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.
Happiness
The Pointer Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You love life
you're an inspiration
I love the way that you give
Your heart's so freely
You're a sweet sensation
You're my invitation to
You're full of sweet surprises as happiness
You fill my heart desire
More, more, more and more
And over and over again
Keep that goodness coming
I love the way you watch the world
Through kind eyes
That's why you're never sad, sad
Things don't bother you like dos, don'ts and whys
You hold on to the good and you let the bad go on by, alright
Happiness
I want your love forever
Happiness
Give me your love forever
More,
Gotta give me some more
More, more
I need some more
and more
more, give me some more
And over
And over
And over again
Keep that goodness coming
Yeah, keep it coming
I love the way you love to live
You love life
you're an inspiration
I love the way that you give
Your heart's so freely
You're a sweet sensation
You're my invitation to
Happiness
Give me your love forever
Happiness
Say you'll leave me never
More,
Gotta give me some more
More, more
I need some more
And more (oh no)
And over
And over
And over again
Keep that goodness coming
just Keep it coming, yeah yeah
come on, keep coming
ooh yeah
Keep it keep it keep it coming
you're inspiration
Coming
Oh Happiness
Keep it coming, ooh
keep coming (I need happiness)
Keep it, keep it, keep it coming
Mmm, Oh yeah, coming
Oh, I said happiness
Keep it coming
Yeah happiness
Keep coming (yeah, come on)
Ooh, we keep it, keep it coming
Gotta have your happiness (oh yeah)
Coming
Keep it coming (oh, keep it coming)
Keep coming
Keep it, keep it, keep it coming
Oh yeah, coming
The Pointer Sisters' song "Happiness" is a tribute to a person who inspires and brings joy to others. The lyrics speak of this person's love for life and their ability to see the good in everything. The singer admires the way this person freely gives their heart and is an invitation to happiness. The person's outlook on life is positive, and they do not let the negative aspects of life bring them down. They inspire others to keep goodness coming, and their love is desired forever.
The song is uplifting and encourages listeners to focus on the positivity in their lives. The person being praised is a role model for others and reminds them to cherish life's moments. The lyrics reflect the notion that happiness is a choice, and with the right attitude, one can find joy in any circumstance. The song is a reminder to be grateful for the people in our lives who encourage us to be happy.
Line by Line Meaning
I love the way you love to live
I love the way you enjoy every aspect of your life
You love life
You have a great appreciation for life
you're an inspiration
You make others feel motivated and encouraged by your being
I love the way that you give
I love the way you generously offer things
Your heart's so freely
You are very open and giving from your heart
You're a sweet sensation
You are so pleasant and enjoyable to be around
You're my invitation to Happiness
You bring happiness to my life
You're full of sweet surprises as happiness
Your presence in my life is always filled with beautiful and enjoyable moments
You fill my heart desire
You fulfill my innermost desires and make me happy
More, more, more and more
I want more happiness and joy from you
And over and over again
I want the happiness to keep coming repeatedly
Keep that goodness coming
Keep bringing happy moments and joy to my life
I want your love forever
I want your presence, love, and happiness in my life forever
Give me your love forever
Continue to give me love and happiness repeatedly
Gotta give me some more
I need more happiness and joy from you
Things don't bother you like dos, don'ts and whys
You don't let rules, guidelines, and questioning affect your happiness
You hold on to the good and you let the bad go on by, alright
You focus on the positive aspects of life and don't let the negative affect you
Say you'll leave me never
Promise to keep being a part of my life and bringing happiness
just Keep it coming, yeah yeah
Please continue to fill my life with happiness
come on, keep coming
Please don't stop bringing happiness to my life
you're inspiration
You inspire me to be a better person and appreciate life
Oh Happiness
The essence of joy in life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALLEN TOUSSAINT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind