Mable John (born in Bastrop, Louisiana, on 3 November 1930; died 25 August … Read Full Bio ↴Mable John (born in Bastrop, Louisiana, on 3 November 1930; died 25 August 2022) was an American blues vocalist and the first female signed by Berry Gordy to Motown's Tamla label. She received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1994.

At a very young age, John moved with her parents to Arkansas, where her father got a job in a paper mill. There four brothers (including Rhythm & Blues singer Little Willie John) and two sisters were born. In 1941, after her father was able to secure a better job, the family moved to Detroit, where two additional brothers were born. The family lived in a new housing development at Six Mile and Dequindre Road. She attended Cleveland Intermediate School, and then Pershing High School, which is at Seven Mile and Ryan Road. After graduating from Pershing High School, she took a job as an insurance representative at Friendship Mutual Insurance Agency, a company run by Berry Gordy's mother, Bertha. Later, she left the company and spent two years at Lewis Business College. She subsequently ran into Mrs. Gordy again, who told Mable that her son Berry was writing songs and was looking for people to record them. Gordy began coaching her and would accompany John on piano at local engagements. This continued until 1959, when John performed at the Flame Show bar on John R Street at the last show that Billie Holiday did in Detroit, just weeks before Holiday's death.

The same year, John began recording for Gordy. First she was signed to United Artists, but nothing was released there. Eventually, she became one of the first artists signed to Tamla, Gordy's own label. In 1960, she released her first Tamla single, "Who Wouldn't Love a Man Like That?," a blues number, to no success. John followed with "No Love" in June of that year and then with "Actions Speak Louder Than Words" by year's end. While Motown was beginning to have success with acts like The Miracles and The Marvelettes (and later The Supremes, who had sang background vocals for John) that appealed to teenagers and young adults, it failed to make an impact in the established blues market. As a result, Gordy soon thinned out his roster of early blues artists. While John continued to be used as a background singer, Gordy dissolved her contract in 1962.

After leaving Motown, John spent several years as a Raelette, backing many Ray Charles hits. In 1966 she attempted a solo career again, signing with Stax Records. Her first single with the label was "Your Good Thing Is About To End." The song peaked at #6 on the R&B chart, and even managed to cross over onto pop radio, peaking at #95 there. She released six more singles for the label, none of which captured her first single's success. After leaving Stax Records in 1968, John rejoined The Raelettes for several years. She left secular music in 1973, and began managing Christian gospel acts, occasionally returning to the studio as a singer.

John received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1994. She appeared in John Sayles' 2007 movie Honeydripper and in the 2014 Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom.

Discography

Albums

Stay Out of the Kitchen (1966, Stax)
[edit]Singles
"Who Wouldn't Love a Man Like That?" (1960, Tamla)
"(I Guess There's) No Love" (1960)
"Actions Speak Louder Than Words" (1961)
"Your Good Thing Is About to End" (1966, Stax) R&B: #6 US: #95
"You're Taking Up Another Man's Place" (1966)
"Same Time, Same Place" (1967)
"I'm a Big Girl Now" (1967)
"Don't Hit Me No More" (1967)
"Able Mable" (1968)
"Running Out" (1968)

Say You'll Never Let Me Go
Mable John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

SHow can I make it through the day
Without you
You have been so much a part of me (and if you'll go)
I'll never know what to do
How can I carry on my way
The memories
When all that is left is the pain in my history
Why should I live my life today

I cannot live out on my own
And just forget the love you've always shown
And accept the fate of my condition
Please don't ever go
For I cannot live my life alone
Say you'll never go
Say you'll never go out my way
Say you'll never go
For we can still go on
And make it through
Just say you'll never go
Say you'll never go away
(Narrator...)
Say you'll never go
Say you'll never go out my way
Say you'll never go
For we can still go on
And make it through
Just say you'll never go...
Say you'll never go
Say you'll never go
Say you'll never go out my way
Say you'll never go
For we can still go on
And make it through
Just say you'll never go
Say you'll never go

Say you'll never go
Say you'll never go... away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mable John's "Say You'll Never Let Me Go" express the singer's fear of losing their loved one and the prospect of facing life without them. The opening line of the song, "How can I make it through the day without you," sets the melancholic tone of the entire song. The singer is grappling with the possibility of losing their significant other and the idea of living their life without them.

The lyrics reflect a strong emotional attachment to the person and how they have become an integral part of their life. The singer is struggling to capture the feeling of being incomplete without their companion. They express a longing for their partner to stay with them and never leave their side. The line "Please don't ever go, for I cannot live my life alone" highlights the level of dependence that the singer has on their loved one. They cannot imagine life without this person.

Line by Line Meaning

How can I make it through the day
I am completely lost without you in my life

Without you
My life is empty and meaningless without you

You have been so much a part of me (and if you'll go)
You have been an integral part of my life and if you leave, I won't know how to go on

I'll never know what to do
I am completely lost without you

How can I carry on my way
How can I continue living my life without you

The memories
All that is left of us are memories

When all that is left is the pain in my history
All I have left of us is the pain of our history

Why should I live my life today
Without you, there is no purpose for me to live

I cannot live out on my own
I am unable to live my life without you

And just forget the love you've always shown
I cannot forget the love you showed me

And accept the fate of my condition
I cannot accept a life without you