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)
Shout
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know you make me wanna (Shout!)
Kick my heels up and (Shout!)
Throw my hands up and (Shout!)
Throw my head back and (Shout!)
Come on now (Shout!)
Don't forget to say, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Say you will)
Say it right now baby
(Say you will)
Come on, come on
(Say you will)
Say it, will-a you
(Say you will)
Come on now!
(Say) say that you love me
(Say) say that you need me
(Say) say that you want me
(Say) you wanna please me
(Say) come on now
(Say) come on now
(Say) come on now
(Say) I still remember
(Shooby-doo-wop-do-wop-wop-wop-wop)
When you used to be nine years old
(Shooby-doo-wop-do-wop-wop-wop-wop)
Yeah yeah!
I was a fool for you, from the bottom of my soul, yeah!
(Shooby-doo-wop-do-wop-wop-wop-wop)
Now that you've grown, up
(Shooby-doo-wop-do-wop-wop-wop-wop)
Enough to know, yeah yeah
(Shooby-doo-wop-do-wop-wop-wop-wop)
You wanna leave me, you wanna, let me go
(Shooby-doo-wop-do-wop)
I want you to know
I said I want you to know right now, yeah!
You been good to me baby
Better than I been to myself, hey! hey!
And if you ever leave me
I don't want nobody else, hey! hey!
I said I want you to know-ho-ho-hey!
I said I want you to know right now, hey! hey!
You know you make me wanna
(Shout-woo) hey-yeah
(Shout-woo) yeah-yeah-yeah
(Shout-woo) all-right
(Shout-woo) all-right
(Shout-woo) come on now!
(Shout) come on now!
(Shout) yeah, yeah, yeah
(Shout) yeah, yeah, yeah (good sound)
(Shout) yeah, yeah, yeah (good sound)
(Shout) yeah, yeah, yeah (good sound)
(Shout) all-alright (good sound)
(Shout) it's all-alright (good sound)
(Shout) all-alright (good sound)
(Shout) all-alright (aah)
Now wait a minute!
I feel alright!
(Yeah yeah, yeah yeah!)
Now that I got my woman
I feel alright!
Every time I think about you
You been so good to me
You know you make me wanna
(Shout-woo) lift my heels up and
(Shout-woo) throw my head back and
(Shout-woo) kick my heels up and
(Shout-woo) come on now
(Shout-woo) take it easy
(Shout-woo) take it easy
(Shout-woo) take it easy (higher)
(Shout) a little bit softer now (woo)
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit softer now
(Shout) a little bit louder now
(Shout) a little bit louder now
(Shout) a little bit louder now
(Shout) a little bit louder now
(Shout) a little bit louder now
(Shout) a little bit louder now
(Shout) a little bit louder now
(Shout) a little bit louder now
(Shout) a little bit louder now
(Shout) a little bit louder now
(Shout) a little bit louder now
(Shout) a little bit louder now
(Shout)
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Shout now!
Jump up and shout now (woo)
Jump up and shout now (woo)
Jump up and shout now (woo)
Jump up and shout now (woo)
Jump up and shout now (woo)
Everybody shout now
Everybody shout now
Everybody, shout, shout
Shout, shout, shout
The Isley Brothers' song "Shout" is a classic soul and rhythm and blues track that has inspired generations of music lovers to get up and dance. Released in 1959, the song is a high-energy, call-and-response track that showcases the Isley Brothers' dynamic vocals and ability to engage listeners. The lyrics of the song are all about letting loose and having fun. The song commands listeners to shout and kick their heels up, reminding us that sometimes, we just need to forget our troubles and release our emotions into the music. The repeated refrain of "Say you will" also appears to be a plea for the listener to let go and find joy in the moment.
What makes "Shout" so unique is its structure. The song starts slow and builds to a frenzied, almost chaotic climax as the various players in the band take turns leading the audience in a call-and-response chant. The use of horns, drums, and guitar creates a sense of urgency and excitement that is hard to resist. The frenetic pace of the song's final minutes is a testament to the band's perseverance, skill, and remarkable cohesion. By the end of the track, it's hard not to feel like you're part of a collective experience, shouting and jumping alongside the Isley Brothers and everyone else in the room.
In many ways, "Shout" is a testament to the power of music to bring people together. As the song progresses and the intensity builds, the listener is swept up in a wave of energy and excitement that is hard to resist. The song is a timeless classic that has been covered by countless artists in the years since its release, and it remains a beloved favorite of audiences across the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Well
The start of the song
You know you make me wanna (Shout!)
The person being addressed makes the singer want to shout
Kick my heels up and (Shout!)
The singer feels like dancing and shouting
Throw my hands up and (Shout!)
The singer feels like celebrating and shouting
Throw my head back and (Shout!)
The singer feels like shouting with passion
Come on now (Shout!)
An encouragement for the person being addressed to join in the shouting and celebration
Don't forget to say you will
An appeal to the person being addressed to promise something important
Don't forget to say, yeah
The singer wants an affirmative response
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
An expression of excitement and anticipation
(Say you will)
A reminder of the important request
Say it right now baby
An expression of urgency for the person being addressed to make the promise immediately
(Say you will)
The request is repeated for emphasis
Come on, come on
An encouragement to hurry up and make the promise
(Say you will)
The request is repeated once again
Say it, will-a you
A playful variation of the request
(Say you will)
The request is repeated yet again
Come on now!
An exclamation to seek immediate compliance
(Say) say that you love me
The person being addressed is asked to express love
(Say) say that you need me
The person being addressed is asked to express need
(Say) say that you want me
The person being addressed is asked to express desire
(Say) you wanna please me
The person being addressed is asked to express willingness to please
(Say) come on now
An invitation for the person being addressed to say the words
(Say) come on now
A repetition of the invitation
(Say) come on now
Another repetition of the invitation
(Say) I still remember
The singer recalls a past memory
(Shooby-doo-wop-do-wop-wop-wop-wop)
A musical interlude
When you used to be nine years old
The memory involves the person being addressed at a younger age
(Shooby-doo-wop-do-wop-wop-wop-wop)
Another musical interlude
Yeah yeah!
An affirmation of the memory
I was a fool for you, from the bottom of my soul, yeah!
The singer felt deep love for the person being addressed in the past
(Shooby-doo-wop-do-wop-wop-wop-wop)
Another musical interlude
Now that you've grown, up
The person being addressed has matured since the past memory
(Shooby-doo-wop-do-wop-wop-wop-wop)
Another musical interlude
Enough to know, yeah yeah
The person being addressed now has greater understanding or knowledge
(Shooby-doo-wop-do-wop-wop-wop-wop)
Another musical interlude
You wanna leave me, you wanna, let me go
The singer senses that the person being addressed wants to end the relationship
I want you to know
The singer wants to express something important
I said I want you to know right now, yeah!
The singer wants immediate attention to what is being said
You been good to me baby
The singer expresses gratitude for how the person being addressed has treated them
Better than I been to myself, hey! hey!
The person being addressed has been better to the singer than the singer has been to themselves
And if you ever leave me
The singer contemplates losing the person being addressed
I don't want nobody else, hey! hey!
The singer does not desire anyone else as a replacement
I said I want you to know-ho-ho-hey!
A repetitive exclamation to emphasize the importance of the message
You know you make me wanna
A repetition of the earlier expression of feeling like shouting
(Shout-woo) hey-yeah
A shout of excitement
(Shout-woo) yeah-yeah-yeah
A repetitive shout of excitement
(Shout-woo) all-right
An expression of affirmation
(Shout-woo) all-right
Another expression of affirmation
(Shout-woo) come on now!
An invitation to the person being addressed to share in the positivity
(Shout) come on now!
A repetition of the invitation
(Shout) yeah, yeah, yeah
A repetitive shout of excitement
(Shout) yeah, yeah, yeah (good sound)
An expression of appreciation for the music and the shouting
(Shout) yeah, yeah, yeah (good sound)
Another expression of appreciation for the music and the shouting
(Shout) yeah, yeah, yeah (good sound)
Yet another expression of appreciation for the music and the shouting
(Shout) all-alright (good sound)
An expression of approval for the sound and atmosphere
(Shout) it's all-alright (good sound)
An assurance that everything is okay and the sound is good
(Shout) all-alright (good sound)
Another expression of approval for the sound and atmosphere
(Shout) all-alright (aah)
An expression of satisfaction or relief
Now wait a minute!
An exclamation to slow the pace and gain attention
I feel alright!
The singer expresses feeling good or content
(Yeah yeah, yeah yeah!)
An expression of excitement and positivity
Now that I got my woman
The singer has attained their desired woman
I feel alright!
The singer continues to feel good or content
Every time I think about you
The person being addressed is frequently on the singer's mind
You been so good to me
The singer acknowledges the person being addressed's positive impact on their life
Jump up and shout now (woo)
An enthusiastic invitation to celebrate and shout
Jump up and shout now (woo)
Another enthusiastic invitation to celebrate and shout
Everybody shout now
An invitation for everyone to join in the shouting and celebration
Everybody shout now
A repetition of the invitation
Everybody, shout, shout
An exhortation to everyone to actively participate in the shouting
Shout, shout, shout
A repetition of the exhortation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: O'kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mcbrion1951
Back in '59, this was considered "race" music at that time (I was not quite in my teen years when this came out).
It did not resonate with the general public, because of its gospel call-and-response "flavor," which was not in favor at the time on the pop charts.Actually, reaching #47 was quite a feat for this kind of music.
The only music that crossed over from r&b was "well-mannered" music. The Platters, for example, had three no. 1 songs because they were melodic and "caressed" the ear with their harmonies. This song was too rowdy, although - had Elvis done it - it would have reached No. 1.
Only after Aretha Franklin arrived did the full scope of gospel-flavored music reach the top of the charts (and with a voice like hers, at that time (1967) and with the Civil Rights Movement in full blossom, how could it not??).
They were, as @carncats07 said, ahead of their time.
@BeefPattyPacks
At my wedding last weekend, my uncle was shirtless within seconds of this song being played. He’s a 300+ lb man. God bless this amazing song.
@ghjcfgchv
Oh my
@anniespence4988
When a good song hits your spirit, you have to jump up and shout.
@fabian4083
God bless this man
@douglasszot8294
Your uncle has me beat by 50 pounds, but I do my best.
@icesk8mike
Omg tmi bro 😂
@andrewtempalski5783
I went to a wedding and this wasnt played. I took back my gift.
@melvinveenstra1226
you made my day great text
@daddygreen9399
Made my day as well good choice
@jonathanturbide2232
What was the gift?