Lead Me On
Nightingale Maxine Lyrics
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You love me as a friend
But I love you more than anyone
You know I can't pretend no longer
I would give you anything
I'd throw my world
But you don't want to hear that anymore
Come on and lead me on
Come on and tease me all night long
Lovin' you I know it's right
I'll always need you, I'll never leave you
Come on and lead me on
Tease me all night long
I'd rather be a fool with a broken heart
Than someone who never had a part of you
You know I told you from the start
Exactly how I feel
Time goes on, seems nothing's changed
I'm in love for real
We have never played the games
That real lovers do
So maybe we are better off
But, baby, I'd still like this from you
Come on and lead me on
Come on and tease me all night long
Lovin' you I know it's right
I'll always need you, I'll never leave you
Come on and lead me on
Tease me all night long
I'd rather be a fool with a broken heart
Than someone who never had a part of you
Come on and lead me on (Come on and lead me)
Come on and tease me all night long (Tease me all night long)
I'd rather be a fool with a broken heart
Than someone who never had a part of you
Come on and lead me on (Come on and lead me)
Tease me all night long (Tease me all night long)
Lovin' you I know it's right
I'll always need you, I'll never leave you
Come on and lead me on
Tease me all night long
The lyrics to Nightingale Maxine's song Lead Me On express the singer's desire for her love interest to take things to the next level. Although she has heard him say he loves her as a friend, her feelings for him are much stronger, and she can no longer pretend they're not. She's willing to do anything for him, even if it means giving up her world, but she knows he doesn't want to hear that kind of talk anymore. What he wants to hear is for her to ask him to lead her on and tease her all night long, because she knows that loving him is the right thing to do and she'll always need him.
In the second verse, the singer reflects on how she's always been honest with him about her feelings and how she's in love for real. Although they've never played the games that real lovers do, she still wants him to lead her on and tease her because she's willing to be a fool with a broken heart if it means she had a part of him. The chorus repeats with the singer pleading for her love interest to lead her on and tease her because she knows her love for him is genuine and she'll never leave him.
Interestingly, the song was co-written by Leon Sylvers III, who was known for his work in the funk band The Sylvers. The song was released in 1986 on Nightingale Maxine's album, Night Life, and it became a hit single, reaching number 5 on the Billboard R&B chart. Lead Me On was also one of the first songs to use what was known as the "British doo-wop" sound, which was characterized by its emphasis on vocal harmonies and the use of doo-wop-style backing vocals.
Line by Line Meaning
I have often heard you say
I am familiar with the fact that you have expressed
You love me as a friend
That you have feelings for me, but not in a romantic way
But I love you more than anyone
My feelings for you are stronger than they are for anyone else
You know I can't pretend no longer
I am unable to continue hiding my true feelings for you
I would give you anything
I would go to great lengths to please you
I'd throw my world
I am willing to sacrifice everything that I have
But you don't want to hear that anymore
You have become tired of hearing about my love for you
And you want to hear me say
You are hoping that I will express something else
Come on and lead me on
Please give me false hope and make me think that you feel the same
Come on and tease me all night long
I want you to keep me guessing and play with my emotions
Lovin' you I know it's right
My love for you feels like it is the correct thing for me to do
I'll always need you, I'll never leave you
My desire for you will never fade, and I will never abandon you
I'd rather be a fool with a broken heart
Even if I get hurt, I would rather take the risk of pursuing you
Than someone who never had a part of you
I would rather have loved you and lost you than to never have had a chance with you
You know I told you from the start
I have been honest with you about my feelings from the beginning
Exactly how I feel
I have been completely transparent about my emotions
Time goes on, seems nothing's changed
Despite the passage of time, my feelings for you have remained the same
I'm in love for real
My love for you is genuine and not fleeting
We have never played the games
Our relationship has been built on honesty and sincerity
That real lovers do
We have not engaged in typical relationship behaviors
So maybe we are better off
Our lack of game-playing may have helped us avoid problems
But, baby, I'd still like this from you
However, I still want you to give me false hope and mislead me
Come on and lead me on
Please give me false hope and make me think that you feel the same
Come on and tease me all night long
I want you to keep me guessing and play with my emotions
Lovin' you I know it's right
My love for you feels like it is the correct thing for me to do
I'll always need you, I'll never leave you
My desire for you will never fade, and I will never abandon you
Come on and lead me on
Please give me false hope and make me think that you feel the same
Tease me all night long
I want you to keep me guessing and play with my emotions
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PETER H BROWN, ROBERT S RANS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Eliana2922
I have often heard you say you love me as a friend
But I love you more than anyone
You know I can't pretend no longer
I would give you anything
I'd throw my world away
But you don't wanna hear that anymore
And you wanna hear me say
Come on and lead me on
Come on and tease me all night long
Loving you, I know it's right
I'll always need you
I'll never leave you
Come on and lead me on
Tease me all night long
I'd rather be a fool with a broken heart
Than someone who never had a part of you
You know I told you from the start exactly how I feel
Time goes on
It seems nothing's changed
I'm in love with you
We have never played the games that real lovers do
So maybe we are better off
But baby, I'd still like this from you
Come on and lead me on
Come on and tease me all night long
Loving you, I know it's right
I'll always need you
I'll never leave you
Come on and lead me on
Tease me all night long
I'd rather be a fool with a broken heart
Than someone who never had a part of you
@citygirl5705
I remember I was in elementary school. "Lead me on," "Reunited," and "Sad Eyes," were the most amazing slow songs that dominated the radio.
@marshalllancaster2314
Not much compares today. We were spoiled.
@matthewpjames
Amanda Davis - absolutely. It always amazed me how well I connected with these songs in grade school. Classics.
@samprimera5545
I'm only a lil older.My first breakup (I was 17) I heard Reunited and Reminiscin by The Little River Band going home.Thank you for that bittersweet but nice memory.Seriously.
@annmarieclarke9107
Its a shame the Brit; wasnt so keen on this very popular song.J'cans still revered this sweetie.
@erniedion8048
All three songs you mentioned were in summer of 1979. "Reunited" & "Sad Eyes" hit #1. "Lead Me On" peaked at #7. Three all-time favorites of mine!
@invisiblesun6595
Music like this is what makes the 70's one of the most memorable decades.
@jbmoore4436
"I'd rather be a fool with a broken heart than someone who never had a part of you.."
Gut wrenching, HEART wrenching lyrics. If you've ever been hurt by someone you actually loved and lost, this speaks to you....
Lyrics and beautiful melodies....
This is a tremendous, offering that transcends time if you're willing to leave you EGO at the door....and just ENJOY music...
@reginaldwebster9243
Yes JB , that line right there tore me up too ! I was about 15 years old when this came out , lol I only knew about puppy love but somehow those word really resonated with me ! I thought to myself if only I could find a girl that felt that way about me , she would never worry about me breaking her heart !
@reginaldwebster9243
jJ.B. the lyric part "I'll always need you " I:ll never leave you" cut me deep ! And the funny thing is after all these years i still don't know who wrote this heartfelt masterpiece ! lol !