R. Dean Taylor (b. 1939) is a Canadian songwriter, record producer, and sin… Read Full Bio ↴R. Dean Taylor (b. 1939) is a Canadian songwriter, record producer, and singer.

Born Richard Dean Taylor on the 11th May 1939 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, he began his career in 1961 as a pianist and singer with several bands in Toronto. He also made his first recordings in 1961, for the Audiomaster record label. The next year, Taylor's "At the High School Dance", a single for Amy-Mala Records, was a minor success. His next single, "I'll Remember", on the Barry label, reached number twenty-three for Toronto rock -and-roll radio station CHUM, and the singer decided to relocate to Detroit, Michigan to further his career.

In Detroit, Taylor was hired by Motown Records in 1964 as a songwriter and recording artist for the Motown subsidiary V.I.P. label. Taylor's scheduled first single (March 1964) for V.I.P. was the topical satire "My Ladybug (Stay Away from That Beatle)", but it was deemed too weak for release and was never issued.

It was not until November 1965 that Taylor's debut V.I.P. single, "Let's Go Somewhere", was issued. It was written by Taylor in conjunction with Brian Holland, and produced by the team of Holland and Lamont Dozier, who had already produced five number-one songs for The Supremes. However, the song was only a regional success, in several U.S. cities and Toronto.

Taylor's next single (1967's "There's a Ghost in My House") was written by the team of Holland–Dozier–Holland along with Taylor, and again produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier. It was also a commercial disappointment in the U.S., but it reached number three in the U.K. in 1974. Taylor was also beginning to become a songwriter for other acts; for example "I'll Turn to Stone" by the Four Tops and "All I Need" by The Temptations were both charting U.S. singles in 1967, co-composed by him.

In 1968, Taylor's self-produced single "Gotta See Jane", (co-written with Brian Holland), became a top-twenty hit in the UK. However, his real success came as a member of the Motown writing and production team known as "The Clan". This production group were briefly the prime creators of material for Diana Ross & the Supremes after the Holland/Dozier/Holland team left Motown. Among Taylor's successful co-compositions and co-productions during 1968/69 as a member of The Clan were Diana Ross & the Supremes' number-one U.S. release "Love Child" and their number-ten releaset "I'm Livin' in Shame".

Taylor resumed his recording career in 1970, becoming one of the first artists assigned to Motown's new subsidiary Rare Earth, which was dedicated to Caucasian artists. In that year his first Rare Earth single, "Indiana Wants Me", reached number one in his native Canada. It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number two in the U.K.. "Gotta See Jane" was also reissued in 1971, and became a top-ten success in Canada. His 1972 single "Taos, New Mexico" did not do well on the Canadian charts.

Taylor continued recording for Rare Earth, and working as a writer/producer for other artists until Rare Earth was ended in 1976. Though he never again scored the charts as he had done with "Indiana Wants Me", his releases did moderately well, especially in Canada. As a Canadian citizen, he could be played on CKLW and other Canadian radio stations and counted towards the stations' Canadian content quotas.

Taylor attempted a comeback during the early 1980s, after which he had a hiatus from the music industry. He has recently established his own record company, Jane Records.

Don't Fool Around
R. Dean Taylor Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don′t fool around if a
You don't want my arms to hold you
Don′t fool around if a
You don't want my lips to kiss you
Don't make me dream
Don′t lead me on
Play it square with me
Don′t fool around

You always flirt around with me
You come real close reach up
And muss my hair
But I don't wanna play around
And you know very well
How much I care, this isn′t fair

Don't fool around if a
You don′t want this heart of love you
Don't fool around if a
You don′t want this boy to need you
Don't build my hopes
Then tear them down
Play it square with me
Don't fool around

You always flirt around with me
You come real close reach up
And muss my hair
But I don′t wanna play around
And you know very well
How much I care, this isn′t fair

Don't fool around if a
You don′t want my arms to hold you
Don't fool around if a
You don′t want my lips to kiss you
Don't make me dream
Don′t lead me on

Play it square with me
Don't fool around.

Overall Meaning

In R. Dean Taylor's song "Don't Fool Around," the lyrics convey a plea for honesty and commitment in a romantic relationship. The singer is cautioning their partner against leading them on or playing with their emotions. They emphasize that if their partner does not genuinely desire their affection, they should refrain from engaging in physical intimacy or giving false hope.

The opening lines of the song, "Don't fool around if you don't want my arms to hold you, Don't fool around if you don't want my lips to kiss you," establish a clear boundary. The singer is essentially saying that if their partner is not interested in a genuine emotional connection, they should not engage in any physical displays of affection. By emphasizing the importance of being sincere, they are asking their partner to avoid leading them on or giving mixed signals.

The chorus further emphasizes the need for honesty and transparency in the relationship. "Don't build my hopes, then tear them down, Play it square with me, Don't fool around," reflects the singer's desire for a committed and trustworthy partner. They express their frustration with the constant flirtation and mixed signals, highlighting that they care deeply but cannot tolerate being played with.

Overall, "Don't Fool Around" is a plea for authenticity and respect in love. It captures the desire for a partner who is genuine and committed to building a strong and sincere relationship, rather than playing games or leading someone on.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't fool around if you don't want my arms to hold you
If you are not interested in being embraced by me, then do not engage in flirtatious behavior.

Don't fool around if you don't want my lips to kiss you
If you do not desire my affectionate kisses, refrain from leading me on.

Don't make me dream
Do not evoke romantic fantasies within me.

Don't lead me on
Do not give false hope or encouragement.

Play it square with me
Be honest and straightforward in your interactions with me.

Don't fool around
Do not engage in playful or insincere behavior.

You always flirt around with me
You often engage in playful teasing and suggestive behavior towards me.

You come real close reach up and muss my hair
You frequently get physically close to me and playfully mess up my hair.

But I don't wanna play around
However, I do not wish to engage in casual flirtation or games.

And you know very well how much I care, this isn't fair
You are well aware of the depth of my feelings for you, and it is unfair to toy with my emotions.

Don't fool around if you don't want this heart of love you
If you are not interested in receiving my devoted love, do not indulge in playful behavior.

Don't fool around if you don't want this boy to need you
If you do not wish to be relied upon and needed by me, then avoid any sort of insincere actions.

Don't build my hopes then tear them down
Do not raise my hopes and expectations only to crush them later.

Writer(s): Edward Jr. Holland, R. Dean Taylor

Contributed by Ethan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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