Founding members Robert Fleming, Johnny Dawson, Cleo "Duke" Miller and Norbert McClean recorded together for various small labels in Detroit prior to their Motown days, as the Sensations, the Five Emeralds, and the Downbeats, and also recorded as the Downbeats for Motown in 1962. The record company suggested that they add female lead vocalist Saundra Mallett, who had recorded unsuccessfully for the label, backed by The Vandellas; she later married and became Saundra Edwards. The new group's first single release was "Darling Baby", issued in December 1965; early copies credited the record to the Downbeats, but Berry Gordy wanted to use the name Elgins, which had previously been one of the names used by The Temptations. The record rose to no. 4 on the Billboard R&B chart and no. 72 on the pop chart, and its B-side, "Put Yourself in My Place", also made the pop chart. Several months later, they issued "Heaven Must Have Sent You", which again reached both the R&B and pop charts, becoming their biggest pop hit. They also released an album, Darling Baby. However, their follow-up single, "I Understand My Man," was less successful, and the group broke up in 1967.
With the continuing popularity of Motown records in the UK, "Heaven Must Have Sent You" was reissued in 1971 and rose to no. 3 on the UK singles chart. "Put Yourself in My Place" was also reissued and made the chart. With Saundra Mallett Edwards being unwilling to rejoin the group, the Elgins toured the UK with former session vocalist Yvonne Vernee Allen taking her place. In 1989, Allen, Dawson, McClean and Jimmy Charles recorded a new arrangement of "Heaven Must Have Sent You" for producer Ian Levine, and made several further recordings for Levine's Motorcity label in the 1990s. Saundra Edwards also made separate recordings for the same label.
Recordings of the group, including the album, Darling Baby, all the singles and unreleased recordings up to 1968, can be found on The Motown Anthology released in 2007. In addition, a British import CD paired their sole album for Motown with one by The Monitors, another group that recorded for Motown with limited success, and which featured future Temptation, Richard Street. Robert Fleming was born in 1921 and died in 1976. Saundra A. Mallett Edwards was born on May 7, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan, and died on February 22, 2002. Johnnie Dawson died in 2018.
Darling Baby
The Elgins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life is so lonely without you
Life is so lonely without you
Since you left these arms of mine
I've been alone, crying
Wondering why you left me behind
Darling, baby (darling baby)
Why don't you please
Please, come on home (darling baby)
Let's talk it over, baby, baby, baby, baby
Let's talk it over one more time (darling baby)
Oh, so many nights (darling baby)
I wondered who's holding you tight (darling baby)
Can't help but feel it should be me (darling baby)
Oh, it should be me
'Cause I'm forever losing sleep at night
(Darling baby) darling, baby
I've been loving you so long (darling baby)
Tell me what did I do wrong (darling baby)
Come back to these arms of mine, let's talk it over
Let's talk it over one more time (darling baby)
(Darling baby) darling, baby
This world is empty without you (darling baby)
Keeps me crying with nothing to do (darling baby)
Since you've left these arms of mine, let's talk it over, baby, baby
One more time
Mmm, darling, baby (darling baby)
(Darling baby) darling baby
The Elgins's song "Darling Baby" is a classic soul ballad that tells a tale of heartbreak and longing for a lost love. The singer begins by expressing how lonely life feels without the person they love the most in the world. Their days and nights are filled with sadness and crying, as they are unable to understand why their lover left them. The chorus begs the lover to come back home and discuss the reasons behind their separation. The singer is willing to try and make things work and pleads with their lover to open up about what went wrong in their relationship.
The focus of the song is on the singer's feelings and how they are struggling to cope with the absence of their loved one. They recall the nights they spent wondering who could be holding their lover tight and feeling that it should be them. The singer mentions how they've been loving their partner for a long time but can't fathom what they did wrong to deserve this heartbreak. They wrap up the song by reiterating how empty their life feels without their beloved and how they wish they could have one more chance to talk things over and fix their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Darling baby
Addressing the person the song is directed towards
Life is so lonely without you
Expressing how difficult life is without the person the song is directed towards
Since you left these arms of mine
Suggesting that they were in a romantic relationship with the person they're singing to
I've been alone, crying
Explaining how much they've been hurting since the person left
Wondering why you left me behind
Questioning why the person left and feeling hurt by it
Can't carry on since you've been gone
Expressing how difficult it is to move on without the person
Why don't you please Please, come on home
Begging the person to come back home and reconcile with them
Let's talk it over, baby, baby, baby, baby
Suggesting that they want to have a conversation and work things out with the person they're singing to
Let's talk it over one more time
Reinforcing the desire to talk things out and reconcile with the person they're singing to
Oh, so many nights
Reflecting on the long period of time they've been without the person
I wondered who's holding you tight
Expressing jealousy and longing for the person they're singing to
Can't help but feel it should be me
Expressing a belief that they're the one who should be with the person and not someone else
'Cause I'm forever losing sleep at night
Emphasizing how much the person is on their mind and how much they're struggling to cope without them
I've been loving you so long
Expressing the length of time they've been in love with the person they're singing to
Tell me what did I do wrong
Asking for an explanation as to why the person left them
Come back to these arms of mine, let's talk it over
Reiterating their desire for the person to come back and work things out with them
This world is empty without you
Expressing how much the person means to them and how empty their life is without them
Keeps me crying with nothing to do
Explaining how much they're still hurting and how much they need the person
Since you've left these arms of mine, let's talk it over, baby, baby
Reiterating the desire to reconcile and how much they want the person to come back to them
One more time
Finalizing the song and emphasizing the desire to reconcile with the person they're singing to
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind