The Reeves family was a musical family. There was always music and singing in their home, consequently, Martha wanted to become a singer.
Reeves first performace was in church singing the hymn, "Jesus met The Woman At The Well". She won a box of chocolate covered cherries.
As a teen she sang with several local girl groups. She was also trained in opera.
She met Motown executive Mickey Stevenson during one of her solo gigs. He invited her to audition for Motown records. Although she went to Motown as a singer, she became their first A&R secretary. She was "The Secretary that could sing her A--off".
When singer Mary Wells missed a recording session, Martha Reeves filled in and was given a recording contract.
Along with the Vandellas, Martha Reeves vibrant lead vocal can be heard on hits like: "Heat Wave", "Quicksand", "Jimmy Mack", "Nowhere to Run" and "Dancing In the Street".
Martha Reeves became the first Motown artist to get a release from her contract in 1972. She became a solo artist and recorded tracks for MCA, Arista, Fantasy and later her own label, Itch records. "Power of Love", Wild Night" and Love Blind" are her most popular solo efforts. Her solo album "Martha Reeves", released in 1974 is still a cult favorite among many fans.
Although her solo career failed to take off properly, Martha Reeves manged to remain an important entertainer gaining continous spots on national television and performing in concerts all over the world.
Today she is still performs solo or with a line-up of Vandellas that consists of her Sisters, Lois and Delphine Reeves.
S.T.
Nowhere To Run
Martha and The Vandellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide.
It's not love, I'm a running from,
It's the heartbreak I know will come.
'Cause I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me.
Ev'rywhere I go, your face I see, ev'ry step I take, you take with me yeah
Nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide
Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide.
I know you're not good for me, but free of you I'll never be, no.
Each night as I sleep, into my heart you creep.
I wake up feelin' sorry I met you, hoping soon that I'll forget you.
When I look in the mirror to comb my hair
I see your face just a smiling there.
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from you baby,
Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide.
I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me,
How can I fight a lover, that shouldn't be, when it's so deep,
So deep, deep inside of me
My love reaches so high I can't get over it
It's so wide I can't get around it, no
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from you baby
Just can't get away from you baby, no matter how I try to
I know you're no good for me, but free of you I'll never be,
Nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide, got nowhere to run to baby.
The lyrics of Martha and The Vandellas's song Nowhere to Run describe a feeling of entrapment and helplessness when it comes to a toxic relationship. The repetition of "nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide" in the chorus reinforces the idea that the singer feels trapped and unable to escape the situation. The lyrics also suggest that the singer knows that the relationship is not good for them, but they feel unable to break free from it. The line "I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me" highlights the difficulty of letting go of someone who has been a significant part of your life. The singer is tormented by the fact that everywhere they go, they are reminded of the person they are trying to escape from.
The final verse of the song adds a new layer to the theme of entrapment. The lyrics suggest that the singer's love for the toxic person is so deep that it feels impossible to fight. The lines "My love reaches so high I can't get over it, it's so wide I can't get around it" highlight the way that the intensity of love can sometimes feel like a trap in its own right. Despite knowing that the relationship is not good for them, the singer feels powerless to break free from their feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide
I feel trapped and exposed with no escape from the pain that I know is coming
Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide.
I am defenseless and helpless against the heartbreak that I know is inevitable
It's not love, I'm a running from,
I am not running from love, but from the inevitable heartbreak that comes with being with you
It's the heartbreak I know will come.
I cannot escape the painful end that I know will come from being with you
'Cause I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me.
I am aware that you are not good for me, but I cannot help feeling attached to you
Ev'rywhere I go, your face I see, ev'ry step I take, you take with me yeah
Everywhere I go, I cannot escape thoughts of you and how you have become a part of me
I know you're not good for me, but free of you I'll never be, no.
Although I am aware that you are not good for me, I feel like I will never truly be free from you
Each night as I sleep, into my heart you creep.
Even when I am asleep, you still manage to invade my thoughts and feelings
I wake up feelin' sorry I met you, hoping soon that I'll forget you.
In the morning, I wake up with regret for meeting you and I hope that someday I will be able to forget you
When I look in the mirror to comb my hair, I see your face just a smiling there.
Even when I am doing something as simple as combing my hair, I am reminded of you and how you have affected me
I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me,
I am aware that you are not good for me, but I cannot help feeling attached to you
How can I fight a lover, that shouldn't be, when it's so deep,
It is difficult for me to fight against my feelings for you, even though I know they are wrong
So deep, deep inside of me
My feelings for you are rooted so deeply inside of me
My love reaches so high I can't get over it
My love for you is so strong that I cannot ignore it or move past it
It's so wide I can't get around it, no
My love for you is all-consuming and I cannot escape it
Just can't get away from you baby, no matter how I try to
No matter how hard I try, I cannot escape or forget about you
Nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide, got nowhere to run to baby.
I am lost and vulnerable with no way to protect myself from the pain that I know is coming
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDWARD JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER, BRIAN HOLLAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind