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.
Til I Can't Take It Anymore
Ben E. King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Unpack the bags and close the door
I'll never leave you, no, no
Though you lied right from the start
I can′t convince my stupid heart
Not to believe you
You've got two good men strung out
That other men have loved you before
But you work your thing so well
I′ll dream of Heaven and live in Hell
Til I can′t take it anymore
If I had one ounce of pride
I'd stand up or step aside
But girl, I love you, can′t you tell it?
So I'll accept the crumbs you drop
′Cause I'm a fool and I can′t stop
Or rise above you
Let him speak up for himself
I speak for me and no one else
'Cause I'm a beggar knockin′ on your door
You work your thing so well
I′ll dream of Heaven and live in Hell
Til I can't take it anymore
I′m too far gone to turn around
To lift myself up off the ground
And start all over, over and over and over
Now him or I must win or lose
No matter which one you may choose
You'll be in clover, you know you will
Darlin′, while you're making up your mind
Well, I′ll be prayin' all the time
Prayin' that you′ll never, never, never be letting me go
But you work your thing so well
I′ll dream of Heaven and live in Hell
Til I can't take it anymore
Girl, you work your thing so well
Dream of Heaven and live in Hell
Til I can′t take it anymore
You know that you work that thing so well
I dream of Heaven and live in Hell
Til I can't take it anymore
You work it so well
I dream of Heaven and live in Hell
The lyrics of "Til I Can't Take It Anymore" by Ben E. King speak of a man who has been repeatedly hurt by his lover's lies and infidelity but cannot bring himself to leave her. He pleads with her to stop fighting and suggests they unpack their bags and close the door, indicating that he is willing to try and make things work. Although he knows she has lied to him from the start, he cannot help but believe her and stay by her side. The chorus describes how she has strung out two good men and how other men have loved her before, but she has a way of working her thing so well that he cannot let her go. He acknowledges his foolishness for accepting the little crumbs she drops for him and not standing up for himself, but his love for her cannot be denied.
The second verse implies that there is another man in the picture and she must choose between him and the singer. The singer knows he is too far gone to turn around and start over, and regardless of who she chooses, she will be in "clover," meaning she will be happy no matter what. However, the singer will be praying all the time that she never lets him go, even though he knows he is living in Hell.
The lyrics paint a picture of a man who is deeply in love with a woman who continuously hurts him, yet he cannot bring himself to let her go. He is caught in a cycle of pain and pleasure and is unable to break free.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's not fight it anymore
Let's stop resisting our love and accept it.
Unpack the bags and close the door
Let's move on from the past and focus on our future together.
I'll never leave you, no, no
I'm committed to being with you through thick and thin.
Though you lied right from the start
Despite the fact that you were dishonest with me from the beginning.
I can't convince my stupid heart
I can't control how my heart feels, even though my head tells me otherwise.
Not to believe you
I can't help but believe in our love, even after being lied to.
You've got two good men strung out
You have two men who love you and will do anything for you.
And there's not the slightest doubt
It's unquestionable that you have others who have loved you before.
That other men have loved you before
It's clear that you have had love and affection from other men in the past.
But you work your thing so well
You have a way of captivating men and making them fall for you every time.
I'll dream of Heaven and live in Hell
I'll continue to hope for a happy ending with you, even if it causes me pain and heartache.
Til I can't take it anymore
I'll hold on as long as I can, until the pain becomes unbearable.
If I had one ounce of pride
If I had any self-respect or dignity.
I'd stand up or step aside
I would either fight for our love, or walk away from it altogether.
But girl, I love you, can't you tell it?
Despite my lack of pride, my love for you is apparent and unwavering.
So I'll accept the crumbs you drop
I'll take whatever love you're willing to give me, even if it's not enough.
'Cause I'm a fool and I can't stop
Because of my love for you, I can't help but continue to hope and dream.
Or rise above you
I can't seem to move beyond my feelings for you and gain perspective.
Let him speak up for himself
Let the other man make his own choices and take responsibility for his own actions.
I speak for me and no one else
I don't want to speak on behalf of anyone else, I only speak for myself and my own feelings.
'Cause I'm a beggar knockin' on your door
I'm begging for your love and affection, even though I know I may not deserve it.
I'm too far gone to turn around
I'm deep into my love for you, and it's hard for me to imagine life without you.
To lift myself up off the ground
To pull myself out of this emotional state and move on from this love.
And start all over, over and over and over
To begin a new life without you, and try to forget.
Now him or I must win or lose
One of us will come out on top, while the other will ultimately be left behind.
No matter which one you may choose
Whichever man you pick, it will cause pain and heartache for the other.
You'll be in clover, you know you will
You will have whatever you want, no matter who you choose.
Darlin', while you're making up your mind
While you're deciding who to choose between us.
Well, I'll be prayin' all the time
I'll continue to pray for your love and hope that you pick me.
Prayin' that you'll never, never, never be letting me go
I'm praying that you never let me go, and that we can be together forever.
Girl, you work your thing so well
You know how to make men fall in love with you so easily.
Dream of Heaven and live in Hell
I'll keep dreaming of a happy ending with you, even if it means being in pain.
Til I can't take it anymore
I'll hold on to the hope of our love as long as I can, until it becomes too painful to bear.
You know that you work that thing so well
You're aware of your power over men's hearts and use it to your advantage.
I dream of Heaven and live in Hell
I can't help but dream of a happy ending with you, even though it causes me pain and heartache.
Til I can't take it anymore
I'll hold onto this hope until it becomes unbearable.
Writer(s): Dorian Burton, Clyde Lovern Otis
Contributed by Vivian B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jeanmitchell4486
Yes Another Ben E King song that we hear enough of ❤️❤️🔥🔥👍🏽
@jeanmitchell4486
Great Lyrics ❤️❤️👍🏽
@Davids508
Great song by one of the most underrated,underappreciated soul masters of all time.Whether as lead with The Drifters,or as a Solo act,his distinctive voice is one of the best ever.
@normaj.3305
He is known for "Stand By Me" which has become popular again because of it being sung at Prince Harry/Meghan's wedding, so many people have done a version of it so I hope he got his just rewards from that (if nothing else)
@jackyvietnam
This song has been held in my memory for so many years and as is relevant as it 0 years ago. Great, original rendition.
@pallen4755
Classics never die.
@MrCopper81
this man has got soul great version can definitely relate
@jonah7292
Oh man this is so beautiful thanks for sharing your awesome voice just love your songs rip Mr king
@tagtv
One of the very best from amongst his superb discography.
@jenniferrose779
At his absolute best 👌!