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.
You've Been In Love Too Long
Martha and the Vandellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(You're a fool for your baby)
Don't you know, girls
You've been in love too long
(You're a fool for your baby)
When just his smile takes all your pain away
And you find yourself believing whatever he may say
But your heart tells you, Girl, keep right on tryin'
Girls, you've been in love too long
(You're a fool for your baby)
Don't you know, girls? You've been in love too long
(You're a fool for your baby)
When you accept his wrongs just to share his kiss
And even though lonely nights are filled with happiness
Now girl, you're in trouble; you know your heart is seein' double
When your head tells you to run
But your heart says he's your only one
Girls, you've been in love too long
You're a fool for your baby)
(Girl, you've been in love too long)
You're a fool
'Cause when a week of loneliness
Can be erased with just one sweet caress
Girls, you've been in love too long
(You're a fool for your baby)
I say girls, oh yeah, you're a fool
When his wrong looks right 'cause he always treats you bad
When you find little excuses for all the sadness & abuses
Don't you know, girls, you're in love
You're just a fool for your baby
Girls, you've been in love too long
You're just a fool
The song "You've Been In Love Too Long" by Martha and The Vandellas is all about warning girls who have fallen in love with someone who may not be good for them. The song portrays a reality where girls are blinded by love and continue to believe the sweet nothings their partners whisper in their ears, even if they have been hurt countless times. The chorus sings that these girls have been in love for too long, and they are fools for staying.
The first verse speaks about how the smile of their partner takes all of their pain away and how they believe everything he says. They try to convince themselves to keep trying, even when they are in tears. The second verse talks about the acceptance of wrongs and how even the loneliest nights bring happiness. But the girl's heart is split in two because her head tells her to leave, but her heart tells her to stay. And in the end, girls are just fools to fall for love.
Overall, this song is an excellent example of how love can blind one from seeing the reality of certain situations, no matter how obvious they may be. It's a reminder that sometimes, it's hard to let go of someone you love, even if they may not be right for you.
Line by Line Meaning
Girls, you've been in love too long
You've been in love for too much time, and it's not good for you.
(You're a fool for your baby)
You're acting foolishly because of your affection towards him.
Don't you know, girls
Girls, you should know this fact
When just his smile takes all your pain away
Even his simple smile can make you feel better and forget about your problems.
And you find yourself believing whatever he may say
You have faith in anything that he utters.
Now when he keeps you cryin'
But if he always makes you cry
But your heart tells you, Girl, keep right on tryin'
Your heart feels like you should still be with him even though it's irrational.
When you accept his wrongs just to share his kiss
You overlook his mistakes for the sake of his affection.
And even though lonely nights are filled with happiness
You feel happy even on the nights you are alone just by thinking about him.
Now girl, you're in trouble; you know your heart is seein' double
You are starting to feel like you are losing your perspective.
When your head tells you to run
Intellectually, you know you should leave him.
But your heart says he's your only one
But emotionally, you feel like he's the only one for you.
You're a fool
You're naive.
'Cause when a week of loneliness
Because a week of solitude
Can be erased with just one sweet caress
Can be eradicated by the touch of his hand
I say girls, oh yeah, you're a fool
So I tell you girls, you're really naive
When his wrong looks right 'cause he always treats you bad
Even though he constantly mistreats you, you rationalize his behavior as acceptable.
When you find little excuses for all the sadness & abuses
You try to justify his mistreatment and sadness towards you as being understandable.
Don't you know, girls, you're in love
Girls, don't you know that you're in love?
You're just a fool for your baby
You're just acting foolishly because of your love for him.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CLARENCE O. PAUL, IVY JO HUNTER, WILLIAM STEVENSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christopher Bawson
My FAV by the girls, a true Motown gem. Dancin in the streets ain't bad either but this is it!!! The flip side interrupted this from being much bigger.
Robert Velez
If you listen to the words to this song very carefully, you could swear that it is a message song! An absolute classic!
Leatherbro 1000
This song should be an anthem for women who have been in abusive relationships.
Gary S.
"You've Been In Love Too Long" - One of my all-time favorite Martha/Motown tracks!
Patrick Walton
Songs like this will ALWAYS live on. Unlike the music now it tells a true story.
DonnyPiano
Patrick Walton I agree! 😍
WAYNE HAZZARD
WELL said ‼️👍
WAYNE HAZZARD
Go Martha!!! Sounds like she dad theses tracks last night. Vocally, the natural beauty of her voice to me is more alive and soulfully pretty than any of the Motown Queens. She pulls you in and wears you out. Levi Stubbs does it from Motown's male stable.
Captain Keyboard
That is nice to know! The only thing I have known is to just enjoy the music as it flourished the air. This song swings.
Preston Barnes
Great voice! Sings it like she means it.