Gladys Knight & The Pips were a soul and rnb family musical act from Atlant… Read Full Bio ↴Gladys Knight & The Pips were a soul and rnb family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, United States, active from 1953 to 1989. The group is best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's 'Soul' record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including the songs "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (1967) and "Midnight Train to Georgia" (1973). The longest-lived incarnation of the act featured Gladys Knight on lead vocals alongside backup singers 'The Pips', which included her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight as well as their cousins Edward Patten and William Guest.

Gladys Knight, born on May 28, 1944, developed her singing style while singing with her family at Baptist church functions. Though the group first released recordings in 1958, their career really got started when Motown founder Berry Gordy witnessed them perform at Harlem’s Apollo Theater in 1966 and felt very impressed. With a career following spanning decade after decade, featuring many hits, the group has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

If You Ever Get Your Hands On Love
Gladys Knight & The Pips Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So you′re thinking about
Letting him go
'Cause you found another
You think you love more

Take my advice and give it one more try
You better hold on to that guy
Do all you can to make sure

Or you′ll be left with emptiness
Cause the love you're chasing after
Maybe the love you already possess

Cause true love only comes once
Try not to let it walk out the door

If you ever get your hands on love
Don't you never ever let it go
If you ever get your hands on love
You better make it grow and grow

You better hold on (hold on)
To the bird in the hand
Don′t be a fool
For the two in the bush

Grass may be greener
On another man′s land
But that don't mean
It′s as good as it looks

Keep the love light shining
In the eyes of the one
You call your own
And as long as you see it glowing
You can be sure
You'll never go wrong

These things I′m telling you
Happened to me before

If you ever get your hands on love
Don't you never ever let it go
If you ever get your hands on love
You better make it grow and grow

Mmmmm

(Kept it glowing)
Kept that fire
Burning
In his eyes

(Kept that love light shining)

So you better keep that love light shining
In the eyes of the one you call your own

If you ever get your hands on love
Don′t you never ever let it go
If you ever get your hands on love
You better make it grow and grow

If you ever get your hands on love
Don't you never ever let it go

If you ever get your hands on love
You better make it grow and grow

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Gladys Knight & The Pips's song If You Ever Get Your Hands On Love discuss the importance of holding onto true love and not jumping to conclusions about what love truly is. The first verse addresses the idea of letting go of one partner for another, warning the listener that the grass may not always be greener on the other side. The chorus emphasizes the importance of not letting go of true love once it is found, encouraging the listener to make it grow and flourish.

The second verse speaks to the idea of the "bird in the hand" being worth more than "two in the bush," suggesting that it is important to hold onto what one has rather than constantly striving for more. The bridge emphasizes the importance of keeping the love alive and shining in the eyes of one's partner, as long as they can continue to see it, they can never go wrong.

Overall, the song is a cautionary tale about the nature of love and the importance of holding onto it when it is found. It encourages the listener to not take love for granted and to constantly work to make sure their relationship remains strong.

Line by Line Meaning

So you're thinking about Letting him go 'Cause you found another You think you love more
You are considering leaving your current partner for someone you think you love more.

Take my advice and give it one more try You better hold on to that guy Do all you can to make sure Or you'll be left with emptiness
Try to work things out with your current partner instead of leaving, or else you may regret it and be left feeling empty.

Cause the love you're chasing after Maybe the love you already possess Cause true love only comes once Try not to let it walk out the door
The love you already have may be the true love you are searching for, and it is important to try and keep it because true love is rare.

If you ever get your hands on love Don't you never ever let it go You better make it grow and grow
If you find true love, cherish it and do everything you can to make it stronger.

You better hold on (hold on) To the bird in the hand Don't be a fool For the two in the bush
It's better to hold on to the love you have now than to risk losing it for something you're not sure exists or that may not be as good.

Grass may be greener On another man's land But that don't mean It's as good as it looks
Another person or relationship may seem better from afar, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is better in reality.

Keep the love light shining
Keep the spark of love shining in your relationship.

In the eyes of the one You call your own And as long as you see it glowing You can be sure You'll never go wrong
Keep the love strong between you and your partner, and as long as you both feel the love, you can be confident in your relationship.

If you ever get your hands on love Don't you never ever let it go You better make it grow and grow (Kept it glowing) Kept that fire Burning In his eyes (Kept that love light shining)
If you find true love, hold onto it and keep the love strong to make it last.

Writer(s): Harvey Fuqua, Gladys Knight, Johnny William Bristol, Vernon Bullock, Stephen Bowden

Contributed by Jack P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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