romantic relationship and embracing the idea of settling down to build a life with someone special.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you think you're ready
Are you prepared to commit?
To settle down, settle down babe
To be in a steady, long-term relationship
Do you think you're ready
Are you prepared to commit?
To settle down with me babe
To commit to a life together
Do you think you're ready
Are you prepared to commit?
To settle down, settle down with me babe
To build a future together
Settle down with me, babe
To stay committed to each other
Settle down
Commit to a serious relationship
Would you like a house on the hill
Would you like a luxurious home
Overlooking the ocean side
With a beautiful view of the ocean
Tell me, would you like that baby
Would you be interested in that?
Or how about a high-rise apartment
How do you feel about a modern apartment?
In Manhattan on the east side
In a prime location in the city
If that's what you need
If that's what makes you happy
I'm here to please
I want to make you happy
Won't you settle down with me, baby
Won't you commit to a future with me?
We could take a jet plane all the way to Spain
We could travel together to a romantic destination
Just to buy you a wedding ring
To symbolize our commitment to each other
On the shores of Montego Bay
A beautiful and romantic location for our wedding
If you're ready
If you're committed
Only if you're ready
Only if you truly want this
Tell me if you're ready, ready yeah
Let me know if you're truly committed
I'm not trying to buy your love
I'm not trying to bribe you
Money ain't in it
Money isn't what's important
You can't put a price on love
Love is priceless
Tell me if I'm worthy of
Tell me if I'm deserving of
Worthy of your hand
Worthy of your love and commitment
Girl let's start making plans
Let's plan our future together
You're shining like a star above
You're special and important to me
You're the light of my life
You bring joy and happiness to my life
Oh girl, be my wife
Will you marry me and commit to a life together?
Oh but first
Before we commit to a life together
Do you think you're ready
Are you truly committed?
I wanna know if you're ready, tell me baby
Let me know if you're truly committed
Oh wee, oh it feels like you're ready babe
It seems like you're ready to commit
We need to settle down babe
We need to commit to a life together
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JAMES HARRIS III, JAMES WRIGHT, JAMES QUENTON WRIGHT, JAMES SAMUEL III HARRIS, TERRY LEWIS, TONY TOLBERT, TONY L TOLBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Takiesha English
yum yum I love these guys my mother made me realize that life is with living until it's your time to go
Mich Tm
I bought this album in 01' when i was 20 years old and still love it.
Jarah Gibson
so many memories. a 10 year old singing my heart out cause of my mom.
Nicki Nicki
Yesss lol... you too
Rob Brown
I'm so proud and honored to be facebook friends with Mr Biggs... May God continue to bless him and his entire family 💯💯✌💗
Lisa Davis
Song is 🔥🔥🔥
mclayton8403
Still jamming this is 2019
Denise Sapp
Ronald is the ishhhhhh 2019 riding still
Lisa Clark
Ahhhh! The sweet vocals of A'ngela in the background!
jene howard
Simply enchanting. As I sip this crown.