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.
Don't Let True Love Die
Diana Ross and the Supremes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How can I make you see
The warmth has left your heart
It's throwing us apart
Don't let true love die
Don't let it pass us by
Open your heart to me
Our love is falling
And it's hard to hold
It's a flaming fire
I can't control
How can I find the words to say
To keep our love from burning away
Please help me hold on to our love
Love me and I'll make you oh so happy
Don't let true love die
Don't let it pass us by
Anything you ask I'll give
As long as we shall live
I'll do anything forget my pride
'Cause desperation's building up inside
Your heart has turned
To hard cold stone
That I can't touch or leave alone
Why break this aching heart of mine
Come and hold me and tenderly console me
Do anything for you
Anything you ask me too
All of my love I'll give
Just give us a chance to live
Don't let true love die
Don't let it pass us by
Open your heart to me
Let things be as they used to be
Don't let true love die
Don't let it pass us by
Anything you ask I'll give
As long as we shall live
Don't let true love die
Don't let it pass us by
The lyrics of "Don't Let True Love Die" convey the message of a person who is desperate to save their relationship with their partner. They express their fear that their partner is slipping away from them because the warmth they once had towards each other seems to have vanished, and this is tearing them apart. The lyrics carry a message of hope and plead for a chance to revive and rekindle the love that they once shared.
The song expresses that the love between the two is like a flaming fire that is hard to control, and their passion for each other is falling apart. The lyrics ask for the partner to open their heart and not allow true love to die, and to remember the happiness they once shared. The person says they will do anything for their partner, even forget their pride.
Overall, the song is heartfelt and emotional, emphasizing the importance of not giving up on true love even when it seems like it's fading away.
Line by Line Meaning
You're slipping away from me
I feel you drifting away from our relationship
How can I make you see
I am struggling to find ways to make you understand my feelings
The warmth has left your heart
I can sense that your love for me is fading away
It's throwing us apart
This is creating a distance between us
Don't let true love die
I don't want our love to fade away and end
Don't let it pass us by
We should not ignore this love and let it slip away from our lives
Open your heart to me
Please be more vulnerable and reveal your true feelings to me
Make things as they used to be
Let's try to bring back the passion and love that we used to share
Our love is falling
Our relationship is deteriorating
And it's hard to hold
It's difficult to keep it together
It's a flaming fire
Our love is intense and passionate
I can't control
I am unable to manage or regulate our relationship
How can I find the words to say
I am struggling to express my thoughts and feelings in words
To keep our love from burning away
I want to prevent our love from fading away and ending
Please help me hold on to our love
I am seeking your help to keep our relationship intact
Love me and I'll make you oh so happy
If you love me back, I promise to make you very happy
Anything you ask I'll give
I am willing to do anything to make our relationship work
As long as we shall live
I am committed to our relationship for as long as we both live
I'll do anything forget my pride
I am willing to let go of my pride to save our relationship
'Cause desperation's building up inside
I am feeling desperate to save our relationship
Your heart has turned
I can sense that your love for me has faded
To hard cold stone
Your heart feels cold and distant towards me
That I can't touch or leave alone
I am unable to connect with you emotionally, but I can't give up on us
Why break this aching heart of mine
Why do something that will hurt me so much?
Come and hold me and tenderly console me
Please come to me and offer me comfort and love
Do anything for you
I am willing to do anything to make you happy
Anything you ask me too
I am open to doing whatever you need me to do
All of my love I'll give
I am ready to give you all the love that I have
Just give us a chance to live
Let's give our relationship another chance to grow and thrive
Contributed by Charlie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Randall Johnson
Why wasn't this released as a single? It has all the classic HDH elements from 1965-1966. A real finger snapper, toe-tapper. Can't get it out of my head.
Eric Rowell
I second that emotion
BroccoliQueefed
Because it's kind of weird. Hard to explain..For one, Mary and Flo sound very flat here. It's a strange sheath of the song, "It's The Same Old Song"
Eric Rowell
Love the harmony
Wayne Edwards
It's criminal that this was left of "The Supremes sing Holland-Dozier-Holland". Let's hope it makes it to an expanded edition.
theSUPREMEscene
i am so glad you enjoyed it!
JSOMERSET994 JSOMERSET994
sounds like a run through almost a copy. another nothing but heartaches
Micaï. Claude.
Diana Ross ++++++