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)
Tell Me It's Just a Rumor Baby
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh baby
Another day is passing by
And here I sit in sorrow
Tears streamin' from my eyes
I'm afraid to face tomorrow
Tryin' to make me see
Your love is gone
You're movin' on
Soon be leaving me
So tell me it's just a rumor baby
(Tell me it is just a rumor love)
Ooh babe
They say you've found another love
You don't need me anymore, no
It may be pride I feel inside
'Cause my love is growin' stronger
I pay the cost of the love I lost
I can't turn to you
And here what seems to be the thing
That the people say is true
C'mon an' tell me, just a rumor baby (Tell me it is just a rumor baby)
Tell me, just a rumor love (Tell me it is just a rumor love)
Oh
Listen to me baby
I just need to conceal
The way I truly feel
I love you too much to hide it
There's no need to deny
I love you so
I'm going insane from loving in vain
And you'll soon make a fool of me
But I can't accept a word I hear
Unless you say the same to me
C'mon an' tell me it's just a rumor baby (Tell me it is just a rumor baby)
C'mon an' tell me, yeah (Tell me it is just a rumor love)
Ooh
Tell me it is just a rumor baby
C'mon an' tell me it's just a rumor, baby
Oh no, tell me
It's just a rumor, baby
C'mon an' tell me
The lyrics to The Isley Brothers' song "Tell Me It's Just a Rumor Baby" speak to the fear and anxiety of a lover who has heard rumors that their partner is leaving them for someone else. The singer is in a state of despair, crying and afraid to face the future, as they hear whispers from their friends that their love is gone and they will soon be left alone. Despite the pain, the singer still loves their partner too much to hide it, and they desperately seek reassurance that the rumors are not true.
The song captures the universal experience of heartache and the fear of being abandoned by someone you love. The emotional turmoil that the singer goes through is evident in the vivid imagery of tears streaming down their face and the desperation in their plea for the truth. While the song is simple in its structure, the powerful vocals of The Isley Brothers bring a depth and rawness to the lyrics that make it a classic soul ballad.
Overall, "Tell Me It's Just a Rumor Baby" is a timeless song that speaks to the human experience of love and loss. Its themes of heartbreak and desperation are just as relatable today as they were when the song was originally released in 1967.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me it is just a rumor baby
Asking for reassurance that the rumors about the partner leaving are not true
Another day is passing by
Time continues even though the singer is stuck in their sorrow
And here I sit in sorrow
The singer is consumed by their emotions and cannot function normally
Tears streamin' from my eyes
The sadness is so overwhelming that the singer can't even control their tears
I'm afraid to face tomorrow
The future seems uncertain and the singer is scared of what it holds
The things I hear from my friends
The singer is getting information about their partner from sources other than the partner themselves
Tryin' to make me see
People are attempting to convince the singer that their partner is leaving
Your love is gone
Others believe that the partner has moved on from the relationship
You're movin' on
The partner is preparing to leave the singer behind emotionally and physically
Soon be leaving me
The partner is planning to end the relationship and cut ties with the singer
They say you've found another love
The rumors suggest that the partner has moved on to someone else
You don't need me anymore, no
The singer feels as though they are no longer useful or important to the partner
It may be pride I feel inside
The singer is struggling with feelings of self-importance and ego
'Cause my love is growin' stronger
Even though the partner may be leaving, the singer's love for them continues to grow
I pay the cost of the love I lost
The singer is suffering the consequences of putting everything into a relationship that may be ending
I can't turn to you
The singer feels as though they cannot seek comfort from the partner
And here what seems to be the thing
The singer is convinced that what they are hearing is true
That the people say is true
Others are convinced that the partner is leaving the singer
Listen to me baby
An urgent plea for the partner to pay attention
I just need to conceal
The singer is trying to hide their true feelings, but it's becoming increasingly difficult
The way I truly feel
The singer is in love with the partner and doesn't want them to leave
I love you too much to hide it
The singer cannot keep their love for the partner hidden any longer
There's no need to deny
The singer is asking the partner to be honest about their feelings
I'm going insane from loving in vain
The singer is feeling helpless and desperate because their love may not be reciprocated
And you'll soon make a fool of me
The singer fears that the partner will embarrass or humiliate them in some way
But I can't accept a word I hear
The singer does not trust rumors and wants to hear the truth directly from the partner
Unless you say the same to me
The singer wants the partner to confirm that they still love them
C'mon an' tell me it's just a rumor baby
The singer is begging the partner to deny the rumors and reassure them that they are not leaving
C'mon an' tell me
An urgent, desperate plea for the truth
Oh no, tell me
Anxiety and fear
It's just a rumor, baby
The only thing that will ease the singer's mind is if the partner denies the rumors and professes their love
Writer(s): Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol, Vernon Bullock
Contributed by Kennedy J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@michaelhull5953
65 and still dancing to Motown...love it . .bless all and thank you
@kata369
Good lad me to lol
@lilwen4063
Memories...I can still dance like I'm at Wigan Casino or somewhere on Crompton Way Bolton....I'm 63yrs...young..
@MJ.71
Good on yer KTF
@lisafairclough8122
Me too I'm 63,Fantastic music!!!!!
@boltontrotter
Yes I used to go there. It was called The Casino
@geofffoden6490
Iam now 70 but for me i still have my musics best memories of all motown, soul and northern soul. It
@Genghis-Khan121
One of the best dancers from Motown ever!! And still in my top five , and still play it in my sets now and again ,
@suebradford5758
😁🎶❤🎶😁...Thank you 👍...Thank You Lord ✝️ for the Tingles 🙏❤✝️
..
@Muziekgenot
How happy this music makes me on this dark and gloomy december afternoon 2018. Motown never dies, 'cause we're addicted to it.