Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Lyrics

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LOVE BUG LEAVE MY HEART ALONE
Martha and The Vandellas

Oh yeah (get out of here,
Love bug leave my heart alone)
Leave my heart alone (get out of here,
Love bug leave my heart alone)
Spring is here and like a wayward breeze

The love that left me came back haunting me
He's like the ever changin' sun
That warms my heart and leaves
The love but tries to bite again
Ooh I'm falling, the same old heartaches calling

Oh yeah (get out of here,
Love bug leave my heart alone)
I don't want to love him
Get out of here love bug leave my heart alone
Behind each gentle word he speaks
Love bug there you hide
To stir my tender feelings through his words of honey
But if you wait to sleep in love
I bear it deep inside
Love bug you love and leave me
Sobbing and sighing
Again he'll leave me cryin'

Oh yeah (get out of here,
Love bug leave my heart alone)
Get out of here love bug leave my heart alone
I'm telling you love bug, love bug
Hope you fly away
Spread your little wings, leave my heart and fly away
Cause I don't want to love a guy
Who truly don't love me
I don't want the heartaches that I had before
He wants me for the moment and another girl he'll see
And through long and sleepless nights
When I'm tossin' and turnin'
My heart will be burning
Oh yeah (get out of here,
Love bug leave my heart alone)
I don't want to love him

Get out of here love bug leave my heart alone
You know, you know, he don't love me

Overall Meaning

"Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone" is a song by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas that talks about a problematic love interest, the love bug, who keeps on coming back even after leaving her before. The lyrics describe the love bug as someone who is like a wayward wind, ever-changing but returns to stir up her heart’s love only to bite again. She describes the love bug as someone who stirs up her tender feelings through his words of honey but, in the end, leaves her sobbing and crying.

The chorus, "get out of here, love bug leave my heart alone" is a useful instructional piece of advice for the love bug to leave her for good. She doesn't want him back, and his presence only brings back the same old heartaches. She knows this kind of love is unhealthy because he loves her in the moment, but he will soon be with another girl. When he leaves her behind crying, she remembers him as being the love bug who bites, bringing pain and heartache.

In summary, the song "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone" is a cautionary tale of a lost love that keeps coming back to stir up old emotions that may have no meaningful future. Martha Reeves & The Vandellas hope that the love bug will fly away and leave her alone so that she can find love that lasts this time.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh yeah (get out of here, Love bug leave my heart alone)
The speaker is pleading with the Love Bug to leave her alone.

Leave my heart alone (get out of here, Love bug leave my heart alone)
The speaker is telling the Love Bug to leave her emotions alone.

Spring is here and like a wayward breeze The love that left me came back haunting me
Spring has arrived and with it came back the speaker's lost love that haunts her.

He's like the ever changin' sun That warms my heart and leaves The love but tries to bite again
The speaker's love is like the sun, warming her heart but then biting her again.

Ooh I'm falling, the same old heartaches calling
The speaker is falling for her love again even though it leads to the same old heartaches.

Behind each gentle word he speaks Love bug there you hide To stir my tender feelings through his words of honey
The speaker realizes that her love is hiding behind kind words that stir her emotions.

But if you wait to sleep in love I bear it deep inside Love bug you love and leave me Sobbing and sighing
The speaker knows that if she waits to fall asleep in love, it will only lead to more heartache.

Again he'll leave me cryin' Oh yeah (get out of here, Love bug leave my heart alone)
The speaker knows that her love will leave her crying again and begs for the Love Bug to leave her alone.

I'm telling you love bug, love bug Hope you fly away Spread your little wings, leave my heart and fly away
The speaker is telling the Love Bug to fly away and leave her emotions.

Cause I don't want to love a guy Who truly don't love me I don't want the heartaches that I had before
The speaker doesn't want to love someone who doesn't love her back and doesn't want the same heartache as before.

He wants me for the moment and another girl he'll see And through long and sleepless nights When I'm tossin' and turnin' My heart will be burning
The speaker's love only wants her for the moment and will soon move on to another girl while she lies awake, heart burning.

Oh yeah (get out of here, Love bug leave my heart alone) I don't want to love him Get out of here love bug leave my heart alone You know, you know, he don't love me
The speaker is pleading with the Love Bug to leave her alone and admits that her love doesn't truly love her.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICHARD MORRIS, SYLVIA MOY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Martha Reeves & The Vandellas were one of the most successful groups in the Motown roster during the 1960s and fully active from 1960 to present, performing at various times doo-wop, pop, rock and roll and soul.

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" Read Full BioMartha Reeves & The Vandellas were one of the most successful groups in the Motown roster during the 1960s and fully active from 1960 to present, performing at various times doo-wop, pop, rock and roll and soul.

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.

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Comments from YouTube:

Texaslawhorn

3y↑6

This classic peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in late September/early October 1967. This was at the same time the Supremes were in the Top 5 with the great "Reflections." "Love Bug" also deserved to make it to Top 10!

Richard Harries

5y↑5

I bought this then and loved it and played it to death. love it still.

VANDELLAS4U

11y↑2

this is why i love music so much! it has the power to trigger so many memories...

Isolda

I still have this 45 from elementary school days. Minor keys & a key change: masterful! Thanks for uploading!

Gregory Francis

5y↑1

Just like this song & countless other Motown classics being backed up by the mighty Funk Brothers was pure magic!!

Len Scaparro

I remember playing this 45 many times. It's still a great record!

Richard Harries

4y↑1

Adore this . Bought it the week it came out and fully expected it to be a UK No 1. Sadly did not even chart could not believe it . Wonderful Martha at her best!

bradly2007

As a teen had same experience but in US it did chart, like you state should have been #1...

MrZzzrider

11y↑1

Martha & the Vandellas are my favorite Motown group. I rushed out and bought the single of Love Bug right after hearing it on the radio. James Jamerson's bass line is just incredible.

Anthony Cruz

3y↑2

I remember this song from the summer of 1967. Awsome year 18 years old and getting ready to go to Vietnam, I survived the Vietnam war thanks the lord and I did it for our greatest country USA

Georg Fiscus

4y↑2

Martha, you´re wonderful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Desiree Dawn

11y↑4

Just to let u know that your version is the best one i found here.

DAVID WOLF

5y↑2

~ This + Honey Chile + Live Wire + SHE & THE Vandellas REALLY HUGE HITS = Motown Dance HEAVEN, STILL RELEVANT AND HOT AND FRESH IN 2018. Love TO OUR LIVING LEGEND: Martha Reeves. Cheers, DAVEDJ ~

Desiree Dawn

11y↑1

I used to love this song when i was about 14years old,i used 2 play it on the small record player that belonged 2 my older sister,when ever she left the house LOL.

tropicalpancake56

11y

Great song!

Desiree Dawn

11y↑3

Just think,what would life be like without our music? Peace Desiree

loveblind

Reeves was getting poor promotion at this time... this song is an indication...it should have been promoted to at least top ten, it’s so infectious!

VANDELLAS4U

11y

thanks so much! i'm so glad you enjoyed it!

Melody Sanger

5y↑5

REMEMBERING SONGWRITER SYLVIA MOY (SEPTEMBER 15, 1938 - APRIL 15, 2017) [09/15/2018]

Mark Rocovich

6y↑1

The backup score by the Funk Brothers is oddly identical to some of the Tops hits..

VANDELLAS4U

11y↑1

i second that emotion!

Harold Gibson

10y↑1

Actually she didnt die poor, she had just received a 1-2 million settlement and had just moved into a new house. Some say Berry Gordy broke down and gave her the money that she deserved... it was never really revealed where the money came from, but she didnt die a pauper.

divine williams

who???

JACK ANTHONY

From what I read, this song is pure Martha and the Vandellas, Rosalind, Betty and Martha...no awful Andantes to muddle up the harmonies.

Desiree Dawn

11y↑1

I say Martha didnt get the credit she really deserved by Motown because Berry Gordy put in too much time promoting Diana Ross.Just look what happened to poor Florence Ballard,She stood up to him and he fired her and even made it where she got very little money by signing away her royalty rites.As u know she died very poor.

Jack Jules

2y↑1

I'll tell you who didn't get the credit they deserved...it the classic line-up of Vandellas featured in this song...Rosalind Ashford and Betty Kelly who sang harmony on most of the hit recordings as Vandellas starting with Dancing in the Street up until this song. They are also the most well known line up of this group as seen in videos and TV shows. Let's say there names once again...ROSALIND ASHFORD AND BETTY KELLY!!!

JACK ANTHONY

I read that it was Flo's drinking that got her canned.

Roxanne Gorena

8y↑1

Love bug9

Diako Khodaei

nice song i liked :)

Anthony Cruz

SGT ANTHONY CRUZ

miguel Tomlinson

On background is Martha's sister Lois and the late Sandra Tilley whom had been a Marvelette at some point.

Jack Jules

According to Martha's book, Rosalind Ashford and Betty Kelly are singing on this recording. Rosalind Ashford, Betty Kelly and Martha were the classic line-up of the group that most people know as they participated in most of the hits. According to Martha, after she fired Betty, she got her sister Lois to replace her but they had only one top 40 hit with Lois. By the time Sandra Tilley replaced Rosalind Ashford, Martha and the Vandellas had ceased to exist as a top 40 hit making group.

JACK ANTHONY

4y↑1

You are wrong. Rosalind Ashford and Betty Kelly are singing background on this. You can also check Wikipedia for this info. Martha's sister Lois and the Late Sandra Tilley were not yet in the group when this song was released. It was a year later that Martha in a fit of uncontrolled rage kicked Betty and then Rosalind out of the group. After that, no more hits for Martha.