Johnny Bristol (born John William Bristol on 3 February 1939 in Morganton, … Read Full Bio ↴Johnny Bristol (born John William Bristol on 3 February 1939 in Morganton, North Carolina, USA - 21 March 2004), was an African American musician, most famous as a songwriter and record producer for Motown Records in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Bristol and singing partner Jackey Beavers recorded two singles in 1959 for Anna Records, a label owned by Gwen Gordy (Berry Gordy's sister) and Billy Davis and four 45s for Gwen Gordy and Harvey Fuqua's Tri-Phi label, none of which was a success beyond the Midwestern United States.

Recorded in the early 1960s for Harvey Fuqua's Tri-Phi label in Detroit, Michigan as "Johnny & Jackey". When Tri-Phi was absorbed by Motown in the mid-1960s, Bristol became Fuqua's songwriting and production partner, working on material for Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell ("If I Could Build My Whole World Around You"), Edwin Starr ("Twenty-Five Miles"), David Ruffin ("My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me"), and others. On his own, Bristol produced hits such as "Someday We'll Be Together" for Diana Ross and the Supremes and "I Don't Want to Do Wrong" and "Daddy Could Swear, I Declare" for Gladys Knight and the Pips.

When Motown left Detroit for Los Angeles in 1972, Bristol moved over to MGM Records, where he resumed his career as a recording artist. He released several successful R&B hits, among them "You and I" (1974), and "Leave My World" (1975), as well as the top ten pop hit "Hang In There Baby" (1974). Bristol continued his career a a solo artist and an independent producer into the early 1990s. Bristol's last releases were a 12" single in 1991 for Whichway Records, "Come to Me", and an album, Life & Love, released for the Japanese market in 1993. The latter included Earth, Wind & Fire's "That's The Way I Feel About You" as a duet with his daughter, Shanna J. Bristol. The album received a US release three years later under the title Come To Me.

He died at the age of 65 in his home in Michigan in 2004.

Love Takes Tears
Johnny Bristol Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What does it take to win your love for me?
How can I make this dream come true for me?
Oh, I just got to know,
Oh, baby, 'cause I love you so,
Gonna blow for you

I've tried, I've tried, I've tried,
I've tried in every way

I could to make you see how much I love you
Oh, I thought you understood

So you gotta make me see,
What does it take to win your love for me?

Overall Meaning

In Johnny Bristol's song "Love Takes Tears", the lyrics revolve around the concept of trying to win the love of someone who is seemingly uninterested or hard to reach. The song is about the singer's desire to know what it takes to successfully win the love of the person they love so much. The singer is expressing a deep sense of yearning and desperation to understand what they must do to make their romantic dream a reality.

Throughout the song, the singer describes how they have already tried everything to get the attention of the person they desire. They have attempted to show them just how much they care, but their efforts have been unreturned. The singer feels that they are not being understood, and so they plead with their beloved to help them understand what it will take to finally love them back.

The lines "Love takes tears", express the idea that love is not always a happy or easy journey, and that sometimes heartache and pain are involved. The song, therefore, is not only a story of unrequited love, but also a commentary on the challenge and obstacles associated with love.

Line by Line Meaning

What does it take to win your love for me?
What actions must I take to earn your love and affection?

How can I make this dream come true for me?
What steps do I need to take to turn my desire for your love into a reality?

Oh, I just got to know,
I need to understand the answer to these questions without any uncertainty

Oh, baby, 'cause I love you so,
My love and feelings towards you are so strong

Gonna blow for you
I am going to make big efforts and take bold actions to show my love for you

I've tried, I've tried, I've tried,
I have made multiple efforts

I've tried in every way
I have attempted various methods

I could to make you see how much I love you
to make you understand how deeply I feel for you

Oh, I thought you understood
I believed you already comprehended my love for you

So you gotta make me see,
You have to enlighten me

What does it take to win your love for me?
What do I need to do to earn your love and affection?

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny William Bristol, Vernon Bullock, Harvey Fuqua

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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