After graduating from high school in 1967, she worked as a secretary and performed part-time as a singer for a local folk band called Sweet Rain. Her singing caught the attention of Russ Regan (then head of 20th Century Records) in 1972 when he heard a demo she had recorded. At the time, Regan was searching for a singer to record "The Morning After" (the theme from The Poseidon Adventure) for release as a record. He hired McGovern sight unseen to record the song, which led to her signing with 20th Century Records. After it won an Oscar for Best Original Song, "The Morning After" quickly climbed the pop charts, reaching #1 in 1973.
In 1974, she recorded two movie themes: "We May Never Love Like This Again" (from the disaster film The Towering Inferno, in which she made a short appearance when she is seen singing the song as the evening's entertainment) and "Wherever Love Takes Me" (from the British disaster film Gold). The former won an Oscar (though it was only a minor pop hit), and the latter received an Oscar nomination. These two songs (along with "The Morning After") led the media to call McGovern "the Disaster Theme Queen."
McGovern's contract with 20th Century ended in 1976. By this time, her career went downhill and she ended up broke, due to being cheated out of her earnings by her managers and producers. To begin her life over again, she moved to Marina del Rey and took a secretarial job under an assumed name. However, she was still in demand occasionally for international live concerts. Her career made a turn for the better when she was asked to record a version of "Can You Read My Mind," the love theme from 1978's Superman, which was not recorded for the film. The single achieved minor success on the Pop charts. Toward the end of the decade, she recorded "Different Worlds," the theme from a short-lived TV sitcom entitled Angie. The song was her only other Top 40 single aside from "The Morning After," reaching #18 on the Pop charts in 1979 and also spending two weeks at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In 1980, she made a cameo appearance as the singing nun, Sister Angelina, in the comedy-disaster movie Airplane!.
At the beginning of the 1980s, McGovern gave up movie themes to begin a career on Broadway, despite having no acting experience. In 1981, she made her Broadway debut as Mabel in a revival of Gilbert & Sullivan's musical The Pirates of Penzance. She then performed in two productions with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera: The Sound of Music (1981; as Maria) and South Pacific (1982; as Nellie Forbush). She continued her theatrical career throughout the eighties and originated the role of Mary in the Off-Broadway production of Brownstone in 1985.
In 2005, McGovern returned to the Broadway stage as Marmee opposite Sutton Foster's Jo in the musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. Plagued by negative reviews, it quickly closed, but McGovern reprised her role for the successful subsequent national tour.
She slowly returned to music in the mid-eighties, contributing songs to musical soundtracks and recording for various-artist compilations. She also returned to touring and performing in concerts and began establishing herself as a classy, jazzy nightclub and cabaret performer. Starting in 1987, she released three albums for CBS in three years - Another Woman in Love (a voice/piano album), State of the Heart (a fully orchestrated album), and Naughty Baby (a live album).
In 1989, she performed her debut concert in Carnegie Hall, singing a collection of songs by George Gershwin. The concert was recorded live and released that year as an album entitled Naughty Baby; it features a very first recording of a lost Gershwin song "A Corner of Heaven With You" (written ca. 1917).
From the nineties into the 21st century, McGovern continued her careers in musical theatre, performing in concerts, and recording albums, and she occasionally made guest appearances on television. Other recordings include Baby I'm Yours (1992), a collection of her favorite songs from 1955 to 1970, and Out of This World (1996), a collection of songs by Harold Arlen. She was twice nominated for a Grammy, for her albums The Music Never Ends (1997), a collection of songs by Alan & Marilyn Bergman, and The Pleasure of His Company (1998), another voice/piano album.
In 2003, Out of This World and The Music Never Ends were rereleased by Fynsworth Alley Records; both albums included bonus tracks, the former two, and the latter three.
They Can't Take That Away from Me
Maureen McGovern Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No no, they can't take that away from me
The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
We may never never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you've changed my life
Oh no, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away from me
In the song "Take Me Or Leave Me" by Maureen and Joanne, one of the most striking verses talks about the memories that can never be erased, despite the ups and downs of a relationship. The lyrics, "The way you wear your hat, the way you sip your tea, the memory of all that, no no, they can't take that away from me" convey the idea that even though the relationship might not work out, there are certain things that one partner appreciates and adores about the other that they will always cherish. The hat and tea represent the way someone carries themselves, which may be endearing, while the "memory of all that" could refer to the moments they've shared, good or bad - this last part implies that the relationship might have hit some rough patches in the past. However, despite all that, the memories they created together are worth holding onto.
The lyrics go on to focus on other things that can never be taken away, such as the "way your smile just beams" and "the way you sing off key." These quirks of her partner's character are things that make her feel closer and appreciative of her partner. The line, "We may never never meet again on the bumpy road to love," suggests that the two partners might not end up together in the end, but regardless of what happens, the singer promises to always remember and honor the positive memories they've created.
Overall, the song "Take Me Or Leave Me" powerfully captures the ups and downs of a romantic relationship with poignant lyrics about love, memories, and individuality. Its themes of acceptance and cherishing the positive elements of a past relationship are relatable and inspiring to many.
Line by Line Meaning
The way you wear your hat
I love every little detail about you, even the way you wear your hat.
The way you sip your tea
Even the seemingly mundane things you do, like sipping tea, are endearing to me.
The memory of all that
I cherish all the moments we've shared together and the memories we've made.
No no, they can't take that away from me
No matter what happens, my memories and feelings for you will always remain with me.
The way your smile just beams
Your smile lights up my day and fills me with joy.
The way you sing off key
Even when you get things wrong, I still love the way you do them.
The way you haunt my dreams
My thoughts are consumed by you, even in my dreams.
Oh no, they can't take that away from me
My love for you is so strong that no one can take away the way you make me feel.
We may never never meet again
Our relationship may not have a happy ending.
On the bumpy road to love
The journey of love is unpredictable and chaotic.
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
Even if we don't end up together, I will always treasure the moments we've shared.
The way you hold your knife
I love the way you do even the simplest things, like holding a knife.
The way we danced till three
We have had some wonderful memories together, like dancing until late at night.
The way you've changed my life
My life has been forever changed by your presence in it.
No, they can't take that away from me
My love for you and the way you've impacted my life can never be taken away.
Lyrics © RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind