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)
What It Comes Down To
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For so long I've waited for this time
Girl what you mean to me, in reality, is more than I ever hoped for
You will always be, more than right for me, each day I love you more
Well what it comes down to, this is all I want from you
Same as you want from me; that can only be
Love and understanding
It's better than demanding
Why do we stay together, talking about you and me,
You got your reasons, I got mine
Oh, if it had to be, one and only me, sure would be a drag now,
Need somebody who, needs somebody to, keep from being sad now
Well what it comes down to, this is all I want from you
Same as you want from me; that can only be
Love and understanding
For what we have at stake, a little give and take
It's better than demanding
The Isley Brothers's song "What It Comes Down To" is a heartfelt love song that speaks to the importance of love, understanding, and compromise in a relationship. The verses of the song speak about the depth of the singer's love for his partner and how much she means to him. He sings about waiting for this person for a long time and how she is more than he ever hoped for. The chorus then shifts to a discussion about what it takes to make the relationship work. The singer acknowledges that there will be challenges and that both partners need to have a willingness to give and take, with a focus on love and understanding. The final verse focuses on the question of why the couple stays together, and the singer concludes that they need each other to keep from being sad.
Overall, "What It Comes Down To" is a song that beautifully captures the complexities of love and relationships. The lyrics are simple and honest, but also deeply emotional, making the song one that many listeners can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I am loving you, you're like a dream come true
I am in love with you and you are everything I have ever dreamed of.
For so long I've waited for this time
I have been waiting for this moment for a long time.
Girl what you mean to me, in reality, is more than I ever hoped for
In truth, you mean more to me than I ever imagined.
You will always be, more than right for me, each day I love you more
You are always the perfect fit for me and my love for you grows every day.
Well what it comes down to, this is all I want from you
In the end, all I want from you is this.
Same as you want from me; that can only be
This is what you want from me as well, it can only be this.
Love and understanding
We need to love and understand each other.
For what we have at stake, a little give and take
We need to compromise a little to keep what we have.
It's better than demanding
This is much better than making demands of each other.
Why do we stay together, talking about you and me,
Let's discuss why we remain in this relationship.
You got your reasons, I got mine
You have your reasons for staying, and I have mine.
Oh, if it had to be, one and only me, sure would be a drag now,
If we were to separate, it would be difficult for me.
Need somebody who, needs somebody to, keep from being sad now
I need somebody who needs me to keep them from being sad.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER JASPER, CHRISTOPHER H JASPER, ERNIE ISLEY, MARVIN ISLEY, O'KELLY ISLEY, RONALD ISLEY, RUDOLPH ISLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind