Pledging My Love
Diana Ross &Marvin Gaye Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

My mistake was to love you, girl
Love you, girl
My mistake was to give you all
Tell the world

First I had you
In the palm of my hand
But I let you slip through
Like rain to sand
At the beginning
When I didn't care
Like my own reflection
You were always there

My mistake was to love you, girl
Love you, girl
My mistake, baby was to give you all
Tell the world

You were sweeter
Then my very own kin
But what did I do for you
Not a thing
In front of my friends
You broke me down
Since then darling
It's hard to track you down

My mistake was to love you, boy
Love you, boy
My mistake was to give my all
Tell the world

Many a smile
You put on my face
But I paid dearly
With the tears I taste

My tenderness
Made you cold, not sweet
'Cause if a girl loves you
You only call her weak

My mistake was to love you, boy
Love you, boy(love you girl)
My mistake was to give my all
Tell the world

My (my,my,my) mistake was to love you, girl(love you boy)
Love you, girl(love you boy)




My (my, my, my) mistake was to give you all
Tell the world

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye's "My Mistake" depict the regret of a lover who gave their all to someone who did not reciprocate their feelings. The singer acknowledges that their mistake was to love and care for their partner deeply as it only ended up hurting them in the end. The lyrics reveal that the singer of the song believed that they had their lover under control and failed to give them the attention and affection they needed. In turn, their love withered away, and their partner moved on, leaving them with regret.


The lines, "In front of my friends, you broke me down, since then, darling, it's hard to track you down," portray the sadness and disappointment that the singer experienced when their partner decided to hurt them in front of others. The emotion expressed in the lyrics is deep, raw, and saddening, as the singer laments their mistake of loving someone who only took advantage of them.


In conclusion, "My Mistake" is a song that echoes the pain of unrequited love. Its lyrics highlight the consequences of neglecting and not cherishing the love that someone has given us. The song embodies the universal theme of love's complexities and how we can quickly lose ourselves in love, making mistakes that will hurt us in the end.


Fact 1: "My Mistake" is a duet between Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, released in 1973 on the album "Diana & Marvin."
Fact 2: The song was written by Gloria Jones and Pam Sawyer, with production by Hal Davis.
Fact 3: Diana Ross recorded the song during the same sessions as her hit single "Touch Me in the Morning."
Fact 4: The song reached number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 26 on the US R&B chart.
Fact 5: The album "Diana & Marvin" peaked at number 26 on the US Billboard 200 chart and number 7 on the US R&B chart.
Fact 6: Marvin Gaye co-produced Diana Ross's first solo albums, including "Diana Ross" and "Everything Is Everything."
Fact 7: Diana Ross has recorded several duets with other artists throughout her career, including Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, and Rod Stewart.
Fact 8: "My Mistake" has been covered by several artists, including Teena Marie and Kim Carnes.
Fact 9: Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye also collaborated on the hit song "You Are Everything."
Fact 10: Diana Ross's career spans over six decades, and she is considered one of the most successful female artists in history.


Chords: Unfortunately, the chords for "My Mistake" are not available.


Line by Line Meaning

My mistake was to love you, girl
I made a mistake by falling in love with you, even though you were a girl.


Love you, girl
I fell in love with you, a girl.


My mistake was to give you all
I made a mistake by giving you everything I had.


Tell the world
I want everyone to know what a mistake I made.


First I had you
Initially, I had you with me.


In the palm of my hand
I had complete control over you.


But I let you slip through
I made a mistake by letting go of you.


Like rain to sand
You left me like the rain that slips through the sand.


At the beginning
In the early stages of our relationship.


When I didn't care
When I didn't give much thought or consideration for our relationship.


Like my own reflection
You were always there, like my own reflection.


You were sweeter
You were kinder and more loving.


Then my very own kin
You were even sweeter than my own family.


But what did I do for you
I didn't do anything for you.


Not a thing
I didn't do anything for you.


In front of my friends
In the presence of my friends.


You broke me down
You hurt me in front of my friends.


Since then darling
Since that incident, my dear.


It's hard to track you down
It's difficult to find you now.


My mistake was to love you, boy
I made a mistake by falling in love with you, even though you were a boy.


Many a smile
You brought many smiles to my face.


You put on my face
You made me happy.


But I paid dearly
But I suffered the consequences.


With the tears I taste
I tasted tears because of you.


My tenderness
My love, care, and affection.


Made you cold, not sweet
But my love made you unresponsive and unsupportive.


'Cause if a girl loves you
Because if a girl loves you.


You only call her weak
You think loving a girl is a weakness.


Love you, boy(love you girl)
I fell in love with you, a boy (or girl).


My (my,my,my) mistake was to give you all
I made a mistake by giving you everything I had.


Tell the world
I want everyone to know what a mistake I made.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GLORIA JONES, PAMELA JOAN SAWYER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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