The label's second most-successful all-female singing group after The Supremes, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas were known for a churchier, more southern-styled soul than the Supremes, as typified in Motown hits such as "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave", "Jimmy Mack", "I'm Ready For Love", "My Baby Loves Me", "Nowhere to Run", and, their signature song, "Dancing in the Street".
The group had its origins in Detroit, Michigan in 1957, and had initially gone by the name The Del-Phis. It originally was a quartet comprising childhood friends Martha Reeves, Rosalind Ashford, Annette Beard, and original lead singer Gloria Williams. Williams left after a failed single on the Checkmate label, leaving the quartet as a trio. They changed their name to The Vells signing a deal with Motown's Mel-o-dy label, and singing background for established Motown performers such as Mary Wells and Marvin Gaye before signing a new deal with Motown's Gordy label on September 21, 1962, after which the group changed its name to Martha and the Vandellas.
In 1964, the Vandellas' lineup changed with Betty Kelley replacing Sterling. In 1967, Kelley was fired and was replaced by Martha's younger sister, Sandra "Lois" Reeves. In 1969, Ashford was also fired and replaced by Sandra Tilley. The lineup of the Reeves sisters and Tilley continued after Martha's return from an institution after suffering a nervous breakdown. The group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972., however, Reeves still performs with sister Lois and another Reeves sister, Delphine.
Come See About Me
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I'm lonely (for you)
Smiles have all turned to tears
But tears won't wash away the fears
That you're never ever gonna return
To ease the fire that within me burns
It keeps me crying baby for you
So won't you hurry
Come on boy, see about me
(Come see about me)
See about your baby
I've given up my friends just for you
My friends are gone
And you have too
No peace shall I find
Until you come back
And be mine
No matter what you do or say
I'm gonna love you anyway
Keep on crying baby for you
I'm gonna keep sighin' baby for you
So come on hurry
Come on and see about me
(Come see about me)
See about you baby
Sometime's up
Sometime's down
My life's so uncertain
With you not around
From my arms you maybe out of reach
But my heart says you're here to keep
Keeps me crying baby for you
Keep on, keep on crying baby for you
So won't you hurry
Come on boy, see about me (Come see about me)
See about you baby (Come see about me)
You know I'm so lonely (Come see about me)
I love you only (Come see about me)
See about your baby (Come see about me)
Hurry, hurry
The lyrics of Martha Reeves and The Vandellas' song Come See About Me, talks about the pain of waiting for someone you love. The first verse conveys the deep sadness of the singer being lonely and in tears in the absence of her lover. Despite the hurt, she believes that her lover will someday return to ease the pain that burns within her. She is crying and sighing for him, imploring him to come back to her and see about her.
In the second verse, the singer expresses the sacrifices she has made in the name of love. She gave up her friends for him, and now that he is gone, she is without peace. She remains steadfast in her love for him, regardless of what he does or says. She keeps on crying and sighing for him until he returns. Finally, in the third verse, the singer speaks of the uncertainty of her life without her lover. He may be out of her arms, but her heart assures her that he is always with her. The singer pleads with her lover to hurry and come see about her, as she is lonely and loves only him.
Overall, the lyrics of the song are an emotional plea for the singer's lover to return to her side. It is a heartfelt expression of love and longing for someone who has gone away. The combination of the lyrics and the upbeat rhythm creates a bittersweet, nostalgic feeling that captures the essence of the 1960s Motown sound.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been crying
I've been shedding tears
'Cause I'm lonely (for you)
Because I'm feeling lonely without you
Smiles have all turned to tears
I've no longer been smiling, just crying
But tears won't wash away the fears
Crying won't make me feel any better and won't fix my fears
That you're never ever gonna return
I'm scared that you'll never come back to me
To ease the fire that within me burns
To make the pain inside me go away
It keeps me crying baby for you
I can't stop crying over you
Keeps me sighin' baby for you
I keep on sighing over you
So won't you hurry
Please come back soon
Come on boy, see about me
Come see me and check on how I'm doing
(Come see about me)
See about your baby
Come see me, your lover
I've given up my friends just for you
I've abandoned my friends in pursuit of being with you
My friends are gone
I have no more friends in my life now
And you have too
You, too, have left me alone
No peace shall I find
I won't find any peace
Until you come back
I'm waiting until you come back
And be mine
And be with me again
No matter what you do or say
I'll always love you despite everything
I'm gonna love you anyway
I'm always going to love you, no matter what
Sometime's up
Life is sometimes going well
Sometime's down
Life is sometimes tough
My life's so uncertain
I don't know what's happening in my life anymore
With you not around
I feel lost without you here
From my arms you maybe out of reach
You might be too far away for me to hold
But my heart says you're here to keep
My heart tells me that you're meant to be with me
Keep on, keep on crying baby for you
I just can't stop crying over you
You know I'm so lonely (Come see about me)
I am very lonely, please come visit me
I love you only (Come see about me)
I only love you, come and see me
Hurry, hurry
Please be quick, I need you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Holland, Edward Jr. Holland, Lamont Herbert Dozier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@weintraube23
I've been crying
'Cause I'm lonely (for you)
Smiles have all turned to tears
But tears won't wash away the fears
That you're never ever gonna return
To ease the fire that within me burns
It keeps me crying baby for you
Keeps me sighin' baby for you
So won't you hurry
Come on boy, see about me
(Come see about me)
See about your baby
I've given up my friends just for you
My friends are gone
And you have too
No peace shall I find
Until you come back
And be mine
No matter what you do or say
I'm gonna love you anyway
Keep on crying baby for you
I'm gonna keep sighin' baby for you
So come on hurry
Come on and see about me
(Come see about me)
See about you baby
Sometime's up
Sometime's down
My life's so uncertain
With you not around
From my arms you maybe out of reach
But my heart says you're here to keep
Keeps me crying baby for you
Keep on, keep on crying baby for you
So won't you hurry
Come on boy, see about me (Come see about me)
See about you baby (Come see about me)
You know I'm so lonely (Come see about me)
I love you only (Come see about me)
See about your baby (Come see about me)
Hurry, hurr
@l.angellove15
CONGRATULATIONS TO MOTOWN'S 60TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
DIANA ROSS, THE LATE GREAT
FLORENCE BALLARD, MARY WILSON
AND CINDY BIRDSONG YOU LADIES
HAVE AN AMAZING STRING OF HITS
WITH MOTOWN AND THOSE GOLDEN
CLASSIC MEMORIES AND GREAT LEGACY IS SO UNFORGETTABLE
AND ALWAYS BROUGHT GREAT
TEARS OF JOY EVERY TIME I GET
TO HEAR ALL THOSE FABULOUS
AND WONDERFUL TIMES
@charlesdigennaro4981
Hey I’m a 61 year old metal head but I grew up on Motown. Nothing can touch this music. Timeless and heartfelt soul
@milton112
1st Super Group male or female.
@kennethmelnychuk9737
58 y/o headbanger (still love 80’s metal) and I agree. I grew up listening to a lot of Motown but I’m so sad about what happened with the Supremes. I don’t know if it was Barry Gordy’s influence, Diana Ross ego or both?
@ElronHumpperdink
@milton112 these girls are amazing. The harmonies are immaculate.
@jeremyfannon7922
You and me both brother. I love my metal and dubstep. Nothing beats the oldies.
@punkanelliefonkbush8811
You're so right Charlie
@johnnycage8327
I'm 38 & discovered this song when i was like 15 yrs old through Beverly Hills Cop 3 back in yr 2000. So catchy. Awsome song.
@hectorvarela4544
me too! still one of my favorite songs ever!
@maryvanfleet936
I can still see my mom dancing and cleaning. I miss her
@sherylmac40
Your mother had good taste in mudic. And that sounds like a brilliant memory of your mother. ❤️