Holloway did not fit the Motown mold well. She lived in Los Angeles, not Detroit. She also had a grittier edge than the typical polished Motown performer, and wrote songs as well as sang them, which was unprecedented for a female Motown artist. Brenda Hollowy inspired many pop artists, including The Beatles who asked her to perform as the opening act on their 1965 tour of the U.S. She was the only female to open for them.
You
Brenda Holloway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Embrace me, you irreplaceable you!
Just one look at you
My heart grew tipsy in me,
You and you alone
Bring out the gypsy in me!
Above all, I want my arms about you!
Don't be a naughty baby,
Come to papa, come to papa, do!
My sweet embraceable you!
Brenda Holloway's Embraceable You is a romantic love song that expresses the singer's deep and passionate feelings for her partner. The opening lines, "Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you! Embrace me, you irreplaceable you!" are an invitation to her lover to hold her tightly and never let her go. Holloway's smooth and soulful delivery throughout the song communicates a sense of longing and desire, particularly in the lines "Just one look at you My heart grew tipsy in me" and "You and you alone Bring out the gypsy in me!"
The chorus of the song, "I love all the many charms about you! Above all, I want my arms about you!" highlights the singer's strong emotional attachment to her partner. She is completely enamored with everything about them and desires to be physically close to them. The song's bridge, "Don't be a naughty baby, Come to papa, come to papa, do! My sweet embraceable you!" is a playful and flirty plea for her significant other to come to her and share in the love she has to offer.
Line by Line Meaning
Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you!
Hold me close and never let go, my dear and irreplaceable lover.
Embrace me, you irreplaceable you!
Hold me tight and never leave, for you are one of a kind and irreplaceable.
Just one look at you
The moment I saw you, my heart was instantly filled with love.
My heart grew tipsy in me,
My heart was overwhelmed with joy and passion, making me feel unsteady and light-headed.
You and you alone
Out of everyone in the world, you are the only one who has captured my heart and soul.
Bring out the gypsy in me!
You inspire me to be adventurous and carefree, like a wandering gypsy.
I love all, the many charms about you!
I adore all of your wonderful qualities and characteristics.
Above all, I want my arms about you!
But above all, what I desire most is to hold you close and never let go.
Don't be a naughty baby,
Please don't be mischievous or disobedient, my dear.
Come to papa, come to papa, do!
Come to me, my love, and let me hold you in my arms.
My sweet embraceable you!
You are my sweet and lovable partner, the only one I want to hold and cherish forever.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wyndhl9465
They all have done excellently with the song; to each his/her own based on individual preference.
I admire Brenda Holloway's take, and adore Candi Staton's unique delivery.
Brenda needs much much more credit for creating this lyrical and melodic masterpiece.
Thanks to Blood Sweat and Tears for bringing it to global recognition.
Wise post.
@imanim4844
I had no idea this was a Motown song first 😍 I am so glad though! I love this!
@motownfan3
It took me 50 plus years(2018)
to finally see Brenda Holloway..............she sang this "CLASSIC " I nearly lost my mind.....she "rocked the house" that night. Next time she is in the Philly area.... I 'll be back in the front row cheering her on again.
@jimmyrants4342
Carol Kaye is awesome on the bass in this song. Great song.
@Samanthao49
I grew up with Brenda, her sister Patrice and their brother Wade. We went to the same elementary and junior high school. They allowed me to come to their home to play their piano as I did not have one. Her very first big hit was Every Little Bit Hurts and I would call the radio station in Los Angeles and beg them to play it. A family friend knew of this so one day he took me to the most popular record store at that time to buy the 45 record and the 33 1/3 LPR with all the songs I love on it. She and I remained in contact for many years and only lost contact when I moved to the south. I have every thing she's recorded that was released. There are a few songs that Motown would not release. Last time I saw here was in the Motown office in the Tower Records building on Vine street. I was there to deliver a tape of some of my music. Sadly I did not make the cut.
@shoveldaddy1
+Samanthao49 ...thank you for sharing your story...I truly appreciate hearing background stories...brings a personal connection to the artist...that others can relate to...
@jam1966ful
+Samanthao49 There's a CD from here in the UK that has a few unreleased tracks on that may be of interest to you, I'm looking at the moment through some of the other Motown Vaults series and I'll post any others I find.. Brenda's always been a much admired artist amongst the UK's Northern Sould and Motown fans. https://acerecords.co.uk/
@jam1966ful
+jam1966ful I can only link to the main page, Artists a-z will get you there.
@jam1966ful
+Samanthao49 I thought there would be, I had forgotten the Cellar Full Of Motown series of which there at least 3. They are available on Amazon and you can download Brenda's unissued tracks as MP3 downloads so's not to have to buy the whole album if you wish.
@NIJEECAPRICORN23
awww wow =)
@magneto7930
It's nice to appreciate the original version. She had a beautiful voice, very soulful indeed. BS&T made a monster hit out of it which I love, but without the original it wouldn't exist.