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)
The Wah Watusi
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C'mon and take a chance and get-a with this dance
Wah, wah-a Watusi
Oh, baby, it's the dance made-a for romance (shoo-bop, shoo-bop, ahh)
Baby, baby, when you do The Twist
Never, never do you get yourself kissed
'Cause you're always dancin' far apart
Wah-a, wah, wah-a Watusi
C'mon and take a chance and get-a with this dance (shoo-bop, shoo-
bop, ahh)
Baby, baby, when you do The Fly
Your arms are wasted wavin' in the sky
Come on and hold me like a lover should
The Watusi makes you feel so good
Wah-a, wah, wah-a Watusi
Oh, baby, it's the dance made-a for romance
Yay!!
(Shoo-bop, shoo-bop, ahh)
Baby, baby, that's the way it goes
Nothing happens when you Mash Potatoes
I just gotta fall in love with you
Watusi is the dance to do
Wah-a, wah, wah-a Watusi
C'mon and take a chance and get-a with this dance
Wah, wah-a Watusi
Oh, baby, it's the dance made-a for romance
The Isley Brothers’ song “The Wah Watusi” is a fun, upbeat dance song that encourages listeners to try a new dance craze that’s perfect for romance. The lyrics describe how the Watusi dance is different from other popular dances like the Twist and the Fly because it allows dancers to get close and feel intimate with their partner. In the beginning of the song, the repetitious call “wah, wah-a Watusi” invites listeners to let loose and take a chance on this new form of dance.
Throughout the song, the lyrics contrast the Watusi with other dances that don’t allow for close contact, explaining how the Watusi is “really smart” and “makes you feel so good.” The song’s catchy melody and rhythmic arrangement encourage listeners to dance along and try out the Watusi for themselves. Overall, “The Wah Watusi” is a joyous, infectious dance tune that celebrates the pleasures of moving to the music and connecting with others.
Interesting facts about The Isley Brothers’ song “The Wah Watusi”:
Line by Line Meaning
Wah, wah-a Watusi
The song is about the Watusi dance, and this line is an upbeat invitation to try it out!
C'mon and take a chance and get-a with this dance
Don't be afraid to give the Watusi a try, join in and see how it goes!
Oh, baby, it's the dance made-a for romance (shoo-bop, shoo-bop, ahh)
The Watusi is a dance that's perfect for romantic partners to share and enjoy together.
Baby, baby, when you do The Twist
Compared to the Watusi, The Twist is a less romantic dance style.
Never, never do you get yourself kissed
Since the dancers are far apart in The Twist, there aren't many opportunities for physical closeness or intimacy.
'Cause you're always dancin' far apart
The Twist involves a lot of individual movement and not much interaction between partners.
The Watusi, girl, is-a really smart
The Watusi is a more sophisticated dance style compared to other popular dance trends at the time.
Oh, baby, it's the dance made-a for romance (shoo-bop, shoo-bop, ahh)
This line reinforces the idea that the Watusi is a great dance style for couples in love to share together.
Baby, baby, when you do The Fly
The Fly is another less romantic dance style compared to the Watusi.
Your arms are wasted wavin' in the sky
In The Fly, the dancers' arms move a lot, but they don't get to hold each other closely like they would in the Watusi.
Come on and hold me like a lover should
This is a plea to dance the Watusi with passion and intimacy, embracing each other like lovers would.
The Watusi makes you feel so good
The Watusi is a dance that's meant to be enjoyed and can bring happiness and pleasure to those who dance it.
Baby, baby, that's the way it goes
The song acknowledges that there are other popular dance styles out there besides the Watusi.
Nothing happens when you Mash Potatoes
Compared to the Watusi, Mash Potatoes isn't a very exciting dance style and doesn't offer many opportunities for intimacy or romance
I just gotta fall in love with you
This line expresses the desire to connect romantically with someone through the medium of dance.
Watusi is the dance to do
The message of the song is clear - if you want to dance with romance and passion, the Watusi is the dance style to try!
Wah, wah-a Watusi
The song ends with one more shoutout to the Watusi and an invitation to dance.
C'mon and take a chance and get-a with this dance
This final line is a repeat of the opening line, emphasizing the song's central message: give the Watusi a try and see how it feels!
Yay!!
This line adds a final note of excitement and joy to the song, celebrating the pleasures of dance and romance.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kal Mann, Dave Appell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind