In 1959, Ross was brought to the attention of Milton Jenkins, the manager of the local doo-wop group The Primes, by Mary Wilson. Primes member Paul Williams convinced Jenkins to enlist Ross in the sister group The Primettes, which included Wilson, Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown.
In 1976, Billboard magazine named her the female entertainer of the century. In 1993, The Guinness Book Of World Records listed her as the most successful female artist ever (the title is now attributed to Madonna), partly due to her combined total of eighteen number-one singles, six of them recorded solo and the remaining dozen from her work with the Supremes.
Ross was also one of the few pop singers to find modest success in the acting world winning an Academy Award nomination for her role as Billie Holiday in the 1972 film, "Lady Sings the Blues" as well as having hits with other film roles such as "Mahogany", "Out of Darkness" and "Double Platinum", not to mention her role in "The Wiz".
Ross has been awarded many lifetime achievement accolades from many organizations and media outlets: she has been featured on BET, Soul Train, and awarded multiple times at the NAACP Image Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007 and given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement in 2011.
Ross' professional vocal collaborators have included the following during her career: Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Julio Iglesias, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Smokey Robinson, among many others.
I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You
Diana Ross Lyrics
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And a dream, that's torn at the seams
Here's a promise you made to me
Of the tomorrow I'll never see
And then you're free to go
But I can't give back the love
I feel for you
No matter what I do
Take these arms that held you close
I thought I was the one you needed the most
Take these hands, they're no good to me
That used to touch you so tenderly
But I can't give back the love
That's a part of me
If you want just a little bit
You have to take all of me
Here's a ring
That didn't mean a thing
And the letters you wrote
That gave my young heart hope
Take the pillow where my dreams were made
And the mind, where the thought of you stayed
But baby, you should know
That I can't give back the love
I feel for you
I'm gonna be stuck with it
No matter what I do
Take these eyes that once could see
Now reflections of a misery
The hapiness I thought would last
Now a becoming just a thing of the past
But I can't give back the love
That's a part of me
If you want just a little bit
You have to take all of me
No, I can't give back
No, I feel for you
Oh, I'm gonna be stuck
No matter what I do
'Cause it'll grow 'til the world
Don't go 'round no more
But I can't give back the love
I feel for you
I'm gonna be stuck with it
No matter what I do
But I can't give back the love
I feel for you
I'm gonna be stuck with it
No matter what I do
But I can't give back the love
I feel for you
I'm gonna be stuck with it
No matter what I do
In Diana Ross's song "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You," she sings about a relationship that has come to an end, but the love she had for her partner will continue to stay with her. She starts by explaining that she has a tear as a souvenir and a dream that has been torn at the seams. These lyrics imply that the relationship has ended on a sad note, with Ross left feeling scarred and hurt. She then goes on to mention the promises made to her by her ex-partner, which she will never see come to fruition. Ross knows that it's time for her partner to go, but she admits that she can't give back the love that she feels for them.
Ross sings about the items that she wants her partner to take away from her, such as her arms that held her partner close and her hands that touched them tenderly. She gives her partner a ring that didn't mean anything to her and letters that once gave her young heart hope. She lets her partner take away the pillow where her dreams were made, and her mind, where the thought of them stayed. Ross understands that all these things will never bring back her love, but she can't give it back.
Through this song, Ross expresses her dilemma about her love for her ex-partner. She knows that it is time to move on, but the love she had for them is ingrained in her. It's a part of her that can't be given back, for she will always feel that way regardless of how the relationship ended.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's a tear, for a souvenir
I am crying over our failed love and keeping my tears as a reminder of what we had
And a dream, that's torn at the seams
My hope for our future together is falling apart and is no longer a viable dream
Here's a promise you made to me
You once vowed to love me forever, but that promise went unfulfilled
Of the tomorrow I'll never see
The future that we had planned together will never come to fruition
And then you're free to go
You have moved on and I am left to deal with the aftermath of our failed love
But I can't give back the love
Although our love did not work out, my feelings for you will persist and cannot be returned
I feel for you
The love that I have for you is strong and unwavering
I'm gonna be stuck with it
My feelings for you will remain with me, even if I try to move on from our love
No matter what I do
Regardless of my actions, my love for you will continue to exist
Take these arms that held you close
My embrace that once provided comfort to you is now empty without you
I thought I was the one you needed the most
I believed that our love was strong enough for us to be each other's everything
Take these hands, they're no good to me
The hands that once held yours are now lifeless without you
That used to touch you so tenderly
My touch was once gentle and loving, but now it is a memory of a love that has ended
That's a part of me
My love for you is a fundamental part of who I am, even if it causes me pain
If you want just a little bit
If you still desire any part of my love, you will have to accept all of me
Here's a ring
This symbol of our love no longer holds any meaning
That didn't mean a thing
Our love has faded to the point where even this once-important ring has no significance
And the letters you wrote
The words of love that you once wrote to me are now mere reminders of a love that is lost
That gave my young heart hope
Your letters once gave me the hope that our love would last forever
Take the pillow where my dreams were made
The pillow on which I dreamt of our future together is now a lonely reminder of a love that has ended
And the mind, where the thought of you stayed
The memory of our love still resides in my mind, even though it has ended
That's a part of me
My love for you is intertwined with my very being and cannot be separated
Take these eyes that once could see
My eyes, which once saw a future with you, now only see the remnants of our failed love
Now reflections of a misery
My eyes now reflect the pain and misery caused by our love not working out
The happiness I thought would last
The joy that I once felt in our love has now given way to sorrow
Now becoming just a thing of the past
Our happiness together has now become a distant memory of what could have been
'Cause it'll grow 'til the world
My love for you will continue to expand and grow, even though it is unrequited
Don't go 'round no more
My love will persist even if the world were to end
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN HOLLAND, NICKOLAS ASHFORD, VALERIE SIMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind