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.
Didn't we
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Lyrics
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Didn't we?
This time we almost made some sense of it
Didn't we?
This time I had the answer, right here in my hand
Then I touched it and it had turned to sand
This time we almost sang our song in tune
This time we almost made it, made it to the moon
Didn't we, love?
This time we almost made our poem rhyme
This time we almost made that long hard climb
Didn't we almost make it?
Didn't we almost make it?
Didn't we almost make it this time?
The lyrics to Martha Reeves & The Vandellas's song "Didn't We" are full of hope and longing for a love that almost worked out. The first verse suggests that the singer had the answer to their problems in their hand, but when they tried to make it work, it crumbled away like sand. This could represent the fragility of relationships and how even the best intentions can fall apart if not handled with care.
The second verse continues with the theme of near success, as the couple almost sang their song in tune and almost made it to the moon. These metaphorical descriptions of progress hint at lofty goals that were almost within reach but just out of grasp. The final line of the verse describes the effort they made to make their poem rhyme, a nod to the challenges of writing and maintaining a successful relationship.
The chorus of the song repeats the question, "Didn't we almost make it?" This lamentation suggests that the couple came very close to achieving their goals, but that something happened to prevent them from succeeding. The song seems to be about missed opportunities and the regrets that come with realizing what might have been.
Line by Line Meaning
This time we almost made the pieces fit
We came really close to making everything work out smoothly.
Didn't we?
Don't you agree or recall the same thing happening?
This time we almost made some sense of it
We came very close to understanding everything that's been happening.
This time I had the answer, right here in my hand
I was absolutely sure I had the solution and it could work this time.
Then I touched it and it had turned to sand
But when I reached out for it, it fell apart just like the sand slipping through fingers.
This time we almost sang our song in tune
We were very close to staying in perfect harmony while we sang.
Didn't we, love?
Would you agree with me on that, darling?
This time we almost made it, made it to the moon
We nearly achieved something big and glorious- reaching the moon.
Didn't we, love?
Surely you can acknowledge that, sweetheart?
This time we almost made our poem rhyme
We were so close to making everything that we created sound very beautiful.
This time we almost made that long hard climb
We were pretty near to achieving something that required us to put in our maximum effort.
Didn't we almost make it?
Weren't we very close to succeeding?
Didn't we almost make it?
Can you recollect how close we were to success?
Didn't we almost make it this time?
Sadly, this time we couldn't cross the finish line but we hope to try again someday.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jimmy L Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
loveblind
Beautiful job!!!
pnyc1969
Great job, Martha!