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.
The Going Ups And The Coming Downs
Gladys Knight & The Pips Lyrics
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The next day it's goodbye
The next you say you're sorry
And you wanna give it one more try
Ooh, the way you change your mind
Time and time again
Well, I don't know if I'm behind
Certain lies, smiles and frowns
The goin' ups and the comin' downs
Ooh, hoo
Ooh, hoo
One minute you're warm and lovin'
The next your heart's grown cold
The way you keep me guessin'
Is killin' my soul
Ooh, just when my hopes run high
And I think I've got it made
Hey...hey...along comes a rainy day
To rain on my parade, hey, hey, hey
Certain lies, smiles and frowns
The goin' ups and the comin' downs
Oh...ho...
I don't know just what it is about you
That keeps me from walkin' out the door
Mmm...mmm...hmm...
Just when I think that I can get along without you
You just say something nice
And I come struttin' back for more
One day our world's a dream
Next it falls apart, mmm, hmm
And I don't even think you know
What you're doin' to my heart
Mmm, I guess I'll never learn
Some people never do
But when I feel like givin' up
I just can't give up on you, hey, hey, hey
Certain lies, smiles and frowns, huh
The goin' ups and the comin' downs, hey, hey, hey
Certain lies, smiles and frowns
The goin' ups and the comin' downs
Certain lies, smiles and frowns
The goin' ups and the comin' downs, hey, hey, hey, hey
Certain lies, smiles and frowns
The goin' ups
The lyrics of Gladys Knight & The Pips's song, "The Going Ups And The Coming Downs," speak of a tumultuous relationship where the singer is constantly experiencing highs and lows with their significant other. The first verse describes how their partner constantly changes their mind - saying they love them one minute, then leaving the next, and then apologizing and wanting to try again. The chorus describes this pattern of "certain lies, smiles and frowns, the goin' ups and the comin' downs," which the singer is struggling to keep up with.
The second verse continues with this theme of unpredictability, where the partner goes from being warm and loving to cold and distant. The singer is constantly left guessing and feeling like their hopes are dashed when it seems like they are getting along well. Yet, despite the difficulties, the singer cannot bring themselves to leave the relationship entirely, admitting that they don't even know what it is about their partner that keeps them coming back. Ultimately, the singer resigns themselves to the fact that they may never fully understand their partner's behavior, but they also cannot give up on them.
Overall, "The Going Ups And The Coming Downs" captures the emotional rollercoaster of a relationship that is kept afloat by both the good times and bad.
Line by Line Meaning
One day you say you love me
You express your love for me on one day
The next day it's goodbye
You end our relationship the very next day
The next you say you're sorry
You apologize on another day
And you wanna give it one more try
You want to try again with me
Ooh, the way you change your mind
You change your mind often and easily
Time and time again
Repeatedly over time
Hey hey, I don't know if I'm behind
I don't know if I'm ahead or behind
Or just about to end, hey hey
Or if it's about to end
Certain lies, smiles and frowns
There are certain lies, smiles, and frowns
The goin' ups and the comin' downs
There are the highs and lows of our relationship
(Goin' ups, goin' ups, goin' ups, comin' down)
(The highs and lows)
One minute you're warm and lovin'
You are loving and affectionate in one moment
The next your heart's grown cold
Your love and warmth quickly disappear
The way you keep me guessin'
You always keep me guessing
Is killin' my soul
It's slowly breaking me down
Ooh, just when my hopes run high
Just when I have hope
And I think I've got it made
And think our relationship is stable
Hey hey hey, along comes a rainy day
A tough time suddenly appears
To rain on my parade, hey hey hey
To ruin everything
I don't know just what it is about you
I don't know what makes me stay with you
That keeps me from walkin' out the door
That makes me not want to leave
Just when I think that I can get along without you
Just when I think I don't need you
You just say something nice and I come struttin' back for more
You say something sweet and I come running back to you
One day our world's a dream
Our world is perfect and wonderful in one moment
And next it falls apart
In the next moment, everything falls apart
I don't even think you know
I don't even think you're aware
What you're doin' to my heart
How much you're hurting me
I guess I'll never learn
I'll never learn my lesson
Some people never do
Some people never change
But when I feel like givin' up
When I feel like giving up on us
I just can't give up on you, hey hey hey
I can't bring myself to give up on our relationship
(I don't know)
(I don't know)
Certain lies, smiles and frowns
There are certain lies, smiles, and frowns
The goin' ups and the comin' downs, hey hey hey
There are the highs and lows of our relationship
(Goin' ups, goin' ups, goin' ups, comin' down)
(The highs and lows)
Certain lies, smiles and frowns
There are certain lies, smiles, and frowns
The goin' ups and the comin' downs
There are the highs and lows of our relationship
(Goin' ups, goin' ups)
(The highs)
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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