Greaves was born in 1943 on the United States Air Force base at Georgetown, Guyana. A nephew of Sam Cooke, he grew up on a Seminole Indian reservation in the United States, but moved to England in 1963. Greaves had built a career both in the Caribbean and in Great Britain, where he performed under the name Sonny Childe with his group The TNTs. His debut single "Take a Letter Maria", released under the name R.B. Greaves, had been recorded by both Tom Jones and Stevie Wonder before the author recorded it himself at the insistence of Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegün, who produced it. The song is the story of a man who learns of his wife's infidelity the night before and dictates a letter of separation to Maria, his ostensibly Hispanic secretary. The song has a distinct Latin flavor, complete with a mariachi-style horn section. This disc stayed in the Billboard chart for 15 weeks, selling a million copies with the gold record from the R.I.A.A. on 11 December 1969. By 1970 sales of the record totalled 2.5 million.
Greaves recorded a series of cover versions as follow-ups, including Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" and Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale". Greaves left the label in the 1970s in favor of Bareback Records, and then signed to Sunflower Records. His only chart release for the latter label was "Margie, Who's Watching the Baby". Greaves passed away in Los Angeles, California on September 27, 2012 at the age of 68.
Always Something There To Remind Me
R.B. Greaves Lyrics
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You used to walk with me,
And every step I take recalls
How much in love, we used to be
Oh, how can I forget you
When there is always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me
I was born to love you, and I will never be free
You'll always be a part of me
When shadows fall, I pass a small cafe
Where we would dance at night
And I can't help recalling how it
Felt to kiss and hold you tight
Oh, how can I forget you
When there is always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me
I was born to love you, and I will never be free
You'll always be a part of me
If you should find you miss the sweet
And tender love we used to share
Just go back to the places where we used to go
And I'll be there
Oh, how can I forget you
When there is always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me
I was born to love you, and I will never be free
When there is, when there is
When there is always something there to remind me
R.B. Greaves's song "Always Something There To Remind Me" tells the story of a man who is still haunted by memories of his past love, wherever he goes. He walks along the city streets and every step he takes reminds him of the moments he shared with his beloved. Even though he tries to forget, he cannot escape the past. The nostalgia he feels takes him back to the time when they were together.
The lyrics convey a sense of longing and pain as the man cannot get over his love. He feels like he was born to love her and can never be free. The imagery of passing a small café where they used to dance at night and recalling the feeling of kissing and holding her tight depicts the vividness of his memories, which are ever-present in his mind. He even invites his love to go back to the places they once shared and promises to be there, indicating a desperate attempt to reconnect.
The song highlights the power of memories to evoke vivid emotions and convey a deep sense of longing for a love that has passed. It also highlights the fact that memories cannot be erased and will always remain a part of who we are.
Line by Line Meaning
I walk along the city streets
I am walking on the same streets that we both used to walk on.
You used to walk with me,
You and I used to walk together on these same streets.
And every step I take recalls
Every step I take, I remember you and our past.
How much in love, we used to be
I remember how strong the love we had for each other was.
Oh, how can I forget you
I can't forget you, it is not possible.
When there is always something there to remind me
There is always something in my surroundings that reminds me of you.
I was born to love you, and I will never be free
I was destined to love you, and I can never move on completely.
When shadows fall, I pass a small cafe
When it gets dark outside, I walk past a cafe.
Where we would dance at night
You and I used to dance together at this very cafe in the night time.
And I can't help recalling how it
I can't stop remembering how it felt when we used to dance together.
Felt to kiss and hold you tight
Recalling the feeling of holding you close and kissing you.
If you should find you miss the sweet
If you miss the love we shared.
And tender love we used to share
The love that we had for each other was gentle and affectionate.
Just go back to the places where we used to go
Visit the places where we spent time with each other.
And I'll be there
Even though we can't be together anymore, my memories of you will be present at those places.
When there is, when there is
Even though time has passed, the memories of you still remain.
When there is always something there to remind me
I am constantly reminded of you, and it's a reminder of the love we shared.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hal David, Burt Bacharach
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@waltwimer2551
This is the version I grew up listening to, on my father's 45 RPM record. I've since learned more about its history (Dionne Warwick, Lou Johnson, etc., and of course the Naked Eyes version when I was a teen in the '80s), but R.B. Greaves' version will always be my favorite!
@StefanieS-bu5yr
I just learned about Lou Johnson’s here- it’s beautiful!
@mistermom310
I just saw a commercial with this song as the jingle. I was remembering the different versions. I was a teen in the 70s. Great memories ❤
@rezamansouri7259
You wrote about 80s and reminds of my childhood... seems we not only passed about 40 years of those years, but also 400 years.....
@Rick-S-6063
One of the most covered songs in recent history, but R. B.'s version is the finest.
@KellyMark
Rick S I have to agree with you! Love this version the best :)
@harmonichebe
totally agreed!!!
@stephenking3356
Hands down, best version of this old tune.
@StefanieS-bu5yr
The original! He was great..
@odiecalodie
Absolutely!