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.
I'm Livin' In Shame
Diana Ross and the Supremes Lyrics
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She wore a dirty raggety scarf around her head
Always had her stockings low
Rolled to her feet, she just didn't know
She wore a sloppy dress
Oh no matter how she tried, she always looked a mess
Out of the pot she ate, never used a fork or a dinner plate
I was always so ashamed for my uptown friends to see her
In a college town, away from home, a new identity I found
Said I was born elite, with maids and servants at my feet
I must have been insane
I lied and said my mom died on a weekend trip to Spain
She never got out of the house, never even boarded a train
I married a guy, was livin' high
I didn't want him to know her
She had a grandson, two years old
I never even showed her
I'm livin' in shame, Momma, I miss you
I know you are not to blame, Momma, I miss you
Came the telegram
Mom passed away while making homemade jam
Before she died, she cried to see me by her side
She always did her best, ah! cookin', cleanin'
Always in the same old dress
Workin' hard down on her knees
Always try'n to please
Momma! Momma! Momma, do you hear me
Momma! Momma! Momma, do you hear me
I'm livin' in shame, Momma, I miss you
I know you've done your best
Momma, I miss you
Won't you forgive me Momma
For all the wrong I've done
I know you have done your best
I know you have done your very best you could
But I never understood
Workin' hard on your knees
Momma, you were always, always tryin' to please
The lyrics to Diana Ross and the Supremes's song "I'm Livin' in Shame" paint a picture of the shame and embarrassment felt by the song's narrator towards her mother. The song talks about the singer's mother, who is wearing a raggety scarf, stockings rolled to her feet, and a sloppy dress. The singer is ashamed when her uptown friends see her mother, afraid that she might turn out to be like her when she grows up. In adulthood, the singer lies to her husband, claiming that her mother had passed away on a trip to Spain, and hides her grandson from her. The song reaches its climax with the news of the mother's death, and the singer regrets not being there for her mother and recognizing all the hard work and sacrifices she had made for her family.
The song's lyrics convey the theme of the importance of family, recognizing the value of hard work, and how shame can affect our decisions and relationships. One interesting fact about this song is that it was written by the legendary Motown songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, who wrote many of the Supremes' hits. Another fact is that it was released in 1969 and reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was later included on the Supremes' 1970 album, "Right On". The song's message about family and the importance of recognizing one's roots has made it an essential track in the Supremes' discography.
Line by Line Meaning
Mom was cooking bread
My mother was preparing food
She wore a dirty raggety scarf around her head
She would wear a headscarf that was worn out and dirty
Always had her stockings low
She would wear her stockings rolled down to her ankles
Rolled to her feet, she just didn't know
She didn't realize that her stockings were rolled down
She wore a sloppy dress
She would wear an untidy dress
Oh no matter how she tried, she always looked a mess
No matter how much effort she put in, she could never look neat
Out of the pot she ate, never used a fork or a dinner plate
She would eat directly from the pot, without using utensils or plates
I was always so ashamed for my uptown friends to see her
I felt ashamed when my wealthy friends would see my mother looking unkempt
Afraid one day when I was grown that I would be her
I was scared that I would become like her when I got older
In a college town, away from home, a new identity I found
I assumed a new identity when I moved to a different city for college
Said I was born elite, with maids and servants at my feet
I lied and claimed that I was born into a wealthy family with servants
I must have been insane
I was crazily delusional to invent such lies
I lied and said my mom died on a weekend trip to Spain
I fabricated a story that my mother had passed away while traveling in Spain
She never got out of the house, never even boarded a train
My mother had never left the house, let alone travel to another country
I married a guy, was livin' high
I got married to a wealthy man and was living a luxurious life
I didn't want him to know her
I didn't want my husband to meet my mother
She had a grandson, two years old
My mother had a two-year-old grandson
I never even showed her
I never introduced my mother to her grandson
Came the telegram
I received a telegram
Mom passed away while making homemade jam
My mother had passed away while making jam at home
Before she died, she cried to see me by her side
Before she passed away, she cried to have me by her side
She always did her best, ah! cookin', cleanin'
My mother always tried her best at cooking and cleaning
Always in the same old dress
She would always wear the same dress
Workin' hard down on her knees
She would work on her knees, likely while cleaning
Always try'n to please
She was always trying to please others
Momma! Momma! Momma, do you hear me
Calling out to my mother, wondering if she can hear me
I'm livin' in shame, Momma, I miss you
I feel ashamed and miss my mother
I know you are not to blame, Momma, I miss you
I know that my mother is not at fault and I miss her
Won't you forgive me Momma
Asking my mother for forgiveness
For all the wrong I've done
For all the lies and shame that I have caused
I know you have done your best
I know my mother tried her best
I know you have done your very best you could
I know my mother did everything she could
But I never understood
But I never appreciated or understood her efforts
Momma, you were always, always tryin' to please
My mother was always trying to make others happy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BERRY GORDY JR, BERRY JR GORDY, FRANK EDWARD WILSON, HENRY COSBY, PAMELA JOAN SAWYER, R. DEAN TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Theorema2001
I'm Living In Shame · Diana Ross & The Supremes
Mom was cooking bread,
she wore a dirty raggedy scarf around her head.
Always had her stockings low,
rolled to her feet, she just didn't know.
She wore a sloppy dress,
No matter how she tried, she always looked a mess.
Out of the pot she ate, never used a fork or a dinner plate.
I was always so afraid for my uptown friends to see her,
Afraid one day when I was grown that I would be her.
In a college town, away from home, a new identity I found.
Said I was born elite, with maids and servants at my feet.
I must have been insane,
I lied and said my mom died on a weekend trip to Spain.
She never got out of the house, never even boarded a train.
I married a guy, was livin' high,
I didn't want him to know her,
She had a grandson, two years old,
That I never even showed her.
I'm Livin' In Shame, Momma, I miss you.
I know you are not to blame, Momma, I miss you.
Came the telegram,
mom passed away while making homemade jam.
Before she died, she cried to see me by her side.
She always did her best, Ah! cookin', cleanin',
always in the same old dress.
Workin' hard down on her knees,
always try'n to please.
Momma! Momma! Can you hear me, Momma!
Momma! Momma! Can you hear me, Momma!
I'm Livin' In Shame, Momma, I miss you.
I know you've done your best , Mama, I miss you
Won't you forgive me mama
For all the wrong I've done
I know you've done your best
Oh I know you've done the very best you could
Mama I thought you understood
Working hard, down on your knees
@patrickproctor392
This queen Diana Ross is still singing and touring 👑
@UncleDuTheWatchman
This song is so lyrically underrated. And they pulled a LOT of Soul out of Ross for this one. She interpreted the hell out of this here.
@notthatyouasked6656
Underrated? This song has possibly the most awkward, ridiculous lyrics of any hit song of its era. "Came the telegram - Mama passed away while makin' home made jam" - seriously?
@tinafiumara1952
You are absolutely right I love that song
@tinafiumara1952
I love all Diana Ross's songs but this is one of my favorite songs by her it is very depressing song but this is life life is very depressing Diana Ross in Gladys Knight is the queen of oldies back in the 60s 70s and '80s but I only like the songs from the 60s and 70s it is a very depressive song but it also if you look at it in a different way it's a beautiful song like I said live is so f**** depressed
@lewiscarey6984
Been listening to Ross The Boss since 1965! Agree wholeheartedly!! 💅🎵💅🎵💅
@jackjules7552
Yes, Ross does a good job out of making something out of what is really an overly dramatic corny song...I mean..mama died while making homemade jam? Really? Homemade jam? How backcountry can one get? I also think that Mary and Cindy do a good job in overcoming the soapy soap opera of the song. Their smooth little shimmies toward the camera are pleasant to watch and make up for the rather dismal lyrics. Calling Holland Dozier Holland!! The Supremes need you back!!
@seangibson9040
This song always makes me sad
@thunderbolt2145
Yeah, it's a beautiful song, but it leaves me depressed.
@isaiahthompson2065
I RAN TO THE RECORD SHOP WHEN THEY RELEASED THIS ONE ! I LOVE IT TIL THIS VERY DAY !