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)
Sunshine
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't feel much like dancing
Some man's gone, he's tried to run my life
Don't know what he's asking
He tells me I'd better get in line
Can't hear what he's saying
When I grow up I'm going to make it mine
(Chorus)
How much does it cost, I'll buy it
The time is all we've lost, I'll try it
But he can't even run his own life
I'll be damned if he'll run mine, Sunshine
Sunshine go away today
I don't feel much like dancing
Some man's gone he's tried to run my life
Don't know what he's asking
Working starts to make me wonder where
The fruits of what I do are going
He says in love and war all is fair
But he's got cards he ain't showing
(Chorus)
Sunshine come on back another day
I promise you I'll be singing
This old world, she's gonna turn around
Brand new bells'll be ringing
The Isley Brothers's song "Sunshine" speaks to the idea of independence and individuality. The opening verse is a declaration of someone who is tired of being controlled by another person. The lyrics "Some man's gone, he's tried to run my life, don't know what he's asking" suggest that the person is in a controlling or abusive relationship, and is yearning to break free. The chorus is a declaration of defiance, as the singer refuses to let anyone control them. The line "How much does it cost, I'll buy it" is a nod to the idea that independence may come at a cost, but it's worth it. The following line "The time is all we've lost, I'll try it" suggests that it's better to take the risk and try to gain independence than to continue losing time under someone else's control.
The second verse suggests that the singer is also feeling disillusioned by their work. They are wondering where the fruits of their labor are going, and the man in their life is telling them that in love and war anything goes. However, the singer is not convinced, as they suggest that he still has cards he hasn't shown.
The final verse is much more optimistic. It ends with the line "Brand new bells'll be ringing", which suggests that the singer believes that if they can break free from this controlling situation, they will be able to find joy and a new beginning. It's a song that speaks to the idea of taking control of one's own life, even if it comes at a cost.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunshine go away today
The singer does not want to deal with the man who is trying to control their life.
I don't feel much like dancing
The singer is not in the mood to be joyful or lively.
Some man's gone, he's tried to run my life
The man has been attempting to control the singer's life.
Don't know what he's asking
The singer is confused about why the man is trying to control their life.
He tells me I'd better get in line
The man is issuing a demand for the singer to comply with his expectations.
Can't hear what he's saying
The singer is choosing not to listen to the man's demands.
When I grow up I'm going to make it mine
The singer intends to take control of their life in the future.
But these aren't dues I been paying
The singer believes that they do not deserve to be controlled by others.
How much does it cost, I'll buy it
The singer is willing to do whatever it takes to gain control of their life.
The time is all we've lost, I'll try it
The singer recognizes that they have wasted time being controlled and will try to regain control.
But he can't even run his own life
The man who is trying to control the singer's life is unable to manage his own.
I'll be damned if he'll run mine, Sunshine
The singer will not allow the man to control their life and will resist.
Working starts to make me wonder where
The singer is questioning the value of their work.
The fruits of what I do are going
The singer is not seeing the results of their work.
He says in love and war all is fair
The man is suggesting that anything goes in matters of love and conflict.
But he's got cards he ain't showing
The man is hiding something from the singer.
Sunshine come on back another day
The singer is asking for the man to leave and come back at a different time.
I promise you I'll be singing
The singer will be happy and joyful as soon as the man leaves.
This old world, she's gonna turn around
The singer believes that the world will become better.
Brand new bells'll be ringing
The singer imagines a future filled with positivity and new opportunities.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jonathan Edwards
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind