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You Can't Hurry Love
The Supremes Lyrics


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I need love, love to ease my mind
I need to find, find someone to call mine
But mama said you can't hurry love
No you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take
You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
You gotta trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes
But how many heartaches must I stand
Before I find a love to let me live again
Right now the only thing that keeps me hanging on
When I feel my strength, yeah, it's almost gone
I remember mama said

You can't hurry love
No you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take
How long must I wait how much more can I take
Before loneliness will 'cause my heart, heart to break?
No, I can't bear to live my life alone
I grow impatient for a love to call my own
But when I feel that I, I can't go on
These precious words keeps me hanging on
I remember mama said

Can't hurry love
No you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take

You can't hurry love
No you just have to wait
She said trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes

No love, love don't come easy
But I keep on waiting, anticipating for that
Soft voice to talk to me at night
For some tender arms to hold me tight
I keep waiting, I keep on waiting
But it ain't easy, it ain't easy when mama said

You can't hurry love no
You just have to wait
She said trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes

You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take
You can't hurry love
No, you can't

Overall Meaning

The Supremes's song You Can't Hurry Love is about the frustration of waiting for love. The singer of the song is trying to find someone to love, but she is struggling to find the right person. She is becoming impatient and is asking herself how many heartaches she has to endure before she finds someone to love, but her mama tells her that love cannot be hurried. Mama's advice is that love is a game of give and take, and you cannot rush it. You have to be patient, trust the process, give it time, and eventually, love will find you.


The song has a catchy upbeat tempo, but the lyrics convey a profound message about life and love. The song's theme resonates with people across generations who have experienced the struggle to find love, the disappointments, and the heartaches that come with it. The melody and lyrics of the song have inspired many artists over the years, and it remains a classic in the Motown catalog.


Line by Line Meaning

I need love, love to ease my mind
The singer is feeling lonely and needs the comfort of love to help ease their mind


I need to find, find someone to call mine
The singer is searching for a significant other to have a relationship with


But mama said you can't hurry love
The singer's mother warned them that love takes time and cannot be rushed


No you just have to wait
The singer must be patient and wait for love to come naturally


She said love don't come easy
The singer's mother explained that love is not always easy to find or maintain


It's a game of give and take
Being in love requires both partners to give and take in order to have a successful relationship


You gotta trust, give it time
The singer must trust in the process of finding love and have patience


No matter how long it takes
It doesn't matter how long it takes to find love; it's important to wait for the right person


But how many heartaches must I stand
The singer is tired of experiencing heartache and wonders how much more they can take


Before I find a love to let me live again
The singer is searching for love to help them feel alive and happy again


Right now the only thing that keeps me hanging on
The singer is holding onto hope and the idea of love to keep them going


When I feel my strength, yeah, it's almost gone
The singer feels weak and hopeless, but clings onto the idea of love to keep them strong


Can't hurry love
Love cannot be rushed


How long must I wait how much more can I take
The singer is growing tired of waiting for love and wonders how much more they can handle


Before loneliness will 'cause my heart, heart to break?
The singer fears that if they don't find love soon, they will become so lonely that it will break their heart


No, I can't bear to live my life alone
The singer doesn't want to live their life alone and desires a companion to share their life with


I grow impatient for a love to call my own
The singer is becoming impatient and wants to find their own special love


These precious words keeps me hanging on
The memory of the singer's mother's words about love keep them hopeful and persevering


No love, love don't come easy
Finding love is challenging and requires hard work and patience


But I keep on waiting, anticipating for that
The singer continues to wait and hope for love to come into their life


Soft voice to talk to me at night
The singer desires someone to talk to at night in a soft, gentle voice


For some tender arms to hold me tight
The singer desires the physical embrace of someone to hold them in their arms


But it ain't easy, it ain't easy when mama said
Even though the singer knows they need to be patient, it's still difficult to wait for love


No you can't hurry love
Love cannot be rushed




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Jr. Holland

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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