Stop! In the Name of Love
Diana Ross Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart

Baby, baby I'm aware of where you go
Each time you leave my door
I watch you walk down the street
Knowing your other love you'll meet
But this time before you run to her
Leaving me alone and hurt
(Think it over) After I've been good to you
(Think it over) After I've been sweet to you

Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Think it over
Think it over

I've known of your
Your secluded nights
I've even seen her
Maybe once or twice
But is her sweet expression
Worth more than my love and affection
But this time before you leave my arms
And rush off to her charms
(Think it over) Haven't I been good to you
(Think it over) Haven't I been sweet to you

Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Think it over
Think it over

I've tried so hard, hard to be patient
Hoping you'd stop this infatuation
But each time you are together
I'm so afraid I'll be losing you forever

Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Stop! In the name of love




Before you break my heart
Stop! In the name of love

Overall Meaning

Diana Ross's song "Stop in the Name of Love" is a heart-wrenching plea from a woman begging her lover to reconsider his actions and stop betraying her love. The song is infused with a powerful sense of hurt and betrayal as the singer is fully aware that her lover is seeing someone else, and she pleads with him not to break her heart anymore.


The singer laments that no matter how good she has been to him, he still chooses to betray her love and run off to be with someone else. She is tired of watching him leave her and meet his other love every time he goes out. Still, she hopes that this time, he will think things over before leaving her again. She reminds him of the times she has been good to him, and it's heartbreaking to see her pleading for something that seems so obvious.


Throughout the song, we feel the singer's deep sense of sadness and desperation, as she tries to understand why her lover has chosen to betray her affections. The song's lyrics are brilliantly written, and its melody pairs well with Diana Ross's powerful voice, making it an enduring classic.


Interesting facts:


1) "Stop in the Name of Love" was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1965.


2) The song was written by legendary songwriters Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland, and Brian Holland, also known as Holland-Dozier-Holland.


3) The tune was originally written for The Supremes, the popular singing group Diana Ross was a part of, but it ended up becoming a solo track for Ross.


4) The song became a massive hit for Diana Ross and The Supremes and cemented their status as one of the most successful Motown acts of all time.


5) The song's opening line, "Stop! In the name of love," has become a pop culture catchphrase and has been used in many movies and TV shows.


6) Diana Ross's performance of "Stop in the Name of Love" on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1965 is considered one of the most iconic moments in pop culture history.


7) The song's success led to the creation of the "Stop in the Name of Love" choreography, where Diana Ross and The Supremes would perform synchronized hand signals while singing.


8) "Stop in the Name of Love" was the first of five consecutive number one hits for The Supremes, tying them with The Beatles for the longest consecutive run of number one hits on the American pop chart.


9) The song was covered by various artists, including The Jackson 5, Margie Joseph, and The Temptations, among others.


10) The song has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, recognizing its timeless impact and influence on music history.


Chords (source: ultimate-guitar.com):
Verse: G | C | G | C | G | C | D |
Chorus: G | C | G | C | G | C | D |


Line by Line Meaning

Stop! In the name of love
I'm begging you to pause and reconsider your actions in the name of the love we share


Before you break my heart
I'm afraid that your actions will hurt me and damage the love we have between us


Baby, baby I'm aware of where you go
I know where you go when you leave my side


Each time you leave my door
Every time you leave, I feel anxiety and sadness


I watch you walk down the street
I observe you leave and go down the street


Knowing your other love you'll meet
I'm aware that you'll meet up with another love interest


But this time before you run to her
Before you rush to be with her


Leaving me alone and hurt
Causing me to feel abandoned and emotionally damaged


(Think it over) After I've been good to you
Consider the times when I treated you well


(Think it over) After I've been sweet to you
Reflect on the moments when I showed you kindness


I've known of your
I'm aware of your secrets


Your secluded nights
The times when you spend the night away from me


I've even seen her
I've even caught glimpses of the other woman you're seeing


Maybe once or twice
It's possible that it happened more than once or twice


But is her sweet expression
Are her kind words and actions


Worth more than my love and affection
More important than the love and affection that I have for you?


But this time before you leave my arms
Before you depart from our embrace


And rush off to her charms
And hurrying to be with her


(Think it over) Haven't I been good to you
Remember the times when I treated you well


(Think it over) Haven't I been sweet to you
Reflect on the moments when I showed you kindness


I've tried so hard, hard to be patient
I've made an effort to be patient and understanding


Hoping you'd stop this infatuation
Wishing that you would move on from this infatuation


But each time you are together
But every time you two are together


I'm so afraid I'll be losing you forever
I fear that I may lose you forever




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Lamont Dozier

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@PixelatedDiysOnYoutube

Stop! in the name of love
Before you break my heart
Baby, baby, I'm aware of where you go
Each time you leave my door
I watch you walk down the street
Knowing your other love you'll meet
This time before you run to her
Leaving me alone and hurt
(think it over) after I've been good to you ?
(think it over) after I've been sweet to you ?
Stop! in the name of love
Before you break my heart
Stop! in the name of love
Before you break my heart
Think it over
Think it over
I've known of your, your secluded nights
I've even seen her maybe once or twice
But is her sweet expression
Worth more than my love and affection?
But this time before you leave my arms
And rush off to her charms
(think it over) haven't I been good to you?
(think it over) haven't I been sweet to you?
Stop! in the name of love
Before you break my heart
Stop! in the name of love
Before you break my heart
Think it over
Think it over
I've tried so hard, hard to be patient
Hoping you'll stop this infatuation
But each time you are together
I'm so afraid I'll be losing you forever
Stop! in the name of love
Before you break my heart
Stop! in the name of love
Before you break my heart
Stop! in the name of love
Before you break my heart



All comments from YouTube:

@b.v4258

My mother couldn't help but start singing this whenever she told my sisters' and I to "Stop!" doing whatever mischief we were doing as kids. It usually included the hand movements and a little hip action

@ubiergo1978

+NGC4622Spiral My respect for that memory. :)

@Bobnme910

+NGC4622Spiral >   I do that too lol

@Bobnme910

+NGC4622Spiral   >    my wife does that too lol

@CheroLynnBSharp

I do that to my sister and family and my siblings don't have a clue what I'm singing

@acehamlet2844

Dude my mom would say stop and start singing that song that goes stop collaborate and listen ice is back with his brand new edition something

19 More Replies...

@badmanbinsuparman3448

No autotune
Just pure talent
Love it

@monsieursalamandre8105

No autune but a lot of autobahn, autoroute, highway..

@dubsallday8465

𝔽𝕣

@BixenteFabregas

@@monsieursalamandre8105 Kraftwerk fan spotted

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