The hit songs "Do It Baby" and Love Machine (written by Billy Griffin & Pete Moore) were performed by Billy Griffin as the lead singer after the departure of original founder member Smokey Robinson.
http://myspace.com/billygriffinthemiracles
Yester Love
Smokey Robinson and The Miracles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yesterday we made future plans
She loved me I could tell
Can today be that tomorrow that we planned so well?
Yester baby I'll never forget her
Though tomorrow might bring me one better
Today I go on my way to love my yester love
Yesterday I felt a tender kiss upon my face
Now the day is gone and there's a tear drop in its place
Oh yester kisses that I used to treasure
Now you're given some other lips pleasure
Today I'm on my way dreamin' of my yester love
Today I'll go on my way dreamin' of my yester love, oh
Yester is, the prefix, that we fix, to things that have gone by
Forever they say, yeah even though my yester love
Has slipped through my fingers I find it still lingers
In my heart today
Yesterday I thought I had a love to call my own
No one could have told me that today I'd be alone
Yes the sweetness today has gone sour
Seemin' further away with each hour
Today I go on my way dreamin' of my yester love
Today I go on my way dreamin' of my yester love
Today I go on my way dreamin' of my yester love
In Smokey Robinson and The Miracles's song Yester Love, the singer reflects on their past love and the memories they shared. The song opens with the singer reminiscing about making future plans with their former lover and the love they once shared. Though they acknowledge that tomorrow may bring a better love, they cannot forget the love they had in the past. The chorus repeats the phrase "Today I go on my way to love my yester love", highlighting the singer's commitment to their past love and their inability to let go of the memories they shared.
The second verse details the physical touches that once brought the singer joy, such as tender kisses. However, these memories are now tainted with the knowledge that someone else is now receiving the affection they once cherished. The singer continues to dream about their past love, acknowledging that though it may have slipped through their fingers, it still lingers in their heart. The final verse reveals that the singer is now alone, despite once thinking they had a love to call their own. The sweetness of their past love has now turned sour and seems to be slipping further away with each passing hour, yet the singer cannot let go, and continues to dream of their yester love.
Overall, the song speaks to the power of memory and the inability to forget past loves. The singer's commitment to their past love despite the knowledge that it may not be the best thing for them highlights the complicated emotions that come with moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooo, ooh, ooh
An expression of emotion and longing.
Yesterday we made future plans
We had a future together that we talked about.
She loved me I could tell
I could see that she loved me.
Can today be that tomorrow that we planned so well?
Can we make our plans for the future come true today?
Yester baby I'll never forget her
I will always remember my past love.
Though tomorrow might bring me one better
Although there may be someone better in the future.
Today I go on my way to love my yester love
Today I continue to love and cherish my past love.
Yesterday I felt a tender kiss upon my face
I remember a sweet kiss from my past love.
Now the day is gone and there's a tear drop in its place
But now I feel sad because that day is gone.
Oh yester kisses that I used to treasure
I used to cherish those kisses from the past.
Now you're given some other lips pleasure
But now someone else is enjoying those kisses.
Today I'm on my way dreamin' of my yester love
Today I am daydreaming about my past love.
Yester is, the prefix, that we fix, to things that have gone by
We use the prefix 'yester' to describe things from the past.
Forever they say, yeah even though my yester love
People say that the past stays with us forever, even though my past love has gone.
Has slipped through my fingers I find it still lingers
Although my past love is gone, the memories and feelings still remain.
In my heart today
Those memories and feelings are still in my heart today.
Yesterday I thought I had a love to call my own
I believed that I had found true love in the past.
No one could have told me that today I'd be alone
I never thought I would be alone today.
Yes the sweetness today has gone sour
But today, the sweetness of love has turned bitter.
Seemin' further away with each hour
And each passing hour makes it seem even further away.
Today I go on my way dreamin' of my yester love
But even though my past love is gone and future love is uncertain, I continue to hold onto my love and memories from the past.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALFRED CLEVELAND, SMOKEY ROBINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
michael Seven
Ooo, ooh, ooh
Yesterday we made future plans
She loved me I could tell
Can today be that tomorrow that we planned so well?
Yester baby I'll never forget her
Though tomorrow might bring me one better
Today I'll be on my away to love my yester love
Today I'll go on my way to love my yester love, oh oh
Yesterday I felt a tender kiss upon my face
Now the day is gone and there's a tear drop in its place
Oh yester kisses that I used to treasure
Now you're given some other lips pleasure
Today I'm on my way dreamin' of my yester love
Today I'll go on my way dreamin' of my yester love, oh
Yester is, the prefix, that we fix, to things that have gone by
Forever they say, yeah even though my yester love
Has slipped through my fingers I find it still lingers
In my heart today
Yesterday I thought I had a love to call my own
No one could have told me that today I'd be alone
Yes the sweetness today has gone sour
Seemin' further away with each hour
Today I come away dreamin' of all my yester love
Today I come away dreamin' of all my yester love
Today I come away dreamin' of all my yester love
COL. Enrique Armand Cesar Cruz, USA Ret.
This song will forever remind me of my youth & the Summer of 1968. Now as a grandfather some 47 yrs later it still brings a smile & fond memories of "Yesteryear & Yester Love".
The Schawnz
“Yester sweetness today has gone sour seeming further away with each hour” only Smokey could write stuff like that!!! 😎✌🏾
sactiger
Bob Dylan once called Smokey Robinson "America's greatest living poet". The lyrics in this song more than amply prove that! Thank you, Smokey!! :)
tropicalpancake56
Still one of my all time favorites by The Miracles...thanks again for keeping our music alive!
Captain Keyboard
In 2021 Yester Love is another new favorite song of mine.
michael Seven
Ooo, ooh, ooh
Yesterday we made future plans
She loved me I could tell
Can today be that tomorrow that we planned so well?
Yester baby I'll never forget her
Though tomorrow might bring me one better
Today I'll be on my away to love my yester love
Today I'll go on my way to love my yester love, oh oh
Yesterday I felt a tender kiss upon my face
Now the day is gone and there's a tear drop in its place
Oh yester kisses that I used to treasure
Now you're given some other lips pleasure
Today I'm on my way dreamin' of my yester love
Today I'll go on my way dreamin' of my yester love, oh
Yester is, the prefix, that we fix, to things that have gone by
Forever they say, yeah even though my yester love
Has slipped through my fingers I find it still lingers
In my heart today
Yesterday I thought I had a love to call my own
No one could have told me that today I'd be alone
Yes the sweetness today has gone sour
Seemin' further away with each hour
Today I come away dreamin' of all my yester love
Today I come away dreamin' of all my yester love
Today I come away dreamin' of all my yester love
jayson biggs
Now, THAT is songwriting!
Chilly Weimer
It's time you all heard the true story behind the music tune "Yesterlove" from someone who's been in the music recording business since 1963. As most Smokey officianatos know Claudette Rogers (whom Smokey eventually married) joined the group in 1958. She had a great run with the band until 1964, when she stopped touring with the band to start their family. Call it loneliness from the road, search for new material, or whatever the inspiration was, Smokey chose his real love to pen the songs "My Girl Has Gone" (from the band, not from his heart) and the soulful "Yesterlove" to express to Claudette how hard it was to be on the road without her. Al Cleveland (Motown songwriter and co-composer of the music score along with Smokey) discussed the origin of the two tunes in a very informal conversation with myself and a few other engineers in a Tamala recording studio in Cleveland OH. in 1969. There is an extended version on youtube (3:22) where you will see pictures of Claudette who joined the session to singing harmony with the four member group on that song only prior to it's release in Nov. 1967. At the end you will see her picture added to the youtube video at Smokey's request. After their divorce in 1986, Smokey included these two songs in many of his appearances for the next few years. So you see it had nothing to do with Yesterday, Yesterday's lunch, or any Yesterday at all. It was all about their love.
Juandero Tinsley
That's amazing, seriously! I'm a Smokey Robinson and the Miracle fan and I always was interested in the story behind the music.
Horizon Today
Oddly enough, she had the most prominent and boisterous voice of The Miracles!