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.

The Long And Winding Road
Gladys Knight & The Pips Lyrics

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The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before
It always leads me here
Lead me to you door

The wild and windy night

That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day
Why leave me standing here?
Let me know the way

Many times I've been alone
And many times I've cried
Anyway you'll never know
The many ways I've tried

And still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long long time ago
Don't leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door

But still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long long time ago
Don't keep me waiting here

Lead me to your door
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Overall Meaning

In Gladys Knight & The Pips's song The Long And Winding Road, the lyrics depict the longing and desperation of someone who is trying to find their way back to their lover's arms, even though they have been left alone for a long time. The first verse talks about the titular long and winding road that always leads them to their lover's door, indicating that no matter what, they always end up back in the same place. The second verse talks about how the person has been left alone in a wild and windy night that was so harsh, it washed away the rain, and left them crying.

The chorus indicates that even though the person has been alone for many times and cried for their lover, nothing has worked, and they still end up back on the long and winding road, waiting for their lover to lead them back home. The final chorus is a plea to their lover to not keep them waiting anymore, and to lead them back to their door. The lyrics of the song are full of sadness and hope at the same time.

Line by Line Meaning

The long and winding road
The journey to reach you is complicated and difficult

That leads to your door
It's the path that ultimately brings me to you

Will never disappear
This path is permanent and everlasting

I've seen that road before
I've been down this path many times

It always leads me here
But it always leads me to you

Lead me to you door
Take me to your doorstep

The wild and windy night
The harsh and tumultuous times I've faced

That the rain washed away
That have been so devastating they have felt like floods

Has left a pool of tears
Which has caused me to cry a lot

Crying for the day
Hoping for a brighter future

Why leave me standing here?
Wondering why you left me alone to face these struggles