Donnie Elbert (May 25, 1936 – January 26, 1989) was an American soul singer… Read Full Bio ↴Donnie Elbert (May 25, 1936 – January 26, 1989) was an American soul singer, who had a prolific career from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s. His US hits included "Where Did Our Love Go?" (1972), and his reputation as a Northern soul artist in the UK was secured by "A Little Piece of Leather", a performance highlighting his powerful falsetto voice.

Elbert was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but when aged three his family relocated to Buffalo, New York. He learned to play guitar and piano as a child, and in 1955 formed a doo-wop group, the Vibraharps, with friend Danny Cannon. Elbert acted as the group's guitarist, songwriter, arranger, and background vocalist, making his recording debut on their single "Walk Beside Me". He left the group in 1957 for a solo career, and recorded a demonstration record that earned him a recording contract with the King label's DeLuxe subsidiary. His solo debut "What Can I Do?" reached #12 in the U.S. R&B chart, and he followed it up with the less successful "Believe It or Not" and "Have I Sinned?", which became a regional hit in Pittsburgh.

He continued to release singles on DeLuxe, but with little commercial success, and also played New York's Apollo Theater and toured the chitlin' circuit of African-American owned nightclubs. After completing an album, The Sensational Donnie Elbert Sings, he left DeLuxe in 1959, joining first Red Top Records, where in 1960 he recorded "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)", and then Vee-Jay Records, where he had another regional hit with "Will You Ever Be Mine?," which reportedly sold 250,000 copies in the Philadelphia area but failed to take off nationwide. His career was also interrupted by a spell in the US Army, from which he was discharged in 1961. He then recorded singles for several labels, including Parkway, Cub and Checker, but with little success. However, although the 1965 Gateway label release of "A Little Piece of Leather" failed to chart in the US, the record became a #27 pop hit when released on the London label in the UK several years later in 1972, and remains a Northern soul favorite.

Elbert relocated to the UK in 1966, where he married. There, he recorded "In Between The Heartaches" for the Polydor label in 1968, a cover version of The Supremes' hit "Where Did Our Love Go?". and an album of Otis Redding cover versions, Tribute To A King. His 1969 Deram release "Without You" had a rocksteady rhythm, and went to the top of the Jamaican charts. He returned to the US the same year, and had his first US chart hit in over a decade with the Rare Bullet label release "Can't Get Over Losing You," which reached #26 on the Billboard R&B chart. Following the success of that record, "Where Did Our Love Go?" was released on the All Platinum label, and became his biggest hit, reaching #15 on the US pop charts, #6 on the R&B charts, and (in 1972) #8 in the UK. Its follow-up "Sweet Baby" reached #30 on the R&B chart in early 1972.

Elbert then signed with Avco-Embassy, where he entered the recording studio with the successful production team of Hugo & Luigi. Although his cover of The Four Tops' "I Can't Help Myself" reached #14 on the R&B chart, Elbert balked at the label's insistence that he record material associated with Motown. He returned to All Platinum and had a run of minor R&B hits, but left after he claimed authorship of Shirley & Company's R&B chart-topper "Shame Shame Shame" which was credited to label owner Sylvia Robinson. For 1975's "You Keep Me Crying (With Your Lying)," Elbert finally formed his own label, and "I Got to Get Myself Together," appeared on an imprint bearing his surname, but it was among his final recordings.

By the mid-1980s Elbert had retired from performing, and became director of A&R for Polygram's Canadian division. He suffered a massive stroke and died in 1989, at the age of 52.

Never Again
Donnie Elbert Lyrics

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Never again
Will the tears fall from my eyes
Never again
Will I ever be weak

Never again
Will let you break my poor little heart
Never again

Will you ever tear it apart

My arms were there when you wanted them
And my lips were there when you needed them
But still you left me
But still oh my
Oh my darling
Oh my darling
Why won′t you tell me why?
Tell me why, no, no, no, no, no

That's why never again
Will the tears fall from my cheek
Never again
Will I ever be weak
No, no, no, no, no

Never Again
No, never, never again

Overall Meaning

The song "Never Again" by Donnie Elbert is a sorrowful ballad about a love that has ended. The lyrics express the singer's determination to move on and never fall weak to the same person who broke their heart. The phrase "Never again" is repeated throughout the song to emphasize the singer's firm decision. The lyrics suggest that the singer was there for their lover when they needed them, but despite their efforts, they were still left heartbroken.

In the chorus, the singer asks their former lover why they left without any explanation. The repeated use of "No, no, no, no, no" implies that the singer is still hurting deeply from the experience. The song ends with the final plea of "Never again" as a sign of finality and a promise to oneself to keep moving forward and never be vulnerable again.

Overall, the song is a poignant reminder that love can sometimes end in heartbreak, but it is possible to learn from the experience and find the strength to move on.

Line by Line Meaning

Never again
I will not allow this to happen again

Will the tears fall from my eyes
I will not cry because of you again

Never again
I have learned my lesson about being vulnerable

Will I ever be weak
I will not let myself be easily hurt or manipulated

Never again
You will not have power over me

Will let you break my poor little heart
I will not allow you to harm me emotionally

Never again
I will not give you the chance to hurt me

Will you ever tear it apart
I will not let you destroy my heart

My arms were there when you wanted them
I was there for you when you needed me physically

And my lips were there when you needed them
I was there to give you affection and love when you needed it

But still you left me
Despite my efforts, you abandoned me