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.
Unchained Melody
Diana Ross and the Supremes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long lonely time
Time goes by
So slowly
And time can do so much
I need your love
I need your love
God, speed your love to me
Lonely rivers flow to the sea
To the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely river sigh
Wait for me
Wait for me
I'll be coming home
Wait for me
Oh, my love
My darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long lonely time
And time goes by
So slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine
I need your love
I need your love
God, speed your love to me
The lyrics of "Unchained Melody" by Diana Ross and the Supremes describe a deep longing for love and companionship. With lines such as "Oh, my love, my darling, I've hungered for your touch, a long lonely time" and "Are you still mine?," the lyrics convey a sense of desperation and a need for reassurance. The singers express their desire for their loved one's love and plead for it to be "God, speed[ed]" to them. The somber tone of the song is further emphasized by the imagery of a "lonely river" and the repetition of the phrase "time goes by, so slowly."
Overall, the song portrays a universal feeling of yearning for love and connection that resonates with listeners across generations. Even though the song was written in the 1950s, its sentiment continues to be relevant today.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, my love
Expressing the strong feeling of love towards someone special
My darling
An endearment for a beloved person
I've hungered for your touch
Longing for the sensation of being physically close to them
A long lonely time
Having felt isolated and desolate without them for a prolonged period
Time goes by
The progression of time is unstoppable
So slowly
The perception of the speed of time feels painfully slow without them
And time can do so much
Time can alter people, places, and circumstances
Are you still mine
Questioning whether the affection is still reciprocated
I need your love
The heart yearns for their love
God, speed your love to me
Hopeful longing for divine intervention to bring them back together
Lonely rivers flow to the sea
The desolate and detached state of the individual
To the sea
A place of serenity and acceptance
To the open arms of the sea
An embrace of the vast and boundless sea
Lonely river sigh
Expressing the depression and loneliness of being without them
Wait for me
Requesting time to wait until their return
I'll be coming home
Returning to a place where they belong
And time goes by
Time is indifferent to their plight
So slowly
The dull pace of time accentuates the agony of their separation
And time can do so much
Implying a sense of hopelessness; time may or may not bring them together
Are you still mine
Asking if they are still devoted to each other
I need your love
Reiterates the previously stated fact that the artist is in desperate need of their companion's love
God, speed your love to me
Uses divine intervention as a way to hasten the reunion between the two.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, UNCHAINED MELODY PUB LLC
Written by: Alex North, Hyman Zaret
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind