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.
Hey Western Union Man
Diana Ross and the Supremes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Send a telegram to my baby
Send a telegram, send a telegram, oh
Send a telegram to my baby
This is all I want you to say.
(I want you to)
Tell him that I'm all alone
Tell him I'm in misery
Think he's avoiding me
If a telegram won't do
Send a box of candy too
Maybe some flowers
Tell him that I miss him for hours and hours
Send a telegram, send a telegram, oh
Send a telegram, oh, to my baby
Do you hear what I say?
Oh, Western Union man, send a telegram
Oh, send a telegram to my baby
Western Union man, send a telegram
Send a telegram, send a telegram, oh
Send a telegram, man, to my baby
This is what I want you to do.
Listen, tell 'em
Have you got a boy you can send
This is what I want him to do
Put him on his bike right away
See if he can get a message through
Maybe tomorrow, mail it right away
Want the boy to know that I miss him
Something like yesterday
Send a telegram, send a telegram, oh
Send a telegram, man, send a telegram to my baby.
Western Union man, send a telegram
Send a telegram to my baby
Western Union man, send a telegram, oh
Send a telegram, send a telegram, send it
Send a telegram, oh, to my baby
Do you hear what I say?
Hey Western Union man, send a telegram, oh
Send a telegram to my baby
Western Union man, send a telegram
Send it, man, send it to my baby (send it, send it)
To my baby, send it right away.
Western Union man, send a telegram
Oh, send a telegram to my baby
Western Union man, hey, send a telegram.
The song "Hey Western Union Man" by the Diana Ross and the Supremes is a heartwarming tune about a woman in love who is separated from her partner and asks the Western Union man to send messages to her lover. The lyrics are a plea to the Western Union man to send a telegram to her lover, conveying the message that she is missing him dearly. The woman is feeling lonely and desperate to connect with her lover, and thus she seeks the help of a Western Union man to send her message across to him. The song highlights the limitations of long-distance communication at that time and the yearning for physical touches and face-to-face interaction.
The lyrics suggest that the woman has tried to contact her lover on the phone, but the lines are busy, and she is not getting through. She is feeling miserable, lonely, and abandoned, and so she implores the Western Union man to convey her feelings to her lover. She asks him to send a telegram, a box of candy, and maybe some flowers to rekindle her relationship with her lover. The woman is shown trying multiple methods to reach out to her beloved but is unable to connect.
The lyrics of the song symbolize the challenges that couples face in holding on to a long-distance relationship. However, the message is optimistic as the woman is persistently pursuing her lover, and the Western Union man is the bearer of hope. With the Western Union man's help, the woman can bridge the gap and feel close to her lover again.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Western Union man
Addressing the Western Union worker
Send a telegram to my baby
Please send a telegram to my romantic partner
Send a telegram, send a telegram, oh
Reiterating the request to send a telegram
This is all I want you to say.
Providing specific instructions for the contents of the telegram
Tell him that I'm all alone
Communicating the sender's current emotional state
I tried to call him on the phone
Explaining a previous attempt at contact
Tell him I'm in misery
Emphasizing the sender's emotional distress
Think he's avoiding me
Expressing a suspicion about the partner's behavior
If a telegram won't do
Considering alternative methods of communication in case the telegram doesn't work
Send a box of candy too
Requesting an additional gift be sent to the partner
Maybe some flowers
Suggesting another possible gift
Tell him that I miss him for hours and hours
Communicating the depth and duration of the sender's feelings
Do you hear what I say?
Ensuring that the Western Union worker understands the urgency and importance of the request
Have you got a boy you can send
Inquiring about the possibility of using a messenger instead of a telegram
This is what I want him to do
Providing instructions for the messenger
Put him on his bike right away
Indicating the immediacy with which the message needs to be delivered
See if he can get a message through
Requesting that the messenger attempt to deliver the message
Maybe tomorrow, mail it right away
Offering an alternative delivery method if the messenger is unavailable
Want the boy to know that I miss him
Communicating the sender's feelings directly to the partner
Something like yesterday
Describing the timeline of the sender's emotional distress
Hey Western Union man, send a telegram, oh
Repeating the original request with emphasis
Send it, man, send it to my baby (send it, send it)
Urging the Western Union worker to quickly send the telegram
To my baby, send it right away.
Reiterating the urgency of the request and the recipient of the message
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Curtis Ousley, Luther Dixon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind