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.
Wildflower
The O'Jays Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What a song, what a song to sing
And I’m singin’ my song, yeah, yeah, yeah
Sing a song, yeah, yeah, yeah
She faced the hardest times you would imagine
And many times her eyes fought back the tears, yeah, yeah
And when her youthful world was about to fall in
Each time her slender shoulders
Bore the weight of all her fears and a sorrow no one hear
Still rings in midnight silence in her ear
Let her cry for she’s a lady
Let her dream, she’s a child
Let the rain fall down upon her
She’s a free and gentle flower growin’ wild
And if by chance I should hold her, hold her
Let me, let me hold her for a little while
And if I had but one possession, possession
I would take her from the garden to be mine, oh, yeah, yeah
Be careful how you touch her for she night awaken
And sleep is the only freedom that the little girl knows
And when you walk into your eyes, you won’t believe
The way she’s always payin’
For a debt she never, never owed
And the silent wind still blows
But only she can hear, and so she goes
Let her cry, oh, for she’s a lady
Let her dream, she is a child
Let the rain fall down upon her
She’s a free and gentle flower growin’ wild
Let her cry, cry for she’s a lady
Let her dream and dream and dream and dream, she’s a child
Let the rain fall down upon her
She’s a free and gentle flower growin’ wild
She’s, she’s, she’s a free and gentle flower, yeah, yeah
I’ma tell the world about my wildflower, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Growin’, growin’, growin’, yeah, yeah, yeah, ooh, yeah, yeah
Growin’, growin’, growin’, yeah, growin’ wild
She’s a flower growin’, growin’ wild
She’s a flower growin’, growin’ wild
She’s a flower growin’, growin’ wild
She’s a flower growin’ wild
Wild, wild, la-la, growin’ wild
Wild, wild, la-la, growin’ wild
Wild, wild, la-la, growin’ wild
Wild, wild, la-la, growin’ wild
The O'Jays' song "Wildflower" tells the story of a young woman who has faced difficult times and struggles to find her place in the world. The lyrics talk about the weight of her fears and sorrows, and the burdens she carries on her shoulder, despite being young and free. The song encourages others to let her cry and dream, to give her the space and freedom to grow and flourish like a wildflower.
The song is a tribute to all the women who have suffered and fought back against adversity. It reminds us to be gentle with them and to give them the respect they deserve. The lyrics encourage us to be careful in how we approach them, as they may be fragile and in need of protection. The song speaks to the beauty and resilience of the human spirit, and the power of love and kindness in overcoming life's challenges.
Overall, "Wildflower" is a touching and powerful song, with a message that resonates with many people who have faced similar struggles in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, yeah
The singer emotes positive vibes to support his song.
What a song, what a song to sing
The singer is appreciating the song he is about to perform.
And I’m singin’ my song, yeah, yeah, yeah
The singer is currently performing his song.
Sing a song, yeah, yeah, yeah
The singer encourages the listeners to sing along.
She faced the hardest times you would imagine
The song introduces the story of a girl who went through challenging times.
And many times her eyes fought back the tears, yeah, yeah
The girl tried to hold back her emotions during difficult times.
And when her youthful world was about to fall in
The girl's life became difficult in her youth when everything was meant to be fun.
Each time her slender shoulders
The girl was constantly carrying the weight of her fear and sorrow.
Bore the weight of all her fears and a sorrow no one hear
The girl faced her fears and sorrow alone without anyone's help.
Still rings in midnight silence in her ear
The girl still remembers everything and cannot forget it at night.
Let her cry for she’s a lady
The singer requests the listener to allow the girl to express her emotions.
Let her dream, she’s a child
The girl deserves to dream and enjoy her childhood.
Let the rain fall down upon her
The girl deserves to be free and embrace the natural world.
She’s a free and gentle flower growin’ wild
The girl is free and gentle like a flower that grows in the wild.
And if by chance I should hold her, hold her
The singer wishes to embrace the girl to support her.
Let me, let me hold her for a little while
The singer wants to make the girl feel protected for a short time.
And if I had but one possession, possession
If there's only one thing the singer can have, it's the girl's love.
I would take her from the garden to be mine, oh, yeah, yeah
The singer wants to take the girl away from her current situation to be with him.
Be careful how you touch her for she night awaken
The singer warns others that the girl might awaken from sleep if touched.
And sleep is the only freedom that the little girl knows
Sleep is the only time the girl can be free from her troubles.
And when you walk into your eyes, you won’t believe
The girl's experience is so unbelievable that it's hard for others to understand.
The way she’s always payin’
The girl has to face the consequences of something she never did.
For a debt she never, never owed
The girl is paying for a mistake she never made.
And the silent wind still blows
The girl's troubles still exist.
But only she can hear, and so she goes
The girl's struggles are internal, and she has to face them herself.
She’s, she’s, she’s a free and gentle flower, yeah, yeah
The girl is independent and gentle like a flower.
I’ma tell the world about my wildflower, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The singer wants to tell the world about the girl's story.
She’s a flower growin’, growin’ wild
The girl is like a wildflower, growing strongly on its own.
Wild, wild, la-la, growin’ wild
The girl is wild and free like a flower growing in nature.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Wayne Shorter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@OdellWells-mo1sk
It's 2023 and this Beautiful classic still sounds good
@lovingatlanta
👍Awesome song. I love the original version and this one is terrific too. Every time I hear the lyrics “paying for a debt she never owed” I just can’t help but cry. It’s so relatable. 😭
@elizabethrose5059
I cry at that part too
@alimay6736
@Elizabeth Rose me too
@davidnelson2234
I like OJays version the best
@jetaungodbolt4868
Beautiful song, but I like the O'jays version.
@lovingatlanta
@@jetaungodbolt4868 - I👍🫶t’s very beautiful. 💝
@dnitagill7
The old school song Wild Flower 🌷 by New Birth is a Beautiful ballad with lyrics that speak to the ❤️ heart of a woman who is likened to a wild flower yet a delicate flower. The mighty OJay's truly make this old school song their own...Their rendition is unique and classy!!💯🌷
@hurahill1769
Skylark did the original version, New Birth did the cover if I’m not mistaken
@ellisisland1374
Great remake legendary Mighty O'Jays!❤ Beautiful song! Soul music icon Eddie Levert can sing anything!👏