In 1958, Ben Nelson joined a doo wop group, The Five Crowns. Later that same year, The Drifters' manager fired the members of the group and replaced them with The Five Crowns, who had performed several engagements with The Drifters. He co-wrote the first hit by the new version of The Drifters, "There Goes My Baby" (1959). He also sang lead, using his birth name, on "Save the Last Dance for Me," a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, "Dance With Me," "This Magic Moment," "I Count the Tears," and other The Drifters hits.
In 1960 he left the group after failing to gain a salary increase and a fairer share of the group's royalties. At this point he assumed the more memorable stage name Ben E. King in preparation for a solo career. Remaining on Atlantic, King scored his first solo hit with the stylish, Latin-tinged ballad "Spanish Harlem" (1961). "Stand by Me" was his next recording. "Stand by Me", written by King along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller was voted one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America. "Stand by Me" and "Spanish Harlem" were named as two of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and were both also given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
King's records continued to place well on the pop charts until 1963, when British pop bands began to dominate the popular music scene. His hits after 1963 were "What is Soul?" (1967), "Supernatural Thing, part 1" (1975), and the re-issue in 1986 of "Stand by Me" following the song's use as the theme music to the movie of the same name.
It
Ben E. King Lyrics
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I see you talk to him,
It tears me up
It tears me up
And start my eyes to cryin'
Oh, oh, I can't stop cryin'
I see him kiss your lips,
It tears me up
It tears me up
I feel like I'm dyin'
Oh, oh, I must be dyin'
It's a cold, cold world I'm livin' in
I turn my back and there you are with my best friend
Oh sometimes we pass on the street darlin'
And you looked at me and you can say, "I'm sorry, my sweet"
Maybe just saying I'm sorry would be enough
But then you'd look back at him, with your perfect smile,
And that'd make me feel kind of rough.
Oh darlin It tears me up
I see you smile at him,
You'll never tire of him
It tears me up.
It tears me up.
But there ain't nothin I can do now
Baby can't you see I'm still in love with you
Oh, can't you see I'm still in love with you, baby
Still waitin for something that I cannot have
Oh, baby, nothin' tears me up so bad,
Can't you see that I'm still in love with you baby
Oh, that tears me up so bad now baby
In “It Tears Me Up,” Ben E. King expresses the agony of seeing his ex-girlfriend with another man. The lyrics indicate the singer’s pain as he watches her interact with her new lover. Even just seeing her smile at him makes him feel terrible, knowing he cannot have her back. There are several hints at the singer’s desperation, including his inability to stop crying and the way he describes himself as dying.
The phrase “It tears me up” is repeated throughout the song indicating the emotional turmoil that the singer is experiencing watching his former love move on. This line is also repeated for the purposes of emphasis to highlight the extreme emotional pain. The lyrics suggest that the singer has moved on, but his emotions and feelings haven’t. He still loves her and is hoping for a second chance. A key theme of the song is the pain of rejection, and longing for something in vain that can never be achieved.
The chorus is backed by a powerful, almost pleading, vocal harmony to underline the intensity of the singer’s sadness. The song’s melody and instrumentation complement the lyrics, with King’s passionate singing making for an unforgettable performance. All in all, “It Tears Me Up” is a heart-wrenching song about lost love, loneliness, and the pain of watching someone move on.
Line by Line Meaning
I see you walk with him,
I see you strolling alongside him, my heart aching with jealousy
I see you talk to him,
I witness you engaging in conversation with him, and it rips me apart inside
It tears me up
It causes me immense emotional pain
And start my eyes to cryin'
I cry uncontrollably when I see you with him
I see him kiss your lips,
I observe him kissing you on the mouth, my heart breaking in two
And squeeze your fingertips,
I see him holding your hand, my heart aching with envy
I feel like I'm dyin'
The pain I feel is so intense that I feel like I'm slowly dying
It's a cold, cold world I'm livin' in
I feel like the world is a harsh and lonely place
I turn my back and there you are with my best friend
Whenever I try to move on, I see you with my closest acquaintance
Oh sometimes we pass on the street darlin'
There are rare moments when we cross paths
And you looked at me and you can say, "I'm sorry, my sweet"
You sometimes apologize to me with a sweet nickname
Maybe just saying I'm sorry would be enough
Perhaps a mere apology would suffice
But then you'd look back at him, with your perfect smile,
But then you turn and beam a perfect smile at him
And that'd make me feel kind of rough.
And that makes me feel incredibly heartbroken
I see you smile at him,
I observe you smiling at him
You'll never tire of him
You never seem to become bored of him
But there ain't nothin I can do now
But I am powerless to change this situation
Baby can't you see I'm still in love with you
Can't you understand that I am still deeply in love with you?
Still waitin for something that I cannot have
I continue to hold onto hope for something that I am unable to attain
Oh, baby, nothin' tears me up so bad,
Oh, nothing pains me more deeply
Can't you see that I'm still in love with you baby
Don't you realize that my love for you persists, my sweetheart?
Oh, that tears me up so bad now baby
Oh, the agony I endure because of this is too much to bear, my darling.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SPOONER OLDHAM, DAN PENN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@trixoan1502
When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No, I won't be afraid
Oh, I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me
So darlin', darlin', stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Oh, stand
Stand by me, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry
No, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Oh, stand now
Stand by me, stand by me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Oh, stand now
Stand by me, stand by me
Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Won't you stand by
@jesserowbotham
I was adopted by my father who was African American I was a Caucasian boy. I was bullied all the time because my father and I looked so different but he would always tell me, we may look a little different on the outside but we are all the same it’s not what counts on The outside but what’s inside you as a person that’s where your real worth is .my father was an amazing man I worked hard In all aspects whether it would be school training martial arts self defence.
This man was truly my real father no one could make me feel otherwise.
Unfortunately 2 years ago he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer very low life expectancy he battled on as he does he did everything he could to fight the cancer but slowly he deteriorated and
Then it was all of a sudden he was in his death bed.
He passed and we played
This song at his funerals which was one of his favourite as.
Everyone I hear this song I hurt so much just all the emotion coming bag from
Dad, but I also love
It because it make m e feel so close to him once
Again even though I know he’s not with us…
@JianKaruro0048
🎶 So darlin', darlin', stand by me
Oh, stand by me........
Lumalabas, lumalabas
Banyo Queen 🎶
😅😅😅😅😅
I'm from the Philippines 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭
Merry Christmas, everyone ❄️☃️🎅🎄
Maligayang Pasko sa ating lahat ❄️☃️🎅🎄
MABUHAY!!!!! 🙌🙌🙌
@harleyatkins2008
In 1968 I head Ben E. King sing this song at a small club on the coast of SC. King had a small band of 3 or 4 guys and I can still remember the single violin. The venue was not air conditioned. I was 18. The girl I was with was 17. 52 years later we are still a couple. And I still love the song.
@paxi4165
Harley Atkins awwwwwwww
@mandrew296
That's so sweet. Very cool to see a fellow South Carolinian in the comments!
@aviralmittal89
May you guys have a long and happy life ❤️
@adrianrubionavarro4256
Wow
@toprock1301
Much respect sir. I tip my hat
@atlui415
When the boys are gone and you can listen to real music
@narfazlee5162
Be proud of your music taste bro
@tonov451
FAXXXXX
@frostysugartits1725
@@tonov451 “YOU’RE FIRED” back to the future reference...