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)
That's The Way Love Is
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
a thousand times you ask yourself why
the one guy you love has departed
and you're left alone and broken hearted.
Love just comes and it goes.
How long it's gonna last, say, nobody knows.
That's The Way Love Is, baby,
That's The Way Love Is, sugar,
(That's The Way Love Is, sure enough how it is.)
I know you're walkin' down a lonesome road
and your heart is carryin' a heavy load.
I know you feel like you ain't got a friend
and your whole world is cavin' in.
Now's the time to be strong,
you gotta forget him now that he's gone,
and remember.
That's The Way Love Is, baby,
(That's The Way Love Is, sure enough how it is.)
That's The Way Love Is, sugar,
(That's The Way Love Is, sure enough how it is.)
The road of love gets rough some times don't let it get the best of you.
Said I've been hurt by love so many times,
so I know just what you're goin' through.
You wish that you were never born, you gotta forget him now that he's gone,
just Remember.
That's The Way Love Is, baby,
(That's The Way Love Is, sure enough how it is.)
That's The Way Love Is, sugar,
(That's The Way Love Is, sure enough how it is.)
Love is here today and gone tomorrow,
(That's The Way Love Is, sure enough how it is.)
All of your joys turn to sorrow,
(That's The Way Love Is, sure enough how it is.)
One day gladness next day sadness,
(That's The Way Love Is, sure enough how it is.)
Love is here today and gone tomorrow,
(That's The Way Love Is, sure enough how it is.)
All of your joys turn to sorrow,
(That's The Way Love Is, sure enough how it is.)
One day gladness next day sadness,
(That's The Way Love Is, sure enough how it is.)
The Isley Brothers's song That's The Way Love Is is an emotional R&B ballad about the ups and downs of love. The song starts with a melancholic tone describing the pain of a broken heart. The lyrics talk about how love is unpredictable and can come and go without warning. The chorus, "That's The Way Love Is," serves as a reminder that love is not always easy, and sometimes it can be painful. The song encourages listeners to be strong and move on from a lost love.
The second verse of the song reflects on how difficult it is to deal with a broken heart, and the feeling of being alone in the world. The lyrics encourage the listener to be strong and rise above the pain of a heartbreak. The second chorus of the song reinforces the fact that love can be tough, but we must keep moving forward.
In the last verse of the song, the lyrics talk about how love can bring joy and happiness one day, and then turn into sadness and sorrow the next. The chorus repeats again, reminding listeners to let go of lost love and keep moving forward.
Overall, the song’s message is reaffirming and relatable to anyone who has ever gone through the pain of a heartbreak. It encourages listeners to be strong, have hope, and move on.
Line by Line Meaning
As the bitter tears fall from your eyes
You are crying because the person you love has left you.
a thousand times you ask yourself why
You keep wondering why this person had to leave you, even though you loved them deeply.
the one guy you love has departed
The person you loved has left you and you feel alone.
and you're left alone and broken hearted.
You are alone and your heart is broken because the one you loved is gone.
Love just comes and it goes.
Love can come into your life unexpectedly and just as easily leave you feeling heartbroken.
How long it's gonna last, say, nobody knows.
It is impossible to predict how long love will last; it could be forever or just a fleeting moment.
That's The Way Love Is, baby,
This is simply the way love is and we have to accept it.
(That's The Way Love Is, sure enough how it is.)
This is the reality of love and we cannot change it.
I know you're walkin' down a lonesome road
You feel lonely because the person you loved is no longer with you.
and your heart is carryin' a heavy load.
You are carrying a heavy burden in your heart because you are hurting.
I know you feel like you ain't got a friend
You feel like you have no one to talk to or confide in.
and your whole world is cavin' in.
Your world is falling apart because the person you loved is no longer with you.
Now's the time to be strong,
You need to be strong and resilient during this difficult time.
you gotta forget him now that he's gone,
You have to move on from the person you loved because they are no longer with you.
and remember.
Remember that love is unpredictable and we cannot control it.
The road of love gets rough sometimes don't let it get the best of you.
Love can be tough, but don't let it defeat you.
Said I've been hurt by love so many times,
The singer has personally experienced the pain of love many times.
so I know just what you're goin' through.
The singer understands your pain and knows what you are going through.
You wish that you were never born, you gotta forget him now that he's gone,
You may feel like life is not worth living now that the person you loved is gone, but you need to move on.
just Remember.
Remember that love is unpredictable and we must accept it for what it is.
Love is here today and gone tomorrow,
Love can be fleeting and it may not last forever.
All of your joys turn to sorrow,
When love ends, the happiness you once felt can turn into sadness and pain.
One day gladness next day sadness,
Love can be unpredictable, and our emotions can change rapidly.
(That's The Way Love Is, sure enough how it is.)
This is simply the way love works, and we must accept that.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bambi9753
Wow where is everybody for this brilliant track from the Isleys???
NYC Songman
Bambi9753
I’m here: Life-long fan of Rudolph, Ronald, and O’Kelly (and the later inclusion of Chris, Marvin, and Ernie)
This my first time hearing this earlier version of the monster 1969 Marvin hit.
Motown producers had an ongoing practice of cutting different versions of songs with their different artists.
The beat, arrangement, and Ron’s vocals remind me of the Isley’s hit of the same year, the sterling “Got To Have You Back”, as Motown battled the Beatles for pop music world dominance. Quite a feat.
alex arolas garcia
Esta buena canción la compusieron NORMAN WHITFIELD y BARRETT STRONG para THE ISLEY BROTHERS quienes la cantaron y la publicaron en el año 1967
Norman SoulTrain Ghaleb
A great track.
Tony Marzocco
Before Marvin Gaye's hit version in 1969, THIS original from 1967 (Lou Simon SiriusXM)
damian samuel
Haven`t heard this one.... Great
hughesjr
#122 POP.
Mystery Management
Right here!
Colin Sanders
entered Vancouver's CFUN chart Sept 2, 1967
mick brown
::::::))))))KTF