Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she entered the music business at the age of 13, regularly performing live. In 1961 she was signed to the fledgling Scepter Records (later Wand Records), recording under the name "Tammy Montgomery". After coming to the attention of James Brown she recorded one single apiece for Brown's own Try Me record label and, in 1964, Checker Records. The year after that, she was spotted by Berry Gordy Jr. while playing live, and signed to his Motown label. Attractive and talented, she became romantically linked with both James Brown and David Ruffin, lead singer of The Temptations.
Tammy Montgomery changed her name to "Tammi Terrell" at the time of her Motown signing, and was teamed with producers Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol. After releasing a pair of minor R&B chart hits, "I Can't Believe You Love Me" and "Come On and See Me," Terrell was chosen to replace Kim Weston as Marvin Gaye's duet partner. The duo recorded a number of successful hits which remain popular today: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Your Precious Love," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," and "You're All I Need to Get By", all written (and in the case of the latter two, produced by) Ashford & Simpson.
While on tour with Gaye in Virginia in mid-1967, Terrell fainted on stage, and was later diagnosed as having a malignant brain tumor. While Terrell endured several operations and continued to record new material, her health steadily deteriorated. Fuqua and Bristol resorted to having Gaye overdub archived Terrell solo tracks to fill out the Gaye/Terrell duets albums. The final album attributed to Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, "Easy" (1969), actually features co-producer Valerie Simpson subbing for Terrell on all but two of the tracks.
Twelve of Tammi Terrell's solo Motown recordings, including "I Can't Believe You Love Me", "Come On and See Me," and a minor hit cover of The Isley Brothers' "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)", were issued as Terrell's only solo album, "Irresistible," in January 1969. Terrell died of brain cancer at age 24 on March 16, 1970.
Hold Me Oh My Darling
Tammi Terrell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want you to hold me
Oh, my darling
And never, never let me go
Oh, kiss me
And tell me you love me, yeah, yeah
Because I-I-I-I-I-I-I, I love you so
I, I love you, I love you so
Oh, when
When I'm alone and troubled, baby
And my life, life, my life seems dark as night, ooh
Then I ask baby, I'll ask, I'll ask, please
Oh, oh please, please be my guiding light
Won't you be, be my guiding light?
You know I get such a strange sensation
Every time I hear your name
Now all of my friends and my relations
They say I'm loving you, loving you in vain, yeah, yeah
Snuggle, snuggle, snu-snuggle on my shoulder, baby
Come on and tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me you care, darling
Oh, as our love, our love, our love, our love grows older, baby
Ooh, tell me that the flame, the flame, oh, baby will still be there
That the flame, flame will still be
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna hold you, baby
Never let you go, now what you gotta say?
Hold me, baby, yes I will, darling
I'll love to remember it darling, yeah, yeah
Hold me, I'm gonna hold you in my arms
I know, I know, I know, baby
In Tammi Terrell's song "Hold Me Oh My Darling," the lyrics convey a desire for love, comfort, and security. The song begins with Tammi requesting her lover to hold her and never let her go. She then asks for a kiss and a declaration of love because she deeply loves her partner. Tammi feels lost and troubled when she's alone and asks her lover to be her guiding light. She wants her lover to snuggle with her and tell her that they care for her. Tammi's friends and family don't understand her love for her partner, but she still holds onto her feelings.
The lyrics of "Hold Me Oh My Darling" are a plea for connection and understanding. Tammi seeks comfort and a sense of grounding from her lover. She wants them to reassure her of their love and to be with her in times of trouble. The song's melody and lyrics represent Tammi's vulnerability and openness in expressing her feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa, whoa
Expressing the singer's strong desire.
I want you to hold me
Request for physical affection.
Oh, my darling
Endearing term used to address the loved one.
And never, never let me go
Request for assurance of long-term commitment.
Oh, kiss me
Request for an intimate gesture.
And tell me you love me, yeah, yeah
Request for verbal affirmation of love.
Because I-I-I-I-I-I-I, I love you so
Expression of deep and intense love.
When I'm alone and troubled, baby
Acknowledgment of vulnerability and need for comfort.
And my life, life, my life seems dark as night, ooh
Description of the artist's emotional state.
Then I ask baby, I'll ask, I'll ask, please
Request for help and support from the loved one.
Oh, oh please, please be my guiding light
Asking the loved one to provide guidance and direction.
Won't you be, be my guiding light?
Repetition of the previous line for emphasis.
You know I get such a strange sensation
Expression of strong emotional reaction to the loved one.
Every time I hear your name
Description of the trigger for the emotional reaction.
Now all of my friends and my relations
Acknowledgment of external opinions and scrutiny.
They say I'm loving you, loving you in vain, yeah, yeah
Acknowledgment of doubts about the relationship from others.
Snuggle, snuggle, snu-snuggle on my shoulder, baby
Playful invitation for physical affection.
Come on and tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me you care, darling
Request for verbal affirmation of care and affection.
Oh, as our love, our love, our love, our love grows older, baby
Reference to the longevity and endurance of their love.
Ooh, tell me that the flame, the flame, oh, baby will still be there
Request for assurance of the ongoing passion and desire.
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna hold you, baby
Assertion of physical affection and commitment.
Never let you go, now what you gotta say?
Challenging the loved one to reciprocate the commitment.
Hold me, baby, yes I will, darling
Reiteration of the request for physical affection and assurance.
I'll love to remember it darling, yeah, yeah
Expression of affection and happiness.
Hold me, I'm gonna hold you in my arms
Declaration of intention to provide physical comfort and security.
I know, I know, I know, baby
Assertive statement of confidence and conviction.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARVEY FUQUA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ANDREASJOV
What a tune.......
Gary Malloy
Terrific “B” side🎶