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.
Wrong Number
The Neville Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hoping that it's you, I'm scared to death
Phone went ring, my crippled heart cried
Let it be you, on the line
Then a voice say hello, can I speak to Joe?
Wrong number, I'm sorry, good bye
Pity the fool who loves you so
The phone rang once again,
My heart skipped a beat
Must be you, this is my belief
Then the voice on the other end
Say can I speak to Ben?
Wrong number, I'm sorry, good bye
I live simply on the memory
Of your love that was once for me
Come back my darling please
And set my heart at ease
Then a voice say hello,
Darling you know I love you so
Hold on baby, 'til I tell these blues good bye
'Til I tell these blues good bye
The Neville Brothers' song Wrong Number is a ballad about the painful experience of hoping for a lost love to reconnect through a phone call, only to be disappointed again and again. The singer is haunted by memories of the relationship and finds it hard to move on, and every time the phone rings, they hold their breath, hoping that it's their ex. The fear that fills them when the phone rings is palpable, as they are aware that hearing the voice of their long-lost love could send them spiraling back into the depths of heartache. Unfortunately, every time the phone does ring, it's the wrong person on the other end.
The song's emotional complexity is heightened by the use of dialogue, which is skilfully woven into the lyrics. The wrong numbers repeatedly interrupt the singer's desperate attempts to reconnect with their lost love, and the lyrics reflect a sense of confusion and frustration as the singer is forced to confront the reality that their ex is probably moving on. The use of repetition creates a sense of inevitability, as the singer is reminded of their loss over and over again.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time the telephone rings I hold my breath
The singer anxiously anticipates incoming calls.
Hoping that it's you, I'm scared to death
The singer is afraid of hearing bad news from whoever is calling.
Phone went ring, my crippled heart cried
The singer's heart sinks every time the phone rings.
Let it be you, on the line
The artist wishes that the person they want to hear from is calling.
Then a voice say hello, can I speak to Joe?
The artist expects to hear from someone they know when the phone rings.
Wrong number, I'm sorry, good bye
The person on the other end made a mistake in dialing and hangs up.
Pity the fool who loves you so
The singer pities anyone who loves the person they are missing.
If you found someone new, don't let me know
The artist is afraid of finding out that the person they love has moved on.
The phone rang once again,
The phone rings again, causing the artist anxiety.
My heart skipped a beat
The artist's heart races with the possibility of hearing from the person they love.
Must be you, this is my belief
The singer believes that the call is from the person they love.
Then the voice on the other end
The person on the other end of the line speaks.
Say can I speak to Ben?
The person on the line is looking for someone else and did not mean to call the singer.
Wrong number, I'm sorry, good bye
The person on the other end made a mistake in dialing and hangs up.
I live simply on the memory
The singer lives off of the memories of the love they once shared with someone.
Of your love that was once for me
The artist reminiscences about the love they shared with someone in the past.
Come back my darling please
The artist wants their former lover to come back to them.
And set my heart at ease
The singer wants their former lover to ease their worries and make them feel better.
Then a voice say hello,
The phone rings, and the singer thinks it is the person they love.
Darling you know I love you so
The person on the other end is the artist's former lover and they express their love.
Hold on baby, 'til I tell these blues good bye
The former lover asks the artist to hold on and wait for them to come back and make everything better.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Allen Toussaint
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@loekiekanters4295
Beautiful.
@smikanrnphd217
sooooo good !
@karmenstoika9928
❤
@albertpatterson3675
That's about as good as it gets. I believe that's Allen Toussaint on piano.
@jeffzapata8483
Albert Patterson yes it is Toussaint on piano.
@rickaguilar2948
Really