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)
Vacuum Cleaner
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is like a vacuum cleaner
Would you believe
It keeps pullin' me in
My love
Is like a vacuum cleaner
Would you believe
Come on get a witness
You got to keep on tryin'
My love baby
So satisifyin'
I gotta love you
Everyday now
I wanna treat you baby
Every which-a way
My love now
Is like a vacuum cleaner
Would you believe
It keeps pullin' me in now
My love
My love my love
Is like a vacuum cleaner
Would you believe
It keeps pullin' me in now
My love
My love
My love is like a vacuum cleaner
Would you believe
It keeps pullin' me in now
I gotta build
I wanna build
A fence around you
I wanna make some
Stay by my side
I wanna keep you
Keep you happy baby
I wanna keep you
Oh keep you satisfied
My love now my love
Is like a vacuum cleaner
Oh girl you believe
You better
Pullin' me in
It keeps pullin'
Pullin'
Pullin'
It keeps pullin'
Pullin'
Pullin'
It keeps pullin'
Pullin'
Pullin'
It keeps pullin'
Pullin'
Pullin'
It keeps pullin'
My love now
My love my love
Is like a vacuum cleaner
My love my love
You better believe
My love my love
It keeps pullin' me in
My love my love
My love
My love my love
Is like a vacuum cleaner
My love my love
You better believe
My love my love
It keeps pullin' me in
My love my love
The Isley Brothers' "Vacuum Cleaner" is a lighthearted love song that compares the intensity of the singer's love to the power of a vacuum cleaner. In the opening lines, the singer suggests that his love is so powerful that it keeps "pullin' me in" just like a vacuum cleaner does. He states that he wants to "treat you baby every which-a-way," reaffirming his commitment to his lover.
The lyrics are playful, with the singer using the metaphor of a vacuum cleaner to describe his love. The chorus is repeated several times, emphasizing the strength and intention of his love. The bridge of the song is more declarative and specific in what he wants, highlighting that he wants to build a fence and have his lover stay by his side. In the end, the message is clear that the singer is devoted to his love and will do whatever it takes to keep it strong.
Line by Line Meaning
My love
The depth and intensity of my love
Is like a vacuum cleaner
Has an inexplicable ability to pull me in
Would you believe
As unbelievable as it may sound
It keeps pullin' me in
Continues to draw me closer
Would you believe
As unbelievable as it may sound
It keeps pullin' me in girl
Continues to captivate me, my love interest
Come on get a witness
I need someone to testify to the power of my love
You got to keep on tryin'
You have to keep experiencing my love to understand its hold on me
My love baby
The love I have for you
So satisifyin'
Is completely fulfilling
I gotta love you
I am compelled to love only you
Everyday now
Every single day of my life
I wanna treat you baby
I want to show you how special you are to me
Every which-a way
In every possible way and manner
Is like a vacuum cleaner
Has an inexplicable ability to pull me in
It keeps pullin' me in now
Continues to keep me captivated
My love
The depth and intensity of my love
My love my love
The magnitude of the depth of my love
It keeps pullin' me in now
Continues to keep me captivated
My love
The depth and intensity of my love
My love
The depth and intensity of my love
My love is like a vacuum cleaner
Has an inexplicable pull that keeps me close
Would you believe
As unbelievable as it may sound
It keeps pullin' me in now
Continues to keep me captivated
I gotta build
I have to establish something strong and lasting
I wanna build
I desire to construct something beautiful
A fence around you
Protection and provision for you
I wanna make some
I want to create something wonderful with you
Stay by my side
Being together is my ultimate desire
I wanna keep you
I desire to protect and provide for you
Keep you happy baby
Ensure that you find true joy and contentment
Oh keep you satisfied
To ensure that all your needs are met
It keeps pullin' me in
Continues to captivate me
My love now my love
The depth and intensity of my love
Oh girl you believe
You should believe
You better
It's imperative, and essential that you understand
It keeps pullin' me in
Continues to captivate me
It keeps pullin'...
Repetition emphasizes the strong gravitational pull of my love
My love now
The depth and intensity of my love
My love my love
The magnitude of the depth of my love
It keeps pullin' me in
Continues to captivate me
My love my love
The magnitude of the depth of my love
You better believe
It's imperative, and essential that you understand
It keeps pullin' me in
Continues to captivate me
My love my love
The magnitude of the depth of my love
Contributed by Natalie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TheCosmicFunker
Another tremendous track from a superb group,
Gregg Gomes
got this diamond in my vinyl collection ..... BOOM !!!!
KiN CAMELL
Much Appreciation
mrbrum1 mrbrum1
Funk!
Todd Williams
Outta sight!
Dazzy Junior
Dynamite.
jaimie gordon
find me a better side on any album
Courtney davis
mad..bullet