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.
Paradise
Diana Ross and the Supremes Lyrics
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I'm a stranger in paradise
All lost in a wonderland
A stranger in paradise
If I stand starry-eyed
That's a danger in paradise
For mortals who stand beside
I saw your face
And I ascended
Out of the commonplace
Into the rare
Somewhere in space
I hang suspended
Until I know
There's a chance that you care
Won't you answer that fervent prayer
Of a stranger in paradise
Don't send me in dark despair
From all that I hunger for
But open your angel arms
To a stranger in paradise
And tell her that she need be
A stranger no more
The lyrics to Diana Ross and the Supremes's song Paradise describe the feelings of a person who is enchanted by someone they have just met. The singer is a "stranger in paradise," lost in a world of wonder and mesmerized by the person they have just seen. They are standing "starry-eyed," and know that this is dangerous for mortals who are next to them, but they feel like an angel, just like the person they are gazing at.
Next, the singer describes the moment when they saw the person's face, and everything changed. They moved away from the ordinary and entered into something rare, something that left them suspended in space. But, the question remains if the person they are admiring feels anything for them. The singer pleads with them to answer their fervent prayer, not to leave them in dark despair. Instead, they want the person to open their angel arms and accept them so that they will no longer be a stranger in paradise.
Line by Line Meaning
Take my hand
Please come with me
I'm a stranger in paradise
I'm not from around here, everything is new and exciting
All lost in a wonderland
I'm a bit disoriented, but enjoying everything around me
A stranger in paradise
I'm still getting used to this place, but I like it here
If I stand starry-eyed
If I look at everything in wonder and amazement
That's a danger in paradise
It's not good to be too mesmerized, it can be dangerous
For mortals who stand beside
For humans who are with me
I'm an angel like you
I'm just like you, even though I'm not from here
I saw your face
I noticed you
And I ascended
I felt uplifted
Out of the commonplace
Out of the ordinary
Into the rare
Into something special
Somewhere in space
In my mind or imagination
I hang suspended
I'm waiting for something to happen
Until I know
Until I'm sure
There's a chance that you care
That you might like me too
Won't you answer that fervent prayer
Please fulfill my wish
Of a stranger in paradise
Of someone who's new here and just trying to fit in
Don't send me in dark despair
Don't make me sad or hopeless
From all that I hunger for
From all the things I want or desire
But open your angel arms
Please give me a hug, or show me kindness
To a stranger in paradise
To someone who's unfamiliar with this place
And tell her that she need be
And let her know
A stranger no more
That she belongs here now
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Forrest, Robert Wright
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind