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)
You're All I Need
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the hope I had in finding love was almost gone
Then an angel came along
I believe good things come to those who wait
And destiny, girl, I know it must be fate
Now I see, 'cause I found my soul mate
You're all I need
So wonderful, beautiful
But the words don't do you justice, girl
You're so much more
And I dedicate my life to love you so
Love you so
I believe good things come to those who wait
And destiny, it must be fate
'cause now I see, babe, 'cause I found my soul mate
You're all I need, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Let me say it, I wanna say it again, girl
I believe that good things come to those who wait
And destiny, girl, I know it must be fate
'cause now I see, 'cause I found my soul mate
You're all I need
Never, never, never, never, never, never leave me, babe
Stay right there, right there, right there
So hard to describe, babe, you bring tears to my eyes
You're all I need
[Incomprehensible]
[Incomprehensible] love you so, baby
You're all I need, baby
The Isley Brothers’ song, “You’re All I Need,” is a romantic ballad that expresses the joy of finding true love after a long time of being alone. The opening lines create a sense of loneliness and despair that can be felt by the listener. The hope of finding love was almost gone, and it appeared as if they had been searching for it for a long time. But then, an angel appeared, signifying the arrival of someone special in the singer's life. The singer elaborates on how he believes that good things come to those who wait and how destiny must have played a part in them finding their soul mate. The singer feels that the girl is so wonderful and beautiful that words do not do her justice. He promises to dedicate his life to her and love her with all his heart.
The bridge of the song is a repetition of how the singer believes that good things come to those who wait, and one's destiny must be fate. He found his soul mate, and now she is all he needs. The repetition of “no, no, no” at the end is a sign of the singer's determination to hold on to his love and never let go. The last part of the song is a plea for the girl never to leave him as he is wholeheartedly devoted to her. The song's melody is soulful, and the harmonies of the Isleys' voices give the song an angelic feel, perfectly matching its theme.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, all alone for so long
I've been alone for a long time and nearly lost hope in finding love
All the hope I had in finding love was almost gone
My hope in finding love was nearly gone
Then an angel came along
Then I met someone special
I believe good things come to those who wait
I believe that patience is rewarded with good things
And destiny, girl, I know it must be fate
I believe that our meeting was destined and fate brought us together
Now I see, 'cause I found my soul mate
Now I see that I was meant to meet my soul mate
You're all I need
You're the only one I need
So wonderful, beautiful
You're amazing and stunning
But the words don't do you justice, girl
Words can't describe how special you are
You're so much more
You're beyond words and description
And I dedicate my life to love you so
I will love you and dedicate my life to you
Let me say it, I wanna say it again, girl
I want to say it again because it's so important
Never, never, never, never, never, never leave me, babe
Please never leave me
Stay right there, right there, right there
Stay close and don't go away
So hard to describe, babe, you bring tears to my eyes
You're indescribable and you make me emotional
I love you so, baby
I love you so much
You're all I need, baby
You're everything I need
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JAMES HARRIS III, JAMES WRIGHT, JAMES QUENTON WRIGHT, JAMES SAMUEL III HARRIS, TERRY LEWIS, TONY TOLBERT, TONY L TOLBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind