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.
Forget Me Not
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you'll be off to war, the battle's on
I don't wanna cry as I stand
And watch your ship sail on
Now when you're out to sea
And the sky is dark and water surrounds you
And your heart just won't be 'cause you feel
As if our loneliness will drive you
Forget me not, boy
Let my love comfort you
Comfort you and see you through
Forget me not, boy
Lock my memory in your heart
And we'll never be apart
Remember Old Joe's,
Our favorite song, our table for two
Well, heaven knows, these little things
I'll share with no one but you
Wherever you are, no land
And sea and time will divide us
No matter how far
Back to each other's arms our love's gonna guide us
Forget me not, boy
Write a letter every day
Don't throw my picture away
Forget me not, boy
Let my love within you burn
I'll be here when you return
Each night I will pray for peace on earth, goodwill to all men
And my little heart will say these tender words time and time again:
Forget me not, boy
Let my love within you burn
I'll be here when you return
Forget me not, boy
Lock my memory in your heart
And we'll never be apart
Forget me not, boy
The lyrics of "Forget Me Not" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas is a sentimental love song that depicts the challenges faced by a couple separated by war. The song opens with the singer kissing their beloved goodbye as they head off to war, with the battle's sound ringing behind them. The singer is trying not to cry as they watch their ship sail away. The first stanza sets the mood of the song as a somber, melancholic tune describing the singer's emotions and situation.
In the second stanza, the singer asks their lover to remember the simple moments of their life together, like their favorite song at Old Joe's or their table for two. The singer expresses that although they are separated physically, their memories are locked together, and nothing can ever divide them. The chorus serves as a reminder of the love and comfort that the singer provides to her lover. The use of the phrase "forget me not" several times throughout the song serves as a reminder to the lover never to forget the things that they remember fondly about their time together.
The overall mood of the song is one of longing and melancholy but with a touch of hope. The singer is not just reminding her lover to remember her, but she promises to be there for him when he returns. The song's nostalgic and sentimental lyrics perfectly capture the struggle of distance and separation and the promises made by lovers to overcome them.
Line by Line Meaning
Now we kiss good-bye
We parting ways now, and this may be the last time we get to see each other.
you'll be off to war, the battle's on
You are going to war right now, where you'll be fighting for your country.
I don't wanna cry as I stand
I don't want to cry while we say good-bye to each other.
And watch your ship sail on
I don't want to watch you leave and sail far away from me.
Now when you're out to sea
Now that you're at sea, sailing on your way to the battlefield.
And the sky is dark and water surrounds you
The night gets darker, and you're surrounded by nothing but the vast ocean.
And your heart just won't be 'cause you feel
Your heart is heavy because you feel like loneliness might take over you.
As if our loneliness will drive you
As if being lonely will make you lose hope and courage in battle.
Forget me not, boy
Don't forget about me, remember me always.
Let my love comfort you
Find comfort and strength in the love I have for you.
Comfort you and see you through
May my love provide you with comfort and guide you through the difficult times ahead.
Lock my memory in your heart
Keep my memory in your heart so that we will always be together in spirit.
And we'll never be apart
Our love will always bind us, no matter how far apart we are from each other.
Remember Old Joe's,
Remember the good times we shared together at Old Joe's.
Our favorite song, our table for two
Remember the little things we shared, like our favorite song and the table we used to sit at together.
Well, heaven knows, these little things
Only God knows how much these little things mean to me.
I'll share with no one but you
These little things are special and personal to us, and I'll never share them with anyone else.
Wherever you are, no land
No matter where you may be, whether it be on land or sea.
And sea and time will divide us
Neither the sea nor the passing of time will ever be able to break the bond of our love.
No matter how far
No matter how far apart we may be from each other.
Back to each other's arms our love's gonna guide us
Our love will guide us back into each other's arms, once this war is over and you return to me.
Write a letter every day
Write to me every day, so that I know you're okay and that you're thinking of me.
Don't throw my picture away
Keep my picture close to you, as a reminder of the love we share.
Let my love within you burn
May my love for you continue to burn within you and provide you with the strength you need to persevere.
I'll be here when you return
I'll be here, waiting for you to return to me, so that we can be together once more.
Each night I will pray for peace on earth, goodwill to all men
Every night, I will pray for peace and love to fill the world, so that wars like this may never happen again.
And my little heart will say these tender words time and time again:
And my heart will overflow with love and tenderness, as I think of you time and time again.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICHARD MORRIS, SYLVIA MOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
frankie hunter
Wonderful, wonderful extended version. I always wanted this song has no end so now it lasts almost three minutes more. I loved the Scotish bagpipes in the beginning of the song. Motown always had some surprises. One Tami Terrell song begins beautifully with a banjo, which is an instrument more suited to the country music.
John Bedlington
Cool cool cool - chilling to this song and feeling about as relaxed as you can be while still awake.... love it - thank you, this is perfect.
Tammy Toon
Just Awesome Motown Sound! So Much Class!
Tony Craddock
A great posting . A wonderful song that brings back some cool memories circa 1970 . I saw Martha in Manchester last month and what a trooper at 72. Love her.
Ian Barrett
Thanks for posting this. Never knew that an extended version existed. Good work.
TheJUSTLQQKING
This is the 3rd most played song in my audio library behind your revision of (1) Walk Away Renee and (2) Forever Came Today -Redux 4. I just love your work. You are always true to the original with just the right amount of " The Ptown Touch " that spins me 'round like a record baby.
Lillian Thomas
Fantastic Motown song. So nostalgic of an era when the Vietnam War held the headlines.
Trevor Hardman
Love this song..........Thanks for posting .
Douglas K
Whenever I hear this this song, I think of it as the female version of Glen Campbell's Galveston. Each one reminiscing about the other while being separated by a war. Both songs are quite touching to me.
TheJUSTLQQKING
21 Gun Salute!!! You've painted a master piece. I'll never " Forget You" Damn this remix ROCKS!! " Bless You"