Carter's earliest releases were as half of the duo Clarence And Calvin. Also known as the "C And C Boys", the blind duo made seven singles, the last of which was recorded at Fame's Muscle Shoals studio. When his partner, Calvin Thomas (aka Scott), suffered serious injuries in a car accident in 1966, Carter became a solo act (Calvin himself later reappeared as a solo act to record two Dave Crawford-produced Atco Records singles in 1969/70 and a Clarence Paul-produced 1971 album for Stax Records, I'm Not Blind ... I Just Can't See, from which two singles were also taken). "Tell Daddy", released in January 1967, began a fruitful spell of Fame-produced hits by Carter, released on the Atlantic Records label. Noteworthy were "Thread The Needle", "Looking For A Fox" and "Slip Away", where the singer combined his outstanding voice with his skill as an arranger and musician.
"Patches", first recorded by Chairmen Of The Board, was a UK number 2 and a US number 4 in 1970, but despite further strong offerings, Clarence was unable to sustain the momentum. He remained with Fame until 1973, where he also helped guide Candi Staton, who was now his wife, before moving to ABC Records the subsequent year.
Further recordings on Venture and Big C took Carter's career into the 1980s and later the artist found a sympathetic outlet with the Ichiban Records label. Despite being blinded as a child, he developed a distinctive guitar style that complemented his earthy delivery, and was just as comfortable on keyboards, writing songs or arranging sessions. The first two albums, This Is Clarence Carter and The Dynamic Clarence Carter show off his versatile talent to good effect.
Clarence returned in the late Eighties with the album Dr. CC, which spawned the bawdy, comedic single "Strokin'", which has evolved into a favorite at clubs and weddings. He later followed it up with a sequel, "Still Strokin'", in 1989.
Prove Your Love
Clarence Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Makes me feel so good
It's got me doing things, baby
I never dreamed I would
But we got to check ourselves
'Cause we belong to someone else
I just can't leave your love alone
When you chuck your love on me
It's got me begging and crying
Wrecking every bone in my body
Oh Lord, just tearing up my mind
It's been sunk in too deep
And it's become a big part of me
I can't leave your love alone
I just can't leave your love alone
I know this slipping around
Can be a dangerous thing
But we got to keep on
Taking these chances
I got my good luck piece in my hand
Hoping they won't catch us
Won't catch us red-handed, oh
The effect of your love
Leave me shook up after you're gone
Setting fire to my clothes, baby
Leaving my body so warm
But I know what we're doing is wrong
But I can't leave your love alone
I just can't leave your love alone
Oh Lord, I can't leave your love alone
All of my friends try to tell me
But I just can't leave your love alone
Oh, no, no, I can't leave your love alone
It's got me, it's got me, it's got me so bad
The lyrics of Clarence Carter's "I Can't Leave Your Love Alone" speaks of the intense emotional power of a forbidden love affair. The song is essentially about a man who is deliriously in love with someone who is not his wife or partner. He tries to ignore the other person's advances but weakens under the pressure of their love. The first verse describes how the love has affected him in ways he never thought possible, making him do things he never imagined he would. In the following verse, the singer acknowledges the wrong in the situation but it's clear that he is not going to stop.
The powerful lyrics have a more significant meaning when it's understood that Carter lost his sight in early childhood due to an untreated eye infection. The theme of blindness runs through the music and the lyrics as the character is often unable to see what is obvious to others, in this case, the harm the illicit relationship is causing. The lyrics speak to the classic tale of a love triangle, where the singer is caught in between two loves, one he is supposed to be faithful to, and the other he is passionately drawn to, even though he knows it is wrong. The chorus represents his internal struggles, as he can't seem to leave the person he's having an affair with or the thrill that it brings.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Can't Leave Your Love Alone" represent that forbidden love can be incomprehensibly passionate but also incredibly destructive to all parties involved. The singer knows that he is doing something wrong, but the intensity of the affair is too powerful to resist.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, your love
Addressing the woman being loved, acknowledging her love
Makes me feel so good
The love feels good to the person receiving it
It's got me doing things, baby
The person is acting in ways they never thought they would because of the love
I never dreamed I would
The person is surprised at how much the love is affecting them
But we got to check ourselves
The person acknowledges the need to examine their actions
'Cause we belong to someone else
The person is already in a committed relationship
And I can't leave your love alone
The person is addicted to the love despite knowing it's wrong
When you chuck your love on me
The person is being showered with affection
It's got me begging and crying
The love is making the person emotional
Wrecking every bone in my body
The love is taking a toll on the person's physical and emotional health
Oh Lord, just tearing up my mind
The love is causing mental anguish
It's been sunk in too deep
The person is in too deep and can't easily get out
And it's become a big part of me
The love has become an integral part of the person's life
I know this slipping around
The person acknowledges that their actions are wrong
Can be a dangerous thing
The person understands the risks of their behavior
But we got to keep on
The person is willing to continue despite the risks
Taking these chances
The person is willing to take risks for the love
I got my good luck piece in my hand
The person is relying on superstition for the love to work out
Hoping they won't catch us
The person is aware of the risk of getting caught
Won't catch us red-handed, oh
The person hopes to avoid getting caught
The effect of your love
Acknowledging the power of the love
Leave me shook up after you're gone
The person feels the impact of the love even when their partner is gone
Setting fire to my clothes, baby
The love is passionate and intense
Leaving my body so warm
The love gives physical sensations to the person
But I know what we're doing is wrong
The person is aware of the moral implications of their actions
All of my friends try to tell me
The person's friends are warning them about their behavior
But I just can't leave your love alone
The person is addicted to the love despite the warnings
Oh, no, no, I can't leave your love alone
Repeating the addiction to the love
It's got me, it's got me, it's got me so bad
The love has a strong hold on the person
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CLARENCE GEORGE CARTER, GEORGE JACKSON, GEORGE HENRY JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gail Waterbury
on Strokin
I remember the first time hearing this from my friend 20 years ago. Me being me fell in love with not only this but many other nasty songs. He'll I raised my kids on this s*** . Alongwith David Allen coe Even played this for my Grandma who almost died of laughter