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 Would You Do?
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How are why y'all doin' tonight {Fine}
Can I keep it real {Yes}
And say what's on my mind {Yes}
There you are in that chair
Waiting for me to take you there
To break it down and sing to you
who's gonna be the lucky one
Who spend some money on em and have some fun
Tell me, I choose you
(What would you do) What would you do if I said all of
these words were true
(What would you) What would you do if I came down here
and sat with you
(What would you do) What would you do if I told the
band to break it down
(Ooh) What would you do if I said I want to lay you down
(What) What would you do if I put this money in your
hand
(Would you do) What would you do if I said Id like to
be your man
(What would you do, baby) What would you do if I
brought you up here on this stage
What would you do if (Tell me), what would you do
The lights are down (Yeah), the mood is set (Yeah)
The sound is right, I'm heated
Look to my left and check my crowd
Look to my right (Yeah) to see if they are ready now
Tell me who out there feels lucky
Wants me to take em shopping and buy em everything
Hmm, I choose you
(Now what would you do, yeah) What would you do if I
said all of these words were true
(What would you do) What would you do if I came down
here and sat with you
(What, what) What would you do if I told the band to
break it down
(Break it down) What would you do if I said I want to
lay you down
(Ow) What would you do if I put this money in your
hand
(Out this money on your hand, baby) What would you do
if I said Id like to be yo
In The Isley Brothers' song "What Would You Do?", the lead singer is talking to a group of women in the crowd, asking them how they are feeling and if he can keep it real with them. He then takes the opportunity to sing to them about his desires, asking who will be the lucky one to spend some money on and have some fun with. He poses a series of questions to the crowd, asking them what they would do if he said his words were true, sat with them, laid them down, or put money in their hand. The lyrics are a classic example of seductive R&B, with the singer using his smooth voice to tempt the women in the crowd.
The chorus of the song is repeated throughout, solidifying the idea that the singer is using his charm to entice the women in the crowd. The verses are also filled with classic R&B tropes, with the singer talking about how he wants to make the women feel special and desired. The song is an ode to the power of seduction and the thrill of the chase, with the singer using his performance to try to win over some lucky ladies in the audience.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello, ladies
Greeting the audience
How are why y'all doin' tonight
Asking how the audience is feeling
Can I keep it real
Asking permission to speak honestly
And say what's on my mind
Expressing a desire to speak candidly
There you are in that chair
Addressing a specific audience member
Waiting for me to take you there
Acknowledging the audience's anticipation for the performance
To break it down and sing to you
Describing the performer's intentions
And make you feel these words are true
Expressing a goal of creating an authentic emotional experience for the audience
Who's gonna be the lucky one
Teasing the audience by suggesting someone will have a special experience
Who spend some money on em and have some fun
Hinting at a desire to indulge in luxury or excitement
Tell me, I choose you
Selecting someone from the audience
(What would you do) What would you do if I said all of these words were true
Hypothetically asking how the chosen audience member would react if the performer's words were sincere
(What would you) What would you do if I came down here and sat with you
Asking for another hypothetical scenario where the performer gets close to the audience member
(What would you do) What would you do if I told the band to break it down
Yet another hypothetical scenario where the performer suggests a change in the performance
(Ooh) What would you do if I said I want to lay you down
Suggesting a romantic/sexual encounter
(What) What would you do if I put this money in your hand
Proposing a financial gift
(Would you do) What would you do if I said I'd like to be your man
Hypothetically expressing romantic interest
(What would you do, baby) What would you do if I brought you up here on this stage
Another hypothetical where the performer brings the audience member up on stage
The lights are down (Yeah), the mood is set (Yeah)
Setting the scene for a potentially intimate moment
The sound is right, I'm heated
Describing the performer's emotional state
Look to my left and check my crowd
Observing the audience
Look to my right (Yeah) to see if they are ready now
Checking for audience readiness
Tell me who out there feels lucky
Asking for volunteers/attention
Wants me to take em shopping and buy em everything
Suggesting a lavish experience
Hmm, I choose you
Selecting another audience member
(Now what would you do, yeah) What would you do if I said all of these words were true
Asking yet another hypothetical about the audience member's reaction to sincerity
(What would you do) What would you do if I came down here and sat with you
Repeating a previous hypothetical
(What, what) What would you do if I told the band to break it down
Repeating yet another hypothetical
(Break it down) What would you do if I said I want to lay you down
A variation of a previous hypothetical
(Ow) What would you do if I put this money in your hand
A repeated proposal of a financial gift
(Out this money on your hand, baby) What would you do if I said I'd like to be your man
Repeating a hypothetical expression of romantic interest
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBERT S. KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@blueheels6771
Whatever R.Kelly is going through good or bad, he has to answer to God, but you have to give him his credit, the boy Kelly is a bad super producer, songwriter, singer, musician, & performer. A truly gifted blessed entertainer, only God can judge him, who has not sin cast the first stone.
@landrerog4257
Exactly
@awwhellnaww513
Still he must face the justice system for what he has done. He may be all that but that does not give him a pass to do whatever he pleases.
@royfields8840
@@awwhellnaww513 Who said anything about a "pass"?
@lyricdavilogyld7002
Your point is good, Problem is y’all are saying what your saying out of your mouth but it seems like your hearts are praising him and giving him a pass in your hearts, because his music is Good, let him be a regular person that mess with your daughter or younger sister, I’m willing to be Your energy would be completely different..
@shaylafreeling9987
smh r Kelly isn't the only person here to blame if theses girls wasn't reporting clearly they liked it theses parents sold their children #per no way would I let my daughter go off with an male singer #per theses girls was like 14 15 16 we all know at that age little girls r fast blame the parents ijs if I was 16 n seen r Kelly I would b a victim too! We have married couples that r famous n the women r young n the man r old as dirt please leave r Kelly along and worry about the white man trump that's in office doing what he wants
@resilience7810
I WILL NEVER STOP LISTENING TO R KELLY
@miltonmurray5871
Me either under no circumstances
@kianicole2327
Me either he still on my Spotify Playlist
@miltonmurray5871
I am 74 he is a young black legend they are getting our people to help destroy but God has the young genius back the parents has to understand hometraing starts with them God bless his gift to man his music can't be denied Memphis