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 Lucky Old Sun
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids
Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
While that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Tears all in my eyes
Send down that cloud with a silver linin'
Lift me to paradise
Show me that river
Take me across and wash all my troubles away
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Up in the mornin' out on the job,
Work like the devil for my pay
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids
Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
While that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Good Lawd above, can't you know I'm pinin'
Tears all in my eyes
Send down that cloud with a silver linin'
Lift me to paradise
Show me that river
Take me across and wash all my troubles away
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
The Isley Brothers' song "That Lucky Old Sun" is a melancholic ballad about the daily struggles of life and the desire to find peace and happiness. The lyrics depict a weary working-class man who wakes up early in the morning and works tirelessly to earn his living. He takes care of his family, but he's exhausted and aging, and the weight of his responsibilities is taking its toll on him. Meanwhile, the sun, the symbol of freedom and endless possibilities, seems to have nothing to do but roll around in heaven all day. The singer's frustration and envy are palpable, and he can't help but feel envious of the carefree sun.
The singer's longing for something better is expressed in the chorus, where he implores the "Good Lord above" to send down a cloud with a silver lining, lift him to paradise, and wash all his troubles away. He wants to be like the lucky old sun, with nothing to do but roll around in heaven all day, enjoying the good life without a care in the world. The song suggests that the real source of happiness and contentment lies beyond the mundane, everyday struggles of life, and that what we need is a change of perspective and a shift in priorities.
Line by Line Meaning
Up in the mornin' out on the job, work like the devil for my pay
I wake up early in the morning and work hard at my job to earn money.
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
The sun has an easy job of just moving around in the sky all day while I work hard.
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
I work hard to take care of my family and sometimes it causes me stress and makes me tired.
While that lucky old sun has nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
The sun does not have to deal with the stresses of raising a family and can simply move around in the sky all day.
Good Lawd above, can't you know I'm pinin' Tears all in my eyes
I am feeling sad and longing for relief from my hardships.
Send down that cloud with a silver linin' Lift me to paradise
I am hoping for some sort of relief or break from my hard work and struggles.
Show me that river Take me across and wash all my troubles away
I want to escape my troubles and be taken to a place of ease and peace.
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
I wish for a life free of stress and hardship, like the sun that has an easy job of simply moving around in the sky.
Up in the mornin' out on the job, Work like the devil for my pay
I continue to work hard every day, despite my hardships.
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
The sun continues to have an easy job, while I continue to work hard.
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
I continue to work hard to take care of my family, which causes me stress and aging.
While that lucky old sun has nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
The sun continues to have an easy job, while I continue to work hard and struggle with my responsibilities.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Beasley Smith, Haven Gillespie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind