Barbara Lewis (born 9 February 1943 in Salem, Michigan) is a American singe… Read Full Bio ↴Barbara Lewis (born 9 February 1943 in Salem, Michigan) is a American singer and songwriter whose smooth style influenced rhythm and blues.

Born in Salem (near Ann Arbor), Michigan, Lewis was writing and recording by her teens with producer Ollie McLaughlin. (McLaughlin was a black DJ at Ann Arbor radio station WHRV, now WAAM, who is also credited with discovering Del Shannon.) Her first single release in 1962, the uptempo "My Heart Went Do Dat Da," did not chart nationally but was a local hit in the Detroit area. She wrote all of the songs on her debut LP (including the hit "Hello Stranger"). Though her follow-ups did not have the same success, her song "Someday We're Gonna Love Again" was covered by The Searchers for a British Invasion hit.

In the 1960s, Lewis recorded in New York City, with producers Bert Berns and Jerry Wexler, leading to commercially-successful hits like "Baby I'm Yours" which is written by Van McCoy ('The Hustle'1975) and "Make Me Your Baby." At the end of the decade she released a grittier-sounding album on Stax Records, and after its lack of commercial success, she began to withdraw from music.

However, over the next decade, a number of other artists had success with Lewis' songs, most notably Yvonne Elliman, who made the U.S. Top 20 (and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart) and the UK Top 30 with her version of "Hello Stranger" in 1977. "Baby I'm Yours" also charted in versions by Jody Miller and Debby Boone (the B-side of her single "God Knows"). In Canada, Suzanne Stevens had a hit in 1975 with a disco version of "Make Me Your Baby". Cover versions of Barbara Lewis' tracks continue into the new millennium with the Arctic Monkeys including a version of "Baby I'm Yours" as a B-side to their 2006 single, "Leave Before The Lights Come On".

In 1995, Lewis' "Baby I'm Yours” was featured on the Bridges of Madison County soundtrack. She was given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1999.

The backup group on many songs from the album "Hello Stranger" are The Dells who enjoyed some hits of their own.

Think a Little Sugar
Barbara Lewis Lyrics

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Don't want a holly golly
Don't wanna do the twist
I just wanna sit & talk with you, baby
All night long about the things we missed together
So if you'll just think a little sugar
If you'll just think a little sugar

You'll find you're wasting an awful lot of valuable time

Don't wanna hear no radio
I don't wanna hear no jams
I just wanna sit & talk with you, baby
I'll tell you just how lonely I have been
So just think a little sugar

Think a little sugar
& you'll find you're wasting an awful lot of valuable time
If we could have stayed together I know
The days & nights we spent alone
Would have been the love over the years
& there wouldn't have been any tears

But I don't wanna talk about a dance
For the dance has gone
I just wanna sit & talk with you, baby
All about the future, but it's been so long
So just think a little sugar
Think a little sugar

& you'll find we've wasted enough of our valuable time
& you'll find we've wasted enough of our valuable time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Think a Little Sugar" by Barbara Lewis are a plea to a lover to spend some time talking and rekindling their relationship. The singer expresses that they don't want to engage in superficial activities like dancing or listening to music, they simply want to sit and have a conversation about the things they have missed out on. The phrase "think a little sugar" is repeated throughout the song, suggesting that the singer believes that their relationship can be fixed with just a little bit of effort and sweetness.

The first verse emphasizes the desire for intimacy and personal connection. The singer doesn't want to get caught up in the party scene, they just want to have a heart-to-heart. In the second verse, the singer reveals how lonely they have been and how they believe that if they had stayed together, they would have avoided feeling that way. This suggests that the singer still harbors deep feelings for their lover and sees a future for them, if only they can work things out.

The chorus repeats the phrase "think a little sugar" and encourages the listener to reconsider the time they have wasted apart. The final verse brings things full circle, with the singer asking to talk about the future and expressing their hope that they can salvage their relationship.

Overall, "Think a Little Sugar" is a gentle, heartfelt plea for love and connection. The singer recognizes that they need to put in effort to make their relationship work, but they believe that it will all be worth it in the end.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't want a holly golly
I'm not looking for a superficial, happy-go-lucky time.

Don't wanna do the twist
I'm not interested in doing anything trendy or popular.

I just wanna sit & talk with you, baby
I simply want to spend time getting to know you better.

All night long about the things we missed together
We can reminisce and share stories about experiences we could have had if we were together earlier.

So if you'll just think a little sugar
Please consider my request seriously and open yourself up to the possibility of a deeper connection.

You'll find you're wasting an awful lot of valuable time
If you don't, you'll realize that we could be missing out on many more fulfilling moments in life.

Don't wanna hear no radio
I don't want any distractions or interruptions from technology or outside noise.

I don't wanna hear no jams
I'm not interested in listening to music that doesn't hold personal significance for us.

I just wanna sit & talk with you, baby
Once again, I emphasize my desire to have a genuine conversation with you.

I'll tell you just how lonely I have been
I will open up and express my feelings of isolation and my yearning for human connection.

Think a little sugar
Once again, I urge you to consider our potential to form a meaningful bond.

& you'll find you're wasting an awful lot of valuable time
I stress the importance of not wasting any more time and instead, taking a chance on each other.

If we could have stayed together I know
I acknowledge that we missed opportunities to be together before and regret that fact.

The days & nights we spent alone
I reflect on the times we spent without each other and how they don't compare to the joy we could have had together.

Would have been the love over the years
Our time together would have been filled with love and happiness over many years.

& there wouldn't have been any tears
We would not have experienced any heartache or regret due to being apart.

But I don't wanna talk about a dance
I don't want to dwell on the past and think about missed opportunities to be together.

For the dance has gone
Those chances are now gone and we should instead focus on the present and future.

All about the future, but it's been so long
I want to talk about our future together, despite the fact that it's been a long time since we could have been together.

& you'll find we've wasted enough of our valuable time
I reiterate that we shouldn't waste any more time apart and should instead work towards building a future together.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BARBARA ANN LEWIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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