The O'Jays originally consisting of Walter Williams (b. August 25, 1942), Bill Isles (January 4, 1941 – March 2019), Bobby Massey, William Powell (January 20, 1942–May 26, 1977) and Eddie Levert (b. June 16, 1942). The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. The O'Jays (now a trio after the departure of Isles and Massey) had their first hit with "Lonely Drifter", in 1963. In spite of the record's success, the group was considering quitting the music business until Gamble & Huff, a legendary team of producers and songwriters, took an interest in the group. With Gamble & Huff, the O'Jays emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with Back Stabbers (1972), a huge pop hit, and topped the U.S. singles charts the following year with their anthemic "Love Train".
They formed the group in Canton, Ohio in 1958 while attending Canton McKinley High School. Originally known as The Triumphs, and then The Mascots, the friends began recording with "Miracles" in 1961, which was a moderate hit in the Cleveland area. In 1963 they took the name "The O'Jays", in tribute to radio disc jockey Eddie O'Jay (Toop, 1991), and released "Lonely Drifter", which charted nationally. Their debut LP was Comin' Through. Throughout the 1960s, they continued to chart with songs such as "Lipstick Traces" (which they performed nationally on the ABC Television program, Shivaree), "Stand In For Love", "Let It All Out", "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow", "Deeper In Love With You" and "One Night Affair", along with several other regional and national Pop and R&B hits. In 1972, they finally scored with their first million-seller, "Back Stabbers", from the gold album of the same name. By this time, original member Bobby Massey had also departed, leaving the group a trio. This album produced several more hit singles, including "992 Arguments", "Sunshine", "Time To Get Down" and the #1 Pop smash, "Love Train". They became known as "The Mighty O'Jays" due to their exciting, emotion-packed stage performances, led by the dynamic Levert, and the cool, multi-range vocals of Walter Williams, coupled with the matinee idol looks and smooth first tenor voice of William Powell.
During the remainder of the 1970s the O'Jays continued releasing chart-topping singles, including "Put Your Hands Together" (Pop #10), "For the Love of Money" (Pop #9), "Give the People What They Want", "Let Me Make Love To You", "I Love Music" (Pop #5), "Livin' for the Weekend", "Message in Our Music" and "Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet Tender Love)". Original member William Powell died of cancer in 1977 at the age of just 35.
After adding Sammy Strain (born December 9, 1941) (of Little Anthony & the Imperials), the O'Jays continued recording, though with limited success. 1978's "Use ta Be My Girl" was their final Top Five hit, though they continued placing songs on the R&B charts throughout the 1980s. Their 1987 album, Let Me Touch You, was a breakthrough of sorts, and included the #1 R&B hit "Lovin' You". Eddie Levert also got a copy of Kevan Tynes' "Loving You" prior to recording their version .Though they continued charting on the R&B charts in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the O'Jays never again achieved pop success. In 1992, Sammy Strain left the group, and returned to the Imperials, to be replaced by Nathaniel Best, and later, by Eric Grant. Later in the 1990s, the group did little recording, though they remained a popular live draw. Their latest album was Imagination in 2004.
In 2003, they co-starred in the movie The Fighting Temptations, which starred Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyonce Knowles. In the film, they played three barbers who joined the local church choir to help out the film's protagonist Darrin (Gooding) who was the choir director.
In 2005 the O'Jays were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Original members Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, Bobby Massey and, posthumously, William Powell, were inducted. In a note of controversy, 70's O'Jays member Sammy Strain was also inducted with the group, while original member Bill Isles was not. (Strain is one of the few artists in popular music history who is a double RRHOF inductee: with The O'Jays in 2005, and The Imperials in 2009). In 2006, the O'Jays performed at the ESPY awards, hosted by Lance Armstrong. "For the Love of Money" is the theme song to the hit reality TV show The Apprentice, starring Donald Trump, which is ironic considering that the lyrics warn of the evil people will do for the love of money.
On February 23, 2007, Radio-Canada's website reported that Canadian Industry Minister Jim Prentice had used the song "For The Love of Money" without the group's permission during a political event, a faux pas since Prentice is responsible for the application of the Copyright Act in Canada. Radio-Canada also reports that Prentice has since been contacted by the attorneys for both the O'Jays and Warner/Chappell Music.
On June 28, 2009, at the 2009 BET Award Show in the Shrine Auditorium the O'Jays were honored with BET's 2009 Life Time Achievement Award. Tevin Campbell, Trey Songz, Tyrese Gibson, and Johnny Gill performed a medley of the groups songs followed by the presentation of the award by Don Cornelius. The group reminisced, joked with the audience and accepted their award before performing a rendition of their hit songs.
Used to Be My Girl
The O'Jays Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The girl's got plenty good lovin'
Ask me how I know,
And I'll tell you so,
She used to be my girl
I respect her
When she was mine,
Ah, she wanted more than I could give
But as long as I live,
She'll be my girl
She used to be my girl
She used to be my girl
She had a charmin' personality
The girl was so right for me
She's my girl
And if I had the chance
I'd toke her back
As a matter of fact
Right away, like today
Not only good lookin'
The girl was so smart
Ya can't beat her cookin'
Ah, ask me how I know,
And I'll tell you so
She used to be my girl
Deep down inside I still love her
I place no one above her
She's warm and sensitive
For as long as I live
She'll be my girl
And if I had the chance
I'd toke her back
As a matter of fact
right away, like today
Oh, well
Oh, good lovin'
The girl's got plenty good lovin'
Ask me how I know,
And I'll tell you so
She used to be my girl, my girl
She used to be my girl, my girl
She used to be my girl, my girl
She used to be my girl, my girl
She used to be my girl, my girl
She used to be my girl, my girl
She used to be my girl, girl, girl
She used to be my girl, my girl
Deep down inside, I love her
I place no one above her
She was mine, all mine
She was mine
She used to be my girl
She used to be my girl
She used to be my girl
She used to be my girl
She used to be my girl
The O'Jays' song Use ta Be My Girl is a classic soul tune released in 1978. The song's theme is the regret of letting go of a former lover, who had "plenty good lovin'." The singer tells of how he "used to neglect her," despite her charm, personality, and cooking skills. However, he still loves her and places no one above her. He would take her back without hesitation if given the chance.
The song conveys a common emotion that many people experience after a breakup, the regret of losing someone who was genuinely good to you. It's a song that speaks to the heart of anyone who has lost someone they care about deeply. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and the arrangement and delivery of the vocals are soulful, making for an excellent listening experience.
Throughout the song, the singer speaks in a lamenting tone, expressing his admiration for his former lover. The bridge of the song reinforces the message of the lyrics, as the singer's emotions peak, and he declares that she'll always be his girl. The chorus repeats the same phrase several times, underscoring the longing for his lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, good loving,
The singer fondly remembers his former lover.
The girl's got plenty good lovin'
The singer believes his former lover was an excellent partner.
Ask me how I know,
The singer is confident that he knows everything about his ex-girlfriend.
And I'll tell you so,
The singer is willing to share his knowledge and experience with others.
She used to be my girl
The singer is nostalgic about a past relationship with this woman.
I respect her
The singer now realizes that he did not appreciate his former lover enough when they were together.
When she was mine,
The singer used to be in a romantic relationship with this woman.
I used to neglect her
The singer admits that he did not treat his ex-girlfriend well when they were together.
Ah, she wanted more than I could give
The singer understands that his ex-girlfriend had greater expectations for the relationship than he was able to meet.
But as long as I live,
The singer still remembers his ex-girlfriend and holds onto his feelings for her.
She'll be my girl
The singer will always consider this woman as his girl, even though they are no longer together.
She had a charmin' personality
The singer remembers his ex-girlfriend as a lovely person with a great personality.
The girl was so right for me
The singer believed that his ex-girlfriend was the perfect match for him.
And if I had the chance
The singer still holds onto hope that one day he may have another chance with this woman.
I'd toke her back
The singer would readily take his ex-girlfriend back into his life if given the opportunity.
As a matter of fact
The singer is firm in his desire to reunite with his ex-girlfriend.
Right away, like today
The singer is eager to rekindle the relationship as soon as possible.
Not only good lookin'
The singer acknowledges that his ex-girlfriend had more than just physical beauty.
The girl was so smart
The singer admired his ex-girlfriend's intelligence and intellectual abilities.
Ya can't beat her cookin'
The singer appreciates his ex-girlfriend's culinary skills.
Deep down inside I still love her
The singer confesses that his feelings for his ex-girlfriend are still strong, despite the passage of time.
I place no one above her
The singer believes that his ex-girlfriend is the one and only person he has ever loved to this extent.
She's warm and sensitive
The singer recalls his ex-girlfriend's warm and caring personality.
She was mine, all mine
The singer remembers his ex-girlfriend as his own, and feels possessive about their past relationship.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KENNETH GAMBLE, KENNY GAMBLE, LEON HUFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@emoss8927
My then boyfriend used to sing this to me when we broke up in HS. We have now been married 39 yrs!❤ Whenever I hear the O'Jays, The Whispers, Delfonics and Black Ivory I am transported back in time. Nothing like the old school love songs!
@rjo3737
I'm 70, white, British - and the 70s was the THE best era of soul by far!
@terricook638
When singers could ACTUALLY SING!
Love the O'JAYS
@gloriasteagall1339
Grown folks music 😊
@illacook3636
Every time I hear this song, I shed tears. This was one of my fathers favorite song's and every time I hear,it feels like he's sitting right next to me. I miss you, Daddy. Thank you for not leaving me.
@dex.cameron1855
"She wanted more than I can give, but as long as I live, she'll be my girl"....
@juanitabunch3444
I’m old school still listening to the O”Jays right now all the time
@userofname1
Sometimes, I think the groups like this and the Temptations, Spinners, etc are gone. They were my favorites.
@leonhill6769
Here in 2023!!!😘
@WishClement-py6do
Singing with emotion n love ! We're is now! Miss it