Bonnie Pointer and June Pointer first formed a secular singing duo in the late '60s and began performing in clubs around the San Francisco Bay area; Anita Pointer and Ruth Pointer later joined them. The Pointer Sisters hooked up with David Rubinson who was a record producer affiliated with Bill Graham. They would perform onstage with the flamboyant Sylvester of The Cockettes, and they'd done some work as background singers on recordings by Elvin Bishop, Boz Scaggs, Cold Blood and other San Francisco Bay Area groups.
Their big breakthrough was a cover of an Allen Toussaint composition originally recorded in 1970 by Lee Dorsey, the song was "Yes We Can Can" released by The Pointer Sisters in March 1973. The girls' voices were added over funky backing tracks laid down with the help of Rubinson's contacts like Tower of Power guitarist Willie Fulton. They sang live around a single mic, with Anita handling lead, and upon release the record soon hit Number 11 on Billboard's pop chart and Number 12 on the R&B chart. In 1974 the group surprised white audiences when they broke the color barrier in at The Grand Ol' Opry when performing their Country Grammy award winning country song "Fairytale" in Nashville. "How Long (Betcha Got A Chick On The Side)" was a 1975 #1 R&B hit from their Steppin LP, with classic funky keys of Herbie Hancock on clavinet & wicked guitar stylings of Wah Wah Watson...
Bonnie Pointer left the group in 1977 for a solo career, and in 1978, the remaining sisters switched labels to Planet & production duties went to Richard Perry who modernized their sound away from a nostalgia based act into a more contemporary look & sound for the 1980's.
They produced the album Energy, with a classic country flavored updates of Sly Stone's "Everybody Is A Star", and a rendition of another Allen Toussaint song called "Happiness". The Perry streak included 1984's Break Out, which did exactly that going triple platinum and winning two Grammys for the singles Automatic and "Jump (for My Love)". This period in the early 80's ostensibly represents the group's commercial peak as a charting act. Their last big hit was Neutron Dance from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack.
As the '80s wound down, June Pointer recorded two solo albums, and later left the trio by 2001. Anita also did some solo project work, and had a minor hit with a song called, "Overnight Success."
Anita and Ruth still perform concerts under the group's name. Ruth's daughter, Issa Pointer, is the trio's newest member. June suffered a stroke on February 27, 2006. While hospitalized, she was diagnosed with cancer, which had metastasized in her breast, colon, liver and bones. She died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California on April 11, 2006 at the age of 52.
Fairytale
The Pointer Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't want to hear another word you have to say
I've been waiting for so long,
And just found out there's something wrong
Nothing will get better if I stay
There's no need to explain anymore
I tried my best to love you,
Now I'm walkin' out the door
You used me, you deceived me,
And you never seem to need me
But I bet, you won't forget me when I go
Oh no, no, no
Seems I've been lost in a dream
Pretending that you care
But now I've opened up my eyes
And found it's all been just a great big fairytale
I've been lovin' you so long
Don't think I even know how to forget you
But now the way that things have been
I think I'm better off alone than to be with you
You don't love me it's plain to see
There's no need to explain anymore
I tried my best to love you,
Now I'm walkin' out the door
(Walkin' out the door)
Ahh, you used me, you deceived me,
And you never seem to need me
But I'll bet you won't forget me when I go
Oh no, no, no
Seems I've been lost in a dream
Pretending you were mine
Someday you'll open up your eyes
And realize that a good woman's hard to find
Yes I've been lost in a dream
Pretending that you care
But now I've opened up my eyes
And found it's all been just a great big fairytale
The Pointer Sisters’ “Fairytale” is a strong anthem of empowerment that encourages listeners to leave toxic relationships. It begins with the singer, who has finally had enough of her partner’s lies and deceit, packing up her things and leaving to end the unhappy relationship. She is tired of waiting and pretending that everything is okay, and she realizes that staying in the relationship will not make anything better.
The singer acknowledges that she has been loving her partner for so long that she doesn't know how to forget him, but things have been too difficult, making her think that it's better for her to be alone instead of staying with him. The song expresses the pain of realizing that the person she thought cared for her was just a figment of her imagination, and the relationship was all just a fairytale.
Overall, "Fairytale" is a powerful track that tells the story of heartbreak, self-realization, and finally being able to take control of one’s life. It is about leaving behind the pain and unhappiness of a toxic relationship and embracing a new beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll pack up all my things and walk away,
I am leaving you and taking my belongings with me.
I don't want to hear another word you have to say
I do not want to listen to any excuses or apologies from you.
I've been waiting for so long,
I have been waiting patiently for things to change between us.
And just found out there's something wrong
I have recently discovered that something is not right in our relationship.
Nothing will get better if I stay
If I continue to stay with you, our relationship will not improve.
There's no need to explain anymore
I do not want to hear any more justifications or explanations from you.
I tried my best to love you,
I have worked hard to love you and make things work between us.
Now I'm walkin' out the door
I am leaving and there is nothing you can do to stop me.
(Walkin' out the door)
Leaving you for good.
You used me, you deceived me,
You have taken advantage of me and lied to me.
And you never seem to need me
You do not seem to care about me or my feelings.
But I bet, you won't forget me when I go
Even though you have mistreated me, you will regret losing me.
Seems I've been lost in a dream
I have been living in a fantasy world where I thought everything was okay between us.
Pretending that you care
I have been under the illusion that you care about me and our relationship.
But now I've opened up my eyes
I have come to the realization that I was wrong and that you do not care about me.
And found it's all been just a great big fairytale
Our relationship was nothing but a fantasy and it is time for me to face reality.
Don't think I even know how to forget you
I am so attached to you that I do not even know how to move on from you.
But now the way that things have been
Given how our relationship has been, it is better for me to leave you and start anew.
I think I'm better off alone than to be with you
I believe that my life would be better off without you, and I am better off being single.
You don't love me it's plain to see
It is obvious to me that you do not love me or care for our relationship.
Someday you'll open up your eyes
In the future, you will realize how much you have lost by mistreating me and taking our relationship for granted.
And realize that a good woman's hard to find
You will come to understand that finding a good woman is not easy, and you will regret losing me.
Yes I've been lost in a dream
Once again, I realize that I have been living in a fantasy world where I thought everything was okay between us.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bonnie Pointer, Anita Pointer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kdickson20001
The 1st and ONLY Black Women to win the Grammy Award for Best Country by a Duo or Group.
@timothymcclain4551
The Pointer Sisters were extraordinary and talented. There was no genre they couldn't do, even country. And they won a Grammy in the country category! Amazing! RIP to Anita, Bonnie and June. Much love to Ruth.
@ccefc_families297
Cannot imagine what Ruth is feeling now that she is the last sister surviving. I'm sure she and her two brothers simply miss their sisters alot. The sisters were legends.
@richardbergeron2365
They Where SPECTACULAR ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️❤️❤️💔🦋🦋🙏👋
@s.h.7613
Of course they could sing country. The genre started with African Americans🎶
@Cicilo1983
Don't you miss the days when singing was reserved to, well... people who could actually sing ??? I certainly do. Thanks for posting this, the Pointers are true vocal legends.
@sabinalegall6550
AMEN! The sh^t the have today is not worth listening to at all.
@Martine1love
Oh yes, so very very much. They had beautiful voices and were full of classe and style.
@alecneate76
The fashion was so classy too
@edp2260
No 'auto tune', no profanity, just great singing, song writing, and real CLASS.