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.
Send Him Back
The Pointer Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need you so,
Whithout love no no
I'm waitin for a kind but i don't know what you're looking for
Send him back, why don't you, why don't you send my baby back
Chalalala move on, Send my baby back.
[...]
[...]
Send him back, why don't you, why don't you, why don't you send my baby back
Chalalala move on,
Send my baby back.
And if I ever get beggin' [...]
Send him back, why don't you, why don't you, why don't you send my baby back
Chalalala move on,
Send my baby back.
Send him back, why don't you, why don't you, why don't you send my baby back
Chalalala move on,
Send my baby back.
The lyrics to The Pointer Sisters' song "Send Him Back" describe the feelings of loneliness and longing for love. The singer of the song is tired of being alone and waiting for someone to love her. She is pleading for her ex-partner to come back and give her the love that she needs. The chorus repeats the line "Send him back, why don't you, why don't you send my baby back," emphasizing the singer's desperation to be with her former partner.
The shift in tone from the verses to the chorus indicates the singer's frustration and desperation. The verses describe her loneliness and her yearning for love, while the chorus is more forceful and demands action from her ex-partner. The repetition of "Chalalala move on" suggests that the singer is trying to move forward but is unable to do so without her former partner.
Overall, the song captures the universal feeling of heartbreak and the desire to be loved. The Pointer Sisters' soulful vocals and the upbeat tempo of the song make it both poignant and catchy.
Line by Line Meaning
I get no love and be so lonely,
Despite my effervescent personality and social skills, I'm currently feeling unloved and lonely.
I need you so,
I crave for your company to complete my life.
Whithout love no no
Lack of love in one's life can lead to depression and feelings of dissatisfaction.
I'm waitin for a kind but i don't know what you're looking for
I'm looking for a kind and loving partner, but I'm not sure what qualities you are seeking in a partner.
Send him back, why don't you, why don't you send my baby back
Please return my ex-boyfriend who I still love and miss dearly.
Chalalala move on, Send my baby back.
While I try to move on, it still hurts that he's not with me. Please send him back.
You were my everything
You were the most important person in my life and I was deeply in love with you.
And if I ever get beggin'
If I ever become so desperate and pathetic that I have to beg for your return...
Send him back, why don't you, why don't you, why don't you send my baby back
Please don't make me beg, just send him back to me.
Chalalala move on, Send my baby back.
I know I should move on but I can't help still loving him. Please send him back to me.
Contributed by Colin H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
amre drisco
One of my old favourites - still sounds amazing!
Estelle Finney
One of my all time favourites. Love it.
Sarah O'Connor
God I LOVE this tune.....
Terry UncleTel
A very popular tune all over the country especially with the ladies, the floor always got packed out when a DJ stuck this on, fond memories.
Eifion Williams
Danced to this at the Casino so many times. Deffo one of my ATF's. Keep The Faith people!
Mark Hammond
I went back to Wigan last year, had a walk around, even station road has gone, its all a shopping centre, with pictures from the casino on the wall behind Costa.
Bagzyb
Yeah me to m8 , just puts your feet in the right place , Deffo a fave of mine
Orazio Raffermati
This track will never be beaten , outstanding
Nathan Field
probably the best single ever.
Colin Wilson
Probably my friend, I don't disagree, the hairs on my arms stand on end.... tingling sensational track.