Diana Ross and The Supremes was the new name used by The Supremes from 1967… Read Full Bio ↴Diana Ross and The Supremes was the new name used by The Supremes from 1967 to 1970. It was Motown boss Berry Gordy's idea to explicitly make Diana Ross the group's front woman.

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.

Can I Get a Witness
Diana Ross and the Supremes Lyrics

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Ah ah listen everybody (body), specially you girls (girls)
Is it right to be left alone when the one you love is never home
I love too hard my friends sometimes say
But I believe I believe that a woman should be loved that way
But it hurts me so inside to see you treat me so unkind
Somebody somewhere tell her it ain't fair

Can I get a witness (Can I get a witness)

I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
Somebody (Can I get a witness)

Is it right to be treated so bad when you give her everything you had
Keep on talking in my sleep 'cause I haven't seen my baby all week
Now you kids you all agree is that the way it's supposed to be
Let me hear you, let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah

Up early in the morning with her on my mind
Took to find it out all night I been cryin'
But I believe a woman's a man's best friend
I'm gonna stick by hr till the very end
Well she causes so much misery how's a gal supposed to be
Somebody somewhere tell her it ain't right

Can I get a witness, can I get a witness
(Can I get a witness), I want a witness
(Can I get a witness), witness, witness
(Can I get a witness), witness, witness
(Can I get a witness)

Everybody knows especially you girls
That a love can be sad but my beloved's twice as bad
Now you kids do all agree that ain't the way it's supposed to be
Let me hear you, let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah

I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
Yeah, I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
Somebody (Can I get a witness)

Is it right to be treated so bad when you give her everything you had
Keep on talking in my sleep 'cause I haven't seen my baby all week
Now you kids you all agree is that the way it's supposed to be
Let me hear you, let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah

I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)

I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
Witness, witness, yeah, I want a witness

Overall Meaning

"Can I Get a Witness" by Diana Ross and the Supremes is a plea for help from a woman who feels neglected and mistreated by her partner. The singer feels that she deserves to be loved fully and that her partner's absence and disregard is unfair. She asks for a witness to her pain and struggle, someone who can testify to the fact that she is being treated badly. She questions whether it is right to be left alone when you love someone who is never home, and whether it is fair to be treated badly when you give everything you have.

Throughout the song, the singer is searching for validation and affirmation that she deserves better treatment, both from her partner and from the wider world. She sees love as a powerful and important force, and believes that women should be loved with the same intensity and passion that they give. However, she is frustrated and hurt by her current situation, and feels that her plea for help is falling on deaf ears. The repeated refrain of "Can I get a witness" is a cry for attention and acknowledgement, a way of reaching out for support and understanding.

Overall, "Can I Get a Witness" is a powerful and moving song that speaks to universal themes of love, loss, and the search for validation. It is a song that continues to resonate with audiences to this day, and stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of Diana Ross and the Supremes.

Can I Get a WitnessDiana Ross and the Supremes Lyrics

Can I Get a Witness
Diana Ross and the Supremes Lyrics