Incorporated on January 12, 1959 by Berry Gordy, Jr. as Tamla Records, Motown has, over the course of its history, owned or distributed releases from more than 45 subsidiaries in varying genres, although it is most famous for its releases in the musical genres of R&B, hip hop, pop, and soul. Motown left Detroit for Los Angeles in 1972, and remained an independent company until 1988, when Gordy sold the company to MCA. Now headquartered in New York City, Motown Records is today a subsidiary of The Universal Motown/Universal Republic Group, itself a subsidiary of Universal Music Group.
In the 1960s, Motown and its soul-based subsidiaries were the most successful proponents of what came to be known as The Motown Sound, a style of soul music with distinctive characteristics, including the use of tambourine along with drums, a prominent and often melodic bass line played by the electric bass guitar, a distinctive melodical and chord structure, and a call and response singing style originating in gospel music.
Ain't Too Proud to Beg
Motown Lyrics
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But I Refuse To Let You Go
If I Have To Beg And Plead For Your Sympathy
I Don't Mind, 'Cause You Mean That Much To Me
Ain't Too Proud To Beg And You Know It (Sweet Darlin')
Please Don't Leave Me Girl (Don't You Go)
Ain't Too Proud To Plead, Baby, Baby
Now I Heard A Cryin' Man
Is Half A Man, With No Sense Of Pride
But If I Have To Cry To Keep You
I Don't Mind Weepin' If It'll Keep You By My Side
Ain't Too Proud To Beg, Sweet Darlin'
Please Don't Leave Me Girl (Don't You Go)
Ain't Too Proud To Plead, Baby, Baby
Please Don't Leave Me Girl (Don't You Go)
If I Have To Sleep On Your Doorstep
All Night And Day
Just To Keep You From Walkin' Away
Let Your Friends Laugh, Even This I Can Stand
'Cause I Wanna Keep You, Any Way I Can
Ain't Too Proud To Beg (Sweet Darlin')
Please Don't Leave Me Girl (Don't You Go)
Ain't Too Proud To Plead, Baby, Baby
Please Don't Leave Me Girl (Don't You Go)
Now I've Gotta Love So Deep, In The Pit Of My Heart
And Each Day It Grows More And More
I'm Not Ashamed To Come, And Plead To You Baby
If Pleadin' Keeps You From, Walkin' Out That Door
Ain't Too Proud To Beg And You Know It (Sweet Darlin')
Please Don't Leave Me Girl (Don't You Go)
Ain't Too Proud To Plead, Baby, Baby
Please Don't Leave Me Girl (Don't You Go)
Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby (Sweet Darling')
The lyrics to Motown's "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" express a desperate plea from the singer to his lover not to leave him. The singer is aware that his partner wants to leave, but he refuses to let go of their relationship. He is willing to do anything, even beg and plead, to keep them together because the relationship means so much to him.
The chorus of the song reiterates the singer's willingness to plead and beg for his partner to stay, even if it makes him appear weak or half a man. The singer acknowledges that he might have to cry to keep his partner or sleep on their doorstep, but he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep them by his side.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes that he is not too proud to beg, which serves as a central theme. He is willing to put his pride aside and beg for his partner's love and affection because it means so much to him. Overall, the lyrics are an emotional and sincere plea from a lover who does not want to lose the person they love.
Line by Line Meaning
I Know You Wanna Leave Me
I am aware that you want to leave me
But I Refuse To Let You Go
But I will not let you go
If I Have To Beg And Plead For Your Sympathy
If I must humbly request your support and understanding
I Don't Mind, 'Cause You Mean That Much To Me
I do not mind doing so because you mean a lot to me
Ain't Too Proud To Beg And You Know It (Sweet Darlin')
I am not too ashamed to ask for help, and you are aware of it, my dear
Please Don't Leave Me Girl (Don't You Go)
Please do not leave me, my love
Ain't Too Proud To Plead, Baby, Baby
I am not too ashamed to plead, my darling
Now I Heard A Cryin' Man
I have heard that a man who cries
Is Half A Man, With No Sense Of Pride
Is half a man without dignity
But If I Have To Cry To Keep You
But if I have to shed tears to keep you
I Don't Mind Weepin' If It'll Keep You By My Side
I do not mind crying if it means you will stay with me
If I Have To Sleep On Your Doorstep
If I must sleep outside your door
All Night And Day
All day and all night
Just To Keep You From Walkin' Away
Just to prevent you from leaving
Let Your Friends Laugh, Even This I Can Stand
Let your friends laugh, I can endure it
'Cause I Wanna Keep You, Any Way I Can
Because I want to keep you, by any means possible
Now I've Gotta Love So Deep, In The Pit Of My Heart
Now I have a profound love in the depths of my heart
And Each Day It Grows More And More
And it grows stronger each day
I'm Not Ashamed To Come, And Plead To You Baby
I am not ashamed to come and plead with you, my love
If Pleadin' Keeps You From, Walkin' Out That Door
If pleading will stop you from walking away
Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby (Sweet Darling')
My dear, my dear, my dear, my dear, my dear
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Norman Whitfield, Edward Jr. Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind