The Whole Town's Laughing At Me
Teddy Pendergrass & Friends Lyrics
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Yeah, I had your love right here
In the palm of my hands
And I lost it and I lost it
Had a love so real, when a man can truly feel
And I lost it and I lost it
Maybe then, maybe then you'd still be mine
Oh and only if I had been just a little more kind to you
There'd be no need, for this man to be cryin'
The whole town's laughing at me, yes they are
Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing?
The whole town's laughing at me
Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing?
Had my dream so near
I could reach out and touch it (I could touch it)
But I lost it (and I lost it)
Oh Lord, I lost it
Had a world complete
It was, oh, so sweet
(And I lost it) and I lost it
(I lost it)
Oh Lord, I lost it
And maybe if I had spent just a little more time with you
Maybe then, maybe then you still be mine, alright
And only if I had been more, more kind to you
There'd be no need, for this man to be cryin'
The whole town is laughing at me, yes they are
I know what they're saying, baby
(Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing?)
The whole town is laughing at me
Oh no, I don't like what they're saying
(Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing?)
Oh, alright
Well
And maybe if I had spent more, more time with you
See maybe then, maybe then you still be mine
And I might not have to think about it
And only if I had been more kind to you
See, there'd be no need, for this man to be cryin'
The whole town's laughing at me
Yes they are
Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing?
The whole, whole town's laughing at me
I don't like what they're saying about me
Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing?
The whole town's laughing at me (alright)
Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing? (well, well, well)
In Teddy Pendergrass's song "The Whole Town's Laughing at Me," the singer portrays a man who has lost his love and is reflective of the ways in which he may have failed in the relationship. He acknowledges that he had his love "in the palm of [his] hands" but let it slip away. He also reflects that he could have been more present and kind to his partner, which may have prevented their separation. The chorus implies that the man feels embarrassed and shamed by the loss of his love, as the whole town is laughing at him and calling him a "silly fool" for losing such a good thing.
The lyrics of the song suggest a sense of regret and longing for what could have been. The man is deeply sorrowful for letting go of a love that was "so real" and "oh, so sweet." He is tormented by the memory of the love he lost, lamenting that he had his "dream so near" but now it is gone. The lyrics also capture a sense of vulnerability in the man as he reflects upon the mistakes he made in the relationship.
"The Whole Town's Laughing at Me" was released in 1977 and became one of Teddy Pendergrass's biggest hits. The song was written by Sherman Marshall and Jimmy Roach, and produced by Leon Huff. The song reached number 16 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song has been covered by several artists over the years, including the rap group Public Enemy.
Line by Line Meaning
The whole town's laughing at me
My mistakes have become such public knowledge that the whole community is mocking me.
Yeah, I had your love right here
I had the love of my life with me.
In the palm of my hands
It was a cherished and valued emotion that I considered myself lucky to have.
And I lost it and I lost it
Unfortunately, I lost the love I had been holding on to so tightly.
Had a love so real, when a man can truly feel
I had something exceptional and unique, a love that's so real that anyone can feel it.
And maybe if I had spent more time with you
Perhaps, If I had spent more time with you.
Maybe then, maybe then you'd still be mine
I might have been able to save my relationship with you.
Oh and only if I had been just a little more kind to you
I wish I had been more compassionate and understanding towards you.
There'd be no need, for this man to be cryin'
I wouldn't have had to endure this kind of despair and sadness.
Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing?
People are mocking me because of my lack of insight, and they believe I'm crazy for losing something as precious as you.
Had my dream so near
I had come so close to achieving my dreams.
I could reach out and touch it (I could touch it)
It was very close to me, and I could almost touch it with my hands.
But I lost it (and I lost it)
Unfortunately, I lost it despite being so close.
Oh Lord, I lost it
It is devastating to me that I lost something so valuable.
Had a world complete
I had the world within my grasp.
It was, oh, so sweet
It was delightful and pleasing to me.
The whole town is laughing at me, yes they are
The whole town is mocking me and making fun of my misfortunes, and it is undoubtedly true.
I know what they're saying, baby
I understand what people are saying, and it's all making sense to me.
Oh no, I don't like what they're saying
I'm not fond of what people say about me, and it hurts me deep down.
See, there'd be no need, for this man to be cryin'
I wouldn't have been so emotionally distraught if I had only shown more patience, love, and kindness.
Well, well, well
I don't have anything more to say about the situation aside from the regret and sorrow that I am feeling right now.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ted Wortham, Marshall Sherman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@doitall36
The whole town's laughing at me
Yeah, I had your love right here
In the palm of my hands
And I lost it and I lost it
Had a love so real, when a man can truly feel
And I lost it and I lost it
And maybe if I had spent more time with you
Maybe then, maybe then you'd still be mine
Oh and only if I had been just a little more kind to you
There'd be no need, for this man to be cryin'
The whole town's laughing at me, yes they are
Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing?
The whole town's laughing at me
Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing?
Had my dream so near
I could reach out and touch it (I could touch it)
But I lost it (and I lost it)
Oh Lord, I lost it
Had a world complete
It was, oh, so sweet
(And I lost it) and I lost it
(I lost it)
Oh Lord, I lost it
And maybe if I had spent just a little more time with you
Maybe then, maybe then you still be mine, alright
And only if I had been more, more kind to you
There'd be no need, for this man to be cryin'
The whole town is laughing at me, yes they are
I know what they're saying, baby
(Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing?)
The whole town is laughing at me
Oh no, I don't like what they're saying
(Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing?)
Oh, alright
Well
And maybe if I had spent more, more time with you
See maybe then, maybe then you still be mine
And I might not have to think about it
And only if I had been more kind to you
See, there'd be no need, for this man to be cryin'
The whole town's laughing at me
Yes they are
Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing?
The whole, whole town's laughing at me
I don't like what they're saying about me
Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing?
The whole town's laughing at me (alright)
Silly fool, how'd you lose such a good thing? (well, well, well)
@justanadams9430
Teddy Pendergrass definitely deserves to be inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
@ositanjoku2616
He is already inducted in our hearts which matters most.
@inthemomentchannel4191
Hear, hear!!!
@francespilley6524
Our young people have no knowledge of this truly classic music!! Still listening in 2023👍💖💖💖
@rogerbrookes3515
Just took a break from work, put the headphones on and happily wallowed in pure nostalgia. Fantastic vocals, great production and simply wonderful 'feel'. A classic then and now.
@blackdiamond9705
I’m 33 I grew up with this my dad played it I’ve loved teddy since I was six so you’re dead wrong love zz hill too so yeah 😒
@championrd8557
I do 07/15/23
@willardlockejr2965
Still listening in 2024.
@mcronn1002
How many people can relate to this song 🎧.!! This song reminds me of the relationship I blew. By hanging out with my friends. And not giving enough time to my woman.sad😢
@CirclesLikeAnFigure8
2024