The Isley Brothers are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati… Read Full Bio ↴The Isley Brothers are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that started as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over eight decades, the group has enjoyed one of the "longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music".

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 Never Know When You're Gonna Fall In Love
The Isley Brothers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I had it all worked out
I thought I knew just what I want
But, girl, as it turned out
I guess I really didn't know at all

I've been playin' life by the ear
Now the words of love I hear
Is so very clear

Whenever you are near
It's like a spell that's taken over me
What's happenin', my dear?
It wasn't in my plans to fall in love

But, girl, what can I do?
You see, I'm so in love with you
I'm so in love, baby

You never know when
(You're gonna fall in love)
Oh, it just seems to happen

You never know when
(You're gonna fall in love)
You see, love has no sense of time

You never know when
You're gonna fall in love
Love

Since you came around
There's been a certain change in me
And in your love I felt
I slowly found myself turnin' around

How could I let myself go?
I guess you'll never really know
Ah, ah, you never, never, never, ever, ever know

You never know when
(You're gonna fall in love)
Oh, boy, it just seems to happen

You never know when
(You're gonna fall in love)
You see, love has no sense of time

You never know when
You're gonna fall

Love has no sense of time
Love has no sense of time

Ooh, hoo, you never know when

You're gonna fall in love
Ooh, ohh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to the Isley Brothers' song "You Never Know When You're Gonna Fall In Love" tell the story of someone who thought they had everything figured out in life and had their plans set, but then unexpectedly fell in love. The person initially believed they knew exactly what they wanted in life but admitted they did not truly know what they wanted until they met the person they fell in love with. The individual explains that love is powerful and can come at any moment and that it does not necessarily follow a specific timeline. The lyrics highlight that love can take over even someone who thought they had everything figured out.

The Isley Brothers' song emphasizes the suddenness and unpredictability of love. The lyrics illustrate the idea that love happens when it is least expected and can change one's life completely. The song is an ode to the power of love and its potential to transform a person's life. Love is presented as something that cannot be controlled or planned as it has "no sense of time."

Overall, the lyrics to "You Never Know When You're Gonna Fall In Love" suggest that even though we may think we have everything in our lives set in stone, there is always the possibility that something as powerful and transformative as love could come and change everything in an instant.

Line by Line Meaning

I had it all worked out
I thought I had all the answers

I thought I knew just what I want
I believed I knew exactly what I desired

But, girl, as it turned out
However, love came unexpectedly

I guess I really didn't know at all
I was oblivious to my true wants and needs

I've been playin' life by the ear
I have been living day by day casually

Now the words of love I hear
I'm now attuned to the language of love

Is so very clear
It's very evident

Whenever you are near
As soon as you are in my vicinity

It's like a spell that's taken over me
I feel enchanted by your presence

What's happenin', my dear?
What is this feeling, my love?

It wasn't in my plans to fall in love
I never intended to fall in love