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 Deserve Better
The Isley Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Hear me now, hear me now, hear me now)
Oh, oh I
Oh, oh I
(Hear me now, hear me now, hear me now)
Oh, oh I, yeah
He never took you to a picture show (Oh why)
You never had a picnic in the park (Oh why)
He never took you dancin' after dark
See you deserve better babe
[Chorus]
You deserve better babe
(Than the man that just don't care)
You deserve better babe
(Ain't no good if he ain't never there)
You deserve better babe
(Here me now, hear me now, hear me now)
You deserve better, better
Even better babe (Even better babe)
He never took you on a shopping spree (Oh why)
Just bought hisself another diamond ring (Oh why)
He never offered up to pay a bill (Oh why)
But 4 am, you know he wants it still
See you deserve better babe
[Chorus]
See every girl deserves a little wine and dine
Pop the Cristal cuz we gon' feel wild
So let me pour it out, I'll do it quick no doubt
Let me fill up your glass, I'm 'gona make it last
Any man that have you, he should blow your mind
Boom boom boom, your mind
So listen to me girl, don't waste no more time
Don't be wasting no time
See you deserver better babe
[Chorus]
See if it's loving you (I can do it better)
Or taking care of you (I can do it better)
Or being true to you (I can do it better)
I'll do whatever you want me to
See if it's loving you (I can do it better)
Or taking care of you (I can do it better)
Being true to you (I can do it better)
I'll do whatever you want me to (I can do it better)
You deserve better babe (Hear me now, hear me now)
You deserve better babe (Hear me now, hear me now)
You deserve better babe (Hear me now, hear me now)
You deserve better, better
Even better babe
I can do what your man won't do
Oh, I can do it better (I can do it better)
Anything you want (I can do it better)
I got it
Oh, I (I can do it better)
Anything you need (I can do it better)
The lyrics of "You Deserve Better" by The Isley Brothers speak to the fact that the singer's love interest has been treated poorly by her current partner and deserves better. The song comprises a series of lists of things that the current partner never did for her that she deserved. He never took her to a picture show, carnival, or a picnic in the park. He never took her dancing after dark or went on a shopping spree with her. He neglected to offer to pay a bill, and the only time he wants to be with her is at 4 am. The singer is telling the woman that she deserves better than what she's getting, and he's offering to do better himself. The song ends with the singer promising to do whatever the woman wants him to.
The song's chorus emphasizes the idea that the woman deserves better. She deserves a man who cares about her, who is there for her, and who treats her the way she deserves to be treated. The song conveys the notion that every woman deserves to be "wined and dined" and treated like a queen. It is a song about empowerment, encouraging women not to settle for less than they deserve and reminding them that they have the power to demand better.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, oh I (Hear me now, hear me now, hear me now) Oh, oh I Oh, oh I (Hear me now, hear me now, hear me now) Oh, oh I, yeah
The singer is urging the listener to pay attention and listen closely to what he has to stay. He proclaims that he can do better than the person the listener is currently with.
He never took you to a picture show (Oh why)
The listener's current partner never made the effort to take them out on dates or do anything special for them.
He never took you to a carnival (Oh why)
The listener's current partner never took them to fun places where they could have a good time together.
You never had a picnic in the park (Oh why)
The listener's current partner never went out of their way to plan any romantic outings or activities together.
He never took you dancin' after dark
The listener's current partner never took them out dancing or stayed up late with them to have fun.
See you deserve better babe
The singer believes that the listener deserves someone who will treat them better and make more of an effort in the relationship.
You deserve better babe (Than the man that just don't care)
The listener deserves someone who will care about them and put effort into the relationship.
You deserve better babe (Ain't no good if he ain't never there)
The listener deserves someone who will be present in their life and make time for them.
You deserve better babe (Here me now, hear me now, hear me now)
The singer is emphasizing that the listener needs to hear his message and realize that they deserve better.
You deserve better, better Even better babe (Even better babe)
The singer believes that not only does the listener deserve better than their current partner, but they also deserve the best.
He never took you on a shopping spree (Oh why)
The listener's current partner never spent money on them or took them shopping for nice things.
Just bought hisself another diamond ring (Oh why)
The listener's current partner only spent money on themselves and never on the listener.
He never offered up to pay a bill (Oh why)
The listener's current partner never offered to contribute financially and left all the burden on the listener.
But 4 am, you know he wants it still
The listener's current partner only cares about their physical desires and does not truly care for the listener.
See every girl deserves a little wine and dine
The singer believes that every girl deserves to be treated to a nice dinner or a fancy outing.
Pop the Cristal cuz we gon' feel wild
The singer suggests celebrating by drinking champagne and having a good time.
So let me pour it out, I'll do it quick no doubt
The singer offers to pour the champagne and guarantees that he will do it quickly and efficiently.
Let me fill up your glass, I'm 'gona make it last
The singer offers to refill the listener's glass and promises to make the champagne last as long as possible.
Any man that have you, he should blow your mind Boom boom boom, your mind
The singer believes that any man who has the listener as their partner should make them incredibly happy and fulfill all of their needs.
So listen to me girl, don't waste no more time Don't be wasting no time
The singer urges the listener to listen to his advice and not waste any more time with their current partner.
See you deserver better babe
The singer reiterates that the listener deserves better and encourages them to realize this.
See if it's loving you (I can do it better) Or taking care of you (I can do it better) Being true to you (I can do it better) I'll do whatever you want me to
The singer promises to be a better partner than the listener's current one and do whatever is necessary to make them happy.
You deserve better babe (Hear me now, hear me now) You deserve better babe (Hear me now, hear me now) You deserve better babe (Hear me now, hear me now) You deserve better, better Even better babe
The singer reiterates that the listener deserves better and emphasizes the importance of their message.
I can do what your man won't do Oh, I can do it better (I can do it better) Anything you want (I can do it better) I got it Oh, I (I can do it better) Anything you need (I can do it better)
The singer assures the listener that he can fulfill all of their needs and wants, unlike their current partner.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEPHEN EDWARD HUFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind