The label's second most-successful all-female singing group after The Supremes, Martha Reeves and 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 Kelly replacing Annette Beard (now Beard-Sterling). In 1967, Kelly was fired and was replaced by Martha's younger sister, Sandra "Lois" Reeves. In 1969, Ashford was also fired and replaced by Sandra Tilley. It was right about this time that the group's name was officially changed to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, to conform with the company's recent changes of The Supremes' and The Miracles' names to reflect their featured lead singers. 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.
The story of the group did not end completely with their split-up in 1972, however. While Tilley and Williams (both now deceased) eventually retired, the others continued with their individual career pursuits: Lois sang with the group Quiet Elegance and also sang background for Al Green; Reeves reunited with original Vandellas Ashford and Beard-Sterling for a 1978 benefit concert in Los Angeles; and in 1983, Reeves performed solo at Motown 25, which partly helped her and the Vandellas gain a new audience. In particular, Reeves herself is still known to sing with her sisters Lois and Delphine, often performing as a solo artist under the bill, "Martha Reeves of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas", and still performs all over the world.
What Am I Going to Do Without Your Love
Martha and the Vandellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see my tear-stained face when I look in my mirror
I stare in space as night grows nearer, cryin'
I need you, baby, I need you
I need you, baby, I need you
I just sit and wonder, did you fall for someone else?
'Cause if I hurt you, baby, I really hurt myself
I need you, yes I really need you
What am I gonna do without your love?
What am I gonna do without you, baby?
I'm slowly slowly goin' crazy
I need you, I really really need you
I just sit and mope by myself
Like part of my household fixtures
These arms of mine are holdin'
Clingin' to your picture, cryin'
I need you, yes I need you
I need you, baby, I need you
Come on, come on right now, baby
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
I need you, yes I really need you
What am I gonna do without your love?
What can I do without you, baby?
I'm slowly slowly goin' crazy
I can't stand it, I just can't stand it
Here's a broken heart and
A love that's slowly dyin'
A room full of tears and a heart,
A heart that's cryin'
I need you, yes I really need you
I need you, you know that I need you
Come on, come on right now, baby
If you love me, come back, baby
Oooo yeah, baby, oh tell me right now
What am I gonna do without your love?
What can I do without you?
Come on, come on back to me, baby
The lyrics of the song "What Am I Going to Do Without Your Love" are a depiction of the painful aftermath of a devastating breakup. The singer Martha Reeves and her group The Vandellas express their emotions in the most beautiful and heart-wrenching way. The song starts with a description of the singer's lonesome state since her lover has left her. She's been crying all night long, and whenever she looks at the mirror, the tears on her face are a painful reminder of the love she has lost.
As the song proceeds, the lyrics describe the desperate need of the singer to be reunited with her lover. She can't stop wondering if he has fallen for someone else or if she was the one who pushed him away. The singer longs for her love to come back, and the chorus repeats the words "I need you" again and again, conveying the depth of her longing. The singer confesses that she is slowly going crazy without him, and her desire to be reunited with her lover grows stronger by the minute. The song ends with the singer's heartfelt plea to her lover to come back to her, and the promise that she needs him more than anything else in this world.
Overall, the song "What Am I Going to Do Without Your Love" is a beautiful and emotional portrayal of the pain a person feels after a painful breakup. Martha Reeves and The Vandellas have succeeded in capturing that raw emotion in the lyrics and melody of the song, making it an unforgettable classic.
Line by Line Meaning
(Since you've been gone I've been cryin' all night long, I've been sad)
I see my tear-stained face when I look in my mirror. I stare in space as night grows nearer, cryin'. It hurts me so much that you're not here with me.
I need you, baby, I need you
I miss you so much, I can't stop thinking about you. Please come back to me.
I just sit and wonder, did you fall for someone else?
I can't help but think that you're with someone else now. Did you forget about our love?
'Cause if I hurt you, baby, I really hurt myself
If I did something wrong to cause you to leave, it's hurting me just as much as it's hurting you, if not more.
What am I gonna do without your love?
I don't know how I'm going to keep going without you here. I feel lost and alone.
I'm slowly slowly goin' crazy
The pain of your absence is driving me insane. I can't focus on anything else.
I just sit and mope by myself
I'm always alone now, just moping and feeling sorry for myself.
These arms of mine are holdin', clingin' to your picture, cryin'
I hold onto your memory so tightly, trying to keep you close even though you're gone. It makes me cry knowing that you're not really here to hold.
Come on, come on right now, baby
Please come back to me, I can't stand being without you anymore.
I can't stand it, I just can't stand it
The pain is too much for me to handle. I need you back in my life.
Here's a broken heart and a love that's slowly dyin'
My heart is shattered and our love is fading away. I don't know how to fix it without you here.
A room full of tears and a heart, a heart that's cryin'
My tears are never-ending and my heart is constantly hurting. I can't escape the pain and sadness without you.
If you love me, come back, baby
If you still love me, please come back to me. I need you in my life and I can't imagine being without you.
What can I do without you?
I can't imagine my life without you. You mean everything to me and I can't imagine going on without you here by my side.
Come on, come on back to me, baby
Please don't leave me alone anymore. Come back to me and let's fix our love together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SYLVIA MOY, WILLIAM STEVENSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James Alford
Not only is this a rare Martha and the Vandellas song, but to have footage of them performing this at the Rooster Tail is beyond being incredibly amazing. Props to you for finding this Gem and sharing it.
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Wow! Double Wow! You deserve an award for posting these ultra-rare performances! This has always been one of my favorite Martha & The Vandellas songs. It's always reminded me of a 1930's bluesy torch song for some reason. Very different- the drum for example. Most songs you get the drums on beats 2 and 4, here it's only on the 2nd beat- except during the chorus and for a bit near the fade. Martha is selling it like only Martha could and Rosalind and Betty really put their stamp on it. Thanks for this post!
TheMotownjunkie
This track is so jazzy yet so funky I’m surprised it charted #71 on the Pop charts and not the R&B.. this is awesome
Texaslawhorn
Same. Why in the world did this not chart on the R&B chart?
Michael Cole
I love ❤️ them so much. Classic music 🎶 ever. She can sang so beautiful 😍
WOW 😮 .
DEE ACH
I remember this so well. This was one of the first times I ever saw Martha and the Vandellas. Love at first sight.
Royal Jones
fabulous gifted artists. the 50th special CD set is remarkably wondrous indeed!
Miguel Tomlinson
Martha always said that she was never big on wardrobe, but she cared deeply for choreography and sound.
Shawn Baldwin
Funny cause she always looked fabulous!
Ronnie Damnitz
Omg! What an.underated gem! Kudos to William Stevenson. And ivy jo hunter!