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.
Love Is Here and Now You
Diana Ross and the Supremes Lyrics
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And, oh my darling, now you're gone
Love is here
And, oh my darling, now you're gone
You persuaded me to love you
And I did
But instead of tenderness I found heartache instead
Into your arms I fell
You closed the door of your heart and turned the key
Locked your love away from me
Love is here
And, oh my darling, now you're gone
You made me love you
And oh my darling, now you're gone
You said loving you would make life beautiful
With each passing day
But as soon as love came into my heart
You turned and you walked just one way
You stripped me of my dreams
You gave me faith, then took my hope, look at me now
Look at me
See what loving you has done to me
Look at my face
See how crying has left its trace
After you made me all your own
And you left me all alone
You made your words sound so sweet
Knowing that your love I couldn't keep
My heart cries out for your touch
But you're not there
And the lonely cry fades in the air
Love is here
And, oh my darling, now you're gone
Love is here
And, oh my darling, now you're gone
You made me love you
Oh my darling, now you're gone
You made me love you
Oh my darling, now you're gone
In this song, Diana Ross and the Supremes sing about the pain of losing someone after falling deeply in love with them. The lyrics describe a situation where the singer was convinced to love someone who promised a beautiful life together, but instead was left lonely and heartbroken. The chorus emphasizes the contrast between the presence of love and the absence of the beloved: "Love is here and, oh my darling, now you're gone."
The first verse explains how the singer was convinced to love the person, but quickly realized that their love was not reciprocated. The singer fell into their arms unaware of the loneliness that lay ahead. The second verse explains that the person gave the singer hope and faith, but then took them away, leaving the singer with nothing. The bridge describes the physical and emotional toll the loss has taken on the singer: crying has left its trace on their face, and they long for the touch of the person who is not there.
Overall, the lyrics of Love Is Here and Now You're Gone portray a sense of heartbreak and regret over loving someone who was not capable of reciprocating that love.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is here
Love is present and available
And, oh my darling, now you're gone
But now that you're gone
You persuaded me to love you
You convinced me to love you
And I did
And I fell in love with you
But instead of tenderness I found heartache instead
But instead of kindness and affection, I found pain
Into your arms I fell
I fell into your love and embraced it
So unaware of the loneliness that was waiting there
Without realizing the loneliness that awaited me
You closed the door of your heart and turned the key
You shut me out of your heart and locked it up
Locked your love away from me
You hid your love from me and kept it for yourself
You made me love you
You caused me to fall in love with you
And oh my darling, now you're gone
But now that you're gone
You said loving you would make life beautiful
You promised that loving you would make everything better
With each passing day
As time went on
But as soon as love came into my heart
But as soon as I fell in love with you
You turned and you walked just one way
You left me without looking back
You stripped me of my dreams
You took away my hopes and aspirations
You gave me faith, then took my hope, look at me now
You gave me hope and then crushed it, leaving me in despair
Look at me
See what I have become
See what loving you has done to me
See how your love has affected me
See how crying has left its trace
See the marks that crying has left on me
After you made me all your own
After you made me yours completely
And you left me all alone
And then you left me with nothing
You made your words sound so sweet
You spoke sweetly to me
Knowing that your love I couldn't keep
But you knew that I couldn't maintain your love
My heart cries out for your touch
My heart longs for your affection
But you're not there
But you are not present
And the lonely cry fades in the air
And my lonely cry goes unheard and dissipates
You made me love you
You caused me to fall in love with you
Oh my darling, now you're gone
But now that you're gone
You made me love you
You caused me to fall in love with you
Oh my darling, now you're gone
But now that you're gone
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JR., BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD HOLLAND, EDWARD, JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER, LAMONT HERBERT DOZIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind