The Soul Children was an American vocal group who recorded soul music for S… Read Full Bio ↴The Soul Children was an American vocal group who recorded soul music for Stax Records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They had three top ten hits on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart – "The Sweeter He Is" (1969), "Hearsay" (1972), and "I'll Be The Other Woman" (1973) – all of which crossed over to the Hot 100.

The group was formed in 1968 by Isaac Hayes and David Porter of Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee, after one of the label's top acts, Sam & Dave, left Stax to join the Atlantic label. As leading songwriters and producers for the label, Hayes and Porter put together a vocal group with two male and two female singers, all of whom sang lead on some of the group's recordings. The original members were Norman West, John Colbert (aka J. Blackfoot), Anita Louis, and Shelbra Bennett. Colbert – who had been known from childhood as Blackfoot for his habit of walking barefoot on the tarred sidewalks of Memphis during the hot summers – had recorded solo singles before joining The Bar-Kays as lead singer, after four original band members were killed with Otis Redding in a plane crash. Anita Louis was a backing singer on some of the records produced by Hayes and Porter. Shelbra Bennett had recently joined the label as a singer. Norman West, Jr., the last to join the group, grew up in Louisiana, and sang in church with his brothers Joe, James, and Robert. He replaced William Bell as a member of The Del-Rios in 1962, later recorded several unsuccessful solo singles in Memphis, and sang with a rock band, Colors Incorporated, which had been formed by members of Jerry Lee Lewis' band.
The group's first record, "Give 'Em Love", produced by Hayes and Porter and released in late 1968, was a Bilboard R&B chart hit, as were two follow-ups. Their fourth single, "The Sweeter He Is", became one of their biggest hits, reaching no. 7 on the R&B chart in late 1969 and no. 52 on the Hot 100. The group also released their first album, Soul Children, in 1969. Musicians used on the recordings included Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn and Al Jackson, Jr., of Booker T. & the M.G.'s, as well as Hayes. However, after the group had a minor hit with a slowed-down version of "Hold On, I'm Coming" in early 1970, Hayes left the project to develop his solo career. The group recorded a second album, Best of Two Worlds, at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, but their next few singles failed to make the charts. In 1972, they recorded another album, Genesis, arranged by Dale Warren and produced by Jim Stewart and Al Jackson, which produced another hit single, "Hearsay". Written by West and Colbert, it reached no. 5 on the R&B chart and no. 44 on the US pop chart. They appeared at the Wattstax concert in August 1972, and followed up with several smaller hit singles. In 1973, they recorded the ballad "I'll Be the Other Woman", written and produced by Homer Banks and Carl Hampton, and with lead vocals by Shelbra Bennett, which became their biggest hit, reaching no. 3 on the R&B chart and no. 36 on the pop chart. They also recorded a final album for Stax with Banks and Hampton, Friction.
The Soul Children left Stax in 1975, and Bennett left for a solo career. The trio of West, Colbert and Louis signed to Epic Records in 1976, releasing an album, Finders Keepers and several moderately successful singles. Their second album for Epic, Where Is Your Woman Tonight (1977), reunited the group with producer David Porter. Porter then signed the group to a reactivated Stax label established by Fantasy Records, and co-produced another album for the group, Open Door Policy (1978). However, it was less successful than their earlier recordings, and the group decided to split up in 1979.

After the group split up, Anita Louis left the music business and later worked for Federal Express, Time-Warner, and as a professional business trainer. Norman West continued working in night clubs and as a gospel singer and musician. J. Blackfoot became a successful solo singer; his biggest hit was "Taxi" in early 1984, which reached no. 4 on the R&B chart. Shelbra Bennett recorded several singles as Shelbra Deane in the late 1970s and early 1980s; her biggest solo success was "Don't Touch Me" (no. 50 R&B, 1977).
In 2007, West and Blackfoot decided to reform the Soul Children, adding two new singers, Ann Hines and Cassandra Graham. They recorded an album, Still Standing for JEA Right Now Records. West released a single in 2008 called "Long Ride Home."

Original members

Shelbra Bennett (later Shelbra Deane) (born Memphis, Tennessee)
John Colbert aka J. Blackfoot (born November 20, 1946, Greenville, Mississippi, US; died November 30, 2011)
Anita Louis (born November 24, 1949, Memphis, Tennessee)
Norman Richard West, Jr. (born October 30, 1939, Monroe, Louisiana)

Don't Take My Kindness For Weakness
The Soul Children Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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Don′t you take my kindness for weakness
Because I'm gentle doesn′t mean I'm not strong
The sweeter my love is while you have it
The more you'll miss it girl when it′s gone
Don′t, Don't
You think my love is something to play with

You better find someone else to stay with
Don′t take for granted that I'm yours for keeps
Because I′m kind doesn't mean I′m weak
No!
Don't you take my kindness for weakness
Because I'm gentle doesn′t mean I′m not strong
The sweeter my love is while you have it
The more you'll miss it girl when it′s gone
Don't, Don′t
You've got a love that′s sweet and kind
You've got a love that's so hard to find
You better love it and you better respect it
′Cause when it′s gone girl, you'll regret it
Oh! Don′t!
Don't you take my kindness for weakness
Because I′m gentle doesn't mean I′m not strong
The sweeter my love is while you have it
The more you'll miss it girl when it's gone
Gone, gone
You better be thankful for a woman like me
Don′t try to take my kindness for weakness
There′s not a man that you can find
That won't go around and mess around sometime
Oh!
Don′t you take my kindness for weakness
Because I'm gentle doesn′t mean I'm not strong
The sweeter my love is while you have it
The more you′ll miss it girl when it's gone
Don't you take my kindness for weakness

Because I′m gentle doesn′t mean I'm not strong
The sweeter my love is while you have it

Overall Meaning

The Soul Children's "Don't Take My Kindness For Weakness" is a message to a lover who does not fully appreciate their partner's kindness. It is a song that empowers women, who are often seen as vulnerable and weak because of their kindness, to be aware of their strength.

The song starts with a repetitive melody and a warning to the lover not to underestimate the singer's kindness. The singer is gentle, but that doesn't mean she is weak. The more the lover takes the kindness for granted, the more he is at risk of losing it. The singer seeks to establish the idea that her kindness can be taken for granted, but she is still strong and can leave the relationship at any time.

The chorus repeats the message of the song - don't take my kindness for weakness. The more the lover has the singer's love and kindness, the more he will miss it. The singer believes that the lover should be thankful for a woman like her and not mistake her kindness for weakness. The song ends with a warning that there is not a man who won't go around and mess around sometime, but it doesn't mean the singer has to take it.

Line by Line Meaning

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Repetitive intro music

Don’t you take my kindness for weakness
My kind nature is not a sign of weakness

Because I'm gentle doesn’t mean I’m not strong
Just because I’m gentle doesn’t mean I’m not also strong

The sweeter my love is while you have it
My love is sweet, and you should appreciate it while you have it

The more you’ll miss it girl when it’s gone
You’ll realize how much you miss my love when it’s gone

Don’t, Don't
Repeated warning not to test my kindness

You think my love is something to play with
You should not take my love for granted and use it for fun

You better find someone else to stay with
If you're going to take me for granted, find someone else to be with

Don’t take for granted that I'm yours for keeps
Do not assume that you can keep me forever

Because I’m kind doesn’t mean I'm weak
Being kind doesn't make me weak or powerless

No!
Strong emphasis on not underestimating my strength

You’ve got a love that's sweet and kind
Acknowledging that my love is indeed sweet and kind

You better love it and you better respect it
You need to appreciate and value my love

ʼCause when it’s gone girl, you’ll regret it
If you lose my love, you'll regret not valuing it enough

Oh! Don’t!
Reemphasizing the warning not to mistake my kindness for weakness

Gone, gone
Repetition that once my love is gone, it's gone

You better be thankful for a woman like me
You should be grateful for having a kind and loving partner like me

Don’t try to take my kindness for weakness
Repeating the warning, don't test my kindness

There’s not a man that you can find
All men have the potential to make mistakes and deceive you

That won't go around and mess around sometime
Every man is susceptible to cheat or hurt you

Don’t you take my kindness for weakness
Final warning to not underestimate my kindness and strength

Because I'm gentle doesn’t mean I'm not strong
Reiterating that my gentleness does not make me weak

The sweeter my love is while you have it
My love is sweet and precious, and you should appreciate it while you have it

Writer(s): Banks, Marion, Thigpen

Contributed by Nora P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@ritabyant6807

3y↑3

Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do

[Chorus]
Don't you take my kindness for weakness
Because I’m gentle doesn't mean I'm not strong
The sweeter my love is while you have it
The more you’ll miss it girl when it's gone
Don't, don't

[Verse 1]
You think my love is something to play with
You better find someone else to stay with
Don't take for granted that I'm yours for keeps
Because I'm kind doesn't mean I’m weak
No!

[Chorus]
Don’t you take my kindness for weakness
Because I'm gentle doesn’t mean I'm not strong
The sweeter my love is while you have it
The more you'll miss it girl when it's gone
Don’t, don't

[Verse 2]
You've got a love that's sweet and kind
You've got a love that's so hard to find
You better love it and you better respect it
'Cause when it's gone girl, you'll regret it
Oh! Don't!

@ritabyant6807

3y↑2

All comments from YouTube:

@tristanvaught1441

2y↑5

I have recently discovered R&B, I’ll be straight grew up in a country town all I knew was country and rock and a little rap but thank God I have found this music

@reinaldogreen2079

5y↑11

When I heard the opening keyboard on this in summer 1972 I had to have it. Star put out so much great music which was tough because Motown was #1 but Stax competed because of great artists like Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & The Mgs, Soul Children etc.,The 60's and soul music on another level in spite of the fights for civil rights which we still have not obtained.