A professional singer since she was fifteen, Brooks' début, a cover of Etta James's "Something's Got A Hold On Me", was released on Decca in 1964. Later she became the vocalist with a British 12-piece Stax-influenced, jazz-rock fusion band called Dada that released one, eponymous, album in 1970.
Brooks, along with guitarist Pete Gage, singer Robert Palmer and bassist Steve York formed Vinegar Joe in 1971, adding keyboard player Dave Thompson. The band was without a drummer; Conrad Isidore and Rob Tait drummed on the first album, released in 1972.
In 1974, after three albums Vinegar Joe split and Brooks went solo. After a time in the US as backing singer with the American southern boogie band Wet Willie, she returned to England. Her first solo album on A&M records was Rich Man's Woman (1975).
If You Leave Me Now
Elkie Brooks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No baby please dont go
If you leave me now, youll take away the very heart of me
No baby please dont go
A love like ours is love thats hard to find
How could we let it slip away
Weve come too far to leave it all behind
When tomorrow comes well both regret
Things we said today
A love like ours is love thats hard to find
How could we let it slip away
Weve come too far to leave it all behind
How could we end it all this way
When tomorrow comes well both regret
Things we said today
If you leave me now, youll take away the biggest part of me
No baby please dont go
Oh girl, just got to have you by my side
No baby, please dont go
Oh mama, I just got to have your lovin, yeah
Weve come too far to leave it all behind
The lyrics to Elkie Brooks's song If You Leave Me Now is very emotional and depicts a plea for love to be nurtured and cherished. The singer is begging her lover not to abandon her and take away the essence of her being. The first verse conveys the idea of a love that is so deep and rare that its loss would cause irreplaceable damage. This is evident in the lines “If you leave me now, you'll take away the biggest part of me”, demonstrating that the love that they share is the cornerstone of their union. She implores her partner not to make a hasty decision as they will regret it in the future.
The second verse reiterates the rarity of their love, describing it as “love that's hard to find” and points out that they have come too far to just abandon it all. The singer fears that they will both realize the value of their love when it is too late. The phrase, “We’ve come too far to leave it all behind,” emphasizes the depth of their bond and the immense sacrifices they have made to keep it going. In the end, the singer pleads with her lover not to leave her side as she cannot imagine life without him.
Line by Line Meaning
If you leave me now, youll take away the biggest part of me
My world revolves around you and your departure would be a huge loss
No baby please dont go
I am pleading with you not to leave me
If you leave me now, youll take away the very heart of me
My heart beats for you and losing you would be devastating
A love like ours is love thats hard to find
Our love is rare and precious
How could we let it slip away
It's hard to believe we could lose our love after all we've been through
Weve come too far to leave it all behind
Our journey together has been too long and meaningful to throw away
How could we end it all this way
We should not let our love crumble so easily
When tomorrow comes well both regret
If we don't work things out, we'll both feel deep remorse
Things we said today
The hurtful things we say in the heat of the moment can lead to irreversible damage
Oh girl, just got to have you by my side
I cannot imagine life without you and your presence is essential to my happiness
Oh mama, I just got to have your lovin, yeah
Your love is everything to me and I can't live without it
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group
Written by: Peter Cetera
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind