The Supremes were a hugely successful Motown all-female singing group active from 1959 until 1977, performing at various times doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway showtunes, psychedelia and disco. Second only to The Beatles in terms of records sales and chart success, The Supremes were the most successful American musical act of the 1960s, delivering twelve #1 hits between 1964 and 1969, many of them written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland.
Founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1959, The Supremes began as a quartet called The Primettes. Founding members Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, and Betty McGlown, all from the Brewster-Douglas public housing project in Detroit, were the sister act to The Primes (later The Temptations). In 1960, Barbara Martin replaced McGlown, and the group signed with Motown in 1961 as The Supremes.
Martin left at the end of 1961, and Ross, Ballard, and Wilson carried on as a trio. After they achieved success in 1964 with Ross as the lead singer, Motown president Berry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross and the Supremes in 1967. Ballard left the group that same year because of personal differences and was replaced by Cindy Birdsong.
Diana Ross left the group for a history-making solo career in 1970 and was replaced by Jean Terrell. After 1972, the lineup of The Supremes changed frequently, with Lynda Laurence, Scherrie Payne, and Susaye Greene all becoming members before the group ended its eighteen-year existence in 1977.
Bah-Bah-Bah
Diana Ross and the Supremes Lyrics
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Bah-bah-bah-bah-bah, bah-bah-bah-bah-bah
Bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah
Bah-bah-bah-bah-bah, bah-bah-bah-bah-bah.
You don't hold me in your arms the way you did
When you were so much in love with me
I recall the time when you were all mine
And when I feel I wanna be with you
And I can't right then, it almost drives me insane
'Cause you're the only one who can easy my mind
'Cause you're the reason of all of my hurt and all of my pain.
When I guess my world was made believe
'Cause I thought I can have your love all to myself
And there's nothing I can do 'cause you're gonna do
What you wanna do anyhow, anyway.
But loving you is blinding me so
I still hold on to every hope and every dream
While deep inside I feel the tide is about to turn
And you won't find me hanging around you anymore.
But keep this in mind for the end of time
You're gonna want me more than I want you now
Ooh, it's gonna be a shame, hate to see you that way
I know how it feels cause I'm on that cloud today.
The lyrics to "Bah-Bah-Bah" by Diana Ross and the Supremes express the pain and frustration of a woman in a one-sided relationship. She reminisces about a time when her partner loved her deeply, but now she feels neglected and unappreciated. She longs to be with him, but knows deep down that it's not good for her. The woman struggles with the realization that her love for him blinds her to his mistreatment of her. She even predicts that one day he'll want her more than she wants him, but by then it will be too late.
The repetition of "bah-bah-bah" throughout the song represents the woman's inner turmoil and confusion. It's almost like a mantra, a way to distract herself from the painful reality of the situation. The lyrics themselves are simple, but the emotion behind them is powerful. The woman is torn between her love for her partner and her own self-worth.
Overall, "Bah-Bah-Bah" is a poignant and relatable song about the ups and downs of love. It highlights the pain of being in a relationship where you're the only one putting in effort, and the difficulty of letting go of someone you still care about.
Line by Line Meaning
Bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah
Instrumental ad-lib
Bah-bah-bah-bah-bah, bah-bah-bah-bah-bah
Instrumental ad-lib
Bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah
Instrumental ad-lib
Bah-bah-bah-bah-bah, bah-bah-bah-bah-bah.
Instrumental ad-lib
You don't hold me in your arms the way you did
You don't show me the same affection you once did
When you were so much in love with me
When you were infatuated with me
I recall the time when you were all mine
I remember the time when you were only mine
And I didn't have to share your love with anyone.
And I didn't have to compete for your love with anyone else
And when I feel I wanna be with you
And when I desire to be with you
And I can't right then, it almost drives me insane
And when I can't be with you at that moment, it makes me feel crazy
'Cause you're the only one who can easy my mind
'Cause you're the only one who can ease my mind
'Cause you're the reason of all of my hurt and all of my pain.
'Cause you're the cause of all my emotional pain and suffering
When I guess my world was made believe
When I believed my perfect world was only an illusion
'Cause I thought I can have your love all to myself
'Cause I thought I could monopolize your love
And there's nothing I can do 'cause you're gonna do
And there's nothing I can do since you will do what you want
What you wanna do anyhow, anyway.
What you want to do regardless
But loving you is blinding me so
But my love for you is clouding my judgement
I still hold on to every hope and every dream
I still cling to every hope and dream I have for us
While deep inside I feel the tide is about to turn
Although I sense a change is coming
And you won't find me hanging around you anymore.
And you won't find me lingering around you anymore
But keep this in mind for the end of time
But remember this always
You're gonna want me more than I want you now
The time will come when you will want me more than I want you
Ooh, it's gonna be a shame, hate to see you that way
Even though it will be a shame, I hate to see you suffer
I know how it feels cause I'm on that cloud today.
I know how you will feel, because I'm experiencing it now.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRENDA HOLLOWAY, PATRICE HOLLOWAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind