The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art (1937-2019), Charles (1938–2018), Aaron (b. 1941), and Cyril (b. 1948) got together to take part in the recording session of The Wild Tchoupitoulas, a Mardi Gras Indian group led by the Nevilles' uncle, George Landry ("Big Chief Jolly").
Art Neville reached out to Paul Howrilla (personal manager for Dr. John) and told him that he always wanted to do something with his brothers. Paul Howrilla created Neville Productions, Inc., serving as president and CEO with all four Neville brothers as members of the board of directors. The newly formed business covered the entire Neville family, designed to protect them from the music business abuse they had previously endured in their individual careers.
This experience led them to form the group the following year. Their debut album was released from Capitol Records in 1978.
In 1988, the group released Uptown from EMI featuring guests including Branford Marsalis, Keith Richards, and Carlos Santana. The following year saw the release of Yellow Moon from A&M Records produced by Daniel Lanois. The track "Healing Chant" from that album won best pop instrumental performance of the Grammy Awards.
In 1990, the Neville Brothers contributed "In the Still of the Night" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Blue produced by the Red Hot Organization. Also in 1990, they appeared on the bill at that year's Glastonbury Festival. This also was the year they recorded "Sons and Daughters" on their Brother's Keeper album.
Their version of "Bird on the Wire" was played over the closing credits of the 1990 film, Bird on a Wire.
Due to the health problems of Art Neville, the band kept a low profile in the late 1990s onto the early 2000s. They made a comeback in 2004, however, with the album, Walkin' In The Shadow Of Life, from Back Porch Records, their first newly recorded effort in five years.
All brothers except Charles, a Massachusetts resident, had been living in New Orleans, but following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 Cyril and Aaron moved out of the city. They had not been performing in New Orleans since Katrina hit the city, however, they finally returned to perform there at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2008, being given the closing spot which had been reserved for them for years.
Infrequently, Ivan Neville, Aaron's son (keyboards) and Ian Neville, Art's son (electric guitar), both of the band Dumpstaphunk, have played with the band in recent years.
The group formally disbanded in 2012 but reunited in 2015 for a farewell concert in New Orleans.
Charles Neville died of pancreatic cancer on April 26, 2018, at the age of 79.
Art Neville died at age 81 on July 22, 2019, after years of declining health.
How many times
The Neville Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How many times must I say I love you, love you
You treat me so cold honey
You opened my nose, honey
And then you laughed, uh huh, uh huh
You made me feel bad, uh huh, uh huh
You made me cry honey
How many times must I say I'm sorry
How many times must I say I'm sorry, sorry
You treat me so cold honey
You opened my nose honey
And then you laughed, uh huh, uh huh
You made me feel bad, uh huh, uh huh
You made me cry honey
I wanted to die
You brought me through changes
I've never been through before
I said I was leaving but
I never got out that door
I'm never at ease honey
I'm always on my knees honey
I'm begging you please,
Whoa to forgive me please
How many times must I say I'm sorry
How many times must I say I'm sorry, sorry
You treat me me so cold honey
You opened my nose honey
And then you laughed, uh huh, uh huh
You made me feel bad, uh huh, uh huh
You made me feel bad
I wanted to die
The Neville Brothers' "How Many Times" is a soulful ballad that details the complicated dynamics of love and heartbreak. In the song, the singer repeatedly questions how many times they must profess their love and apologize for their mistakes before their partner treats them with warmth instead of coldness. The opening lines, "How many times must I say I love you / How many times must I say I love you, love you" speaks to the vulnerability and desperation that can come with unrequited love, where the singer feels as though their affection is not being reciprocated.
The chorus of the song, which repeats the line "You treat me so cold, honey / You opened my nose, honey," adds a deeply felt sense of pain to the piece, as the singer describes the ways their partner has hurt them emotionally. The use of "opened my nose" as a metaphor for the pain their partner has inflicted upon them is particularly striking, implying a sense of violence and violation. The singer's repeated use of "honey" as an endearment throughout the song also adds an element of tenderness and longing to the piece, highlighting the complicated and painful nature of the relationship.
Overall, "How Many Times" is a powerful and emotional song that explores the complicated feelings of love, hurt, and betrayal. Through its poignant lyrics and soulful delivery, it speaks to the universal human experiences of heartbreak and the search for connection and acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
How many times must I say I love you
I have already expressed love for you, but it seems like you don't believe me. So I'm wondering how many more times I need to say it for you to understand.
You treat me so cold honey
You're not treating me with the warmth and kindness that I deserve. Your behavior towards me has been cold and distant.
You opened my nose, honey
You have made me aware of the harsh realities of our relationship that I wasn't seeing before. It's like my nose was closed to the truth, but now I can smell it clearly.
And then you laughed, uh huh, uh huh
You're not taking my feelings seriously even when I try to express them. You laugh at me as if my emotions are a joke.
You made me feel bad, uh huh, uh huh
Your actions have caused me to feel hurt and sad. You have done something to me that has damaged my emotional well-being.
You made me cry honey
Your actions have brought me to tears. You have emotionally hurt me to the point of crying.
I wanted to die
Your behavior towards me has led me to feel so hopeless and desperate that I have contemplated ending my life.
How many times must I say I'm sorry
I understand that my own actions have contributed to the problems in our relationship. So I'm wondering how many times I need to apologize to make things right.
You treat me me so cold honey
Your behavior towards me has not changed despite my apologies. You're still treating me with detachment and a lack of warmth.
And then you laughed, uh huh, uh huh
You continue to not take my apologies seriously. You're laughing at me as if they don't even matter.
You made me feel bad, uh huh, uh huh
Even when I apologize, you don't seem to forgive me or let go of what I did wrong. Instead, you make me feel even worse about myself.
I wanted to die
Your unforgiveness and lack of understanding has led me back to that place of hopelessness and despair where I feel like there's no way out.
You brought me through changes
Your behavior towards me has caused me to experience new and challenging emotions that I had not encountered before.
I've never been through before
I have never experienced the depth of emotion that I am currently experiencing because of how you are treating me.
I said I was leaving but
I have previously expressed that I'm considering ending this relationship because of how you're treating me.
I never got out that door
But for some reason, I have not yet been able to actually leave the relationship. There must be something holding me back.
I'm never at ease honey
Because of your behavior and the state of our relationship, I can never feel fully relaxed and comfortable around you.
I'm always on my knees honey
I am constantly begging for you to treat me better and to change your attitude and behavior towards me.
I'm begging you please, Whoa to forgive me please
I am pleading with you to forgive me for my mistakes and to let go of anger and resentment towards me so that we can move forward in our relationship.
You made me feel bad
You have a habit of making me feel guilty or ashamed about things that are not necessarily my fault.
I wanted to die
This can really take a toll on my mental health, leading me to feel like there's no way out and that I would be better off dead.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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