With soaring vocals and a symphonic arrangement, this song bears a strong resemblance to the Righteous Brothers’ breakout hit, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.” That song was written by the Brill Building songwriting duo of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and produced by Phil Spector. When it became a #1 hit in 1965, Spector asked Mann and Weil to write another one, and they came up with “Soul And Inspiration.” They saw it as a carbon copy of “Lovin’ Feelin’,” however, and didn’t deliver it to Spector.
By 1966, The Righteous Brothers had signed a $1 million deal with MGM Records and needed a hit to please their new corporate overlords. Medley remembered the tune Mann and Weil had scrapped, and asked them to revive it. They reluctantly delivered the song to Medley, who produced it himself, using many of Spector’s techniques.
Released as their first single for MGM, “(You’re My) Soul And Inspiration” returned the duo to the top of the Hot 100, where it stayed for three weeks.
(source)
Lyrics to “Soul and Inspiration”
Girl, I can’t let you do this
Let you walk away
Girl, how can I live through this
When you’re all I wake up for each day?
Baby, you’re my soul and my heart’s inspiration
You’re all I’ve got to get me by
You’re my soul and my heart’s inspiration
Without you baby, what good am I?
I never had much goin’
But at least I had you
How can you walk out knowin’
I ain’t got nothin’ left if you do?
Baby, you’re my soul and my heart’s inspiration
You’re all I’ve got to get me by
You’re my soul and my heart’s inspiration
Without you baby, what good am I, oh what good am I?
Baby, I can’t make it withoutcha.
And I’m, I’m tellin’ ya, honey-you’re my
reason for laughin’, for cryin’, for livin’, and for dyin’.
Baby, I can’t make it without you
Please, I’m begging you baby
If you go it will kill me
I swear it, Dear, my love can’t bear it
You’re my soul and my heart’s inspiration
Youre all I’ve got to get me by
You’re my soul and my heart’s inspiration
Without you baby, what good am I, what good am I?
Mm-mm-mm Mm-mm-mm
Mm-mm-mm
Righteous Brothers & Marilyn McCoo sing Soul & Inspiration, 1982
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