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.
Put Yourself In My Place
The Elgins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If only for a day
See if you can stand
The awful hurt I feel inside
Put yourself in my place
For just a little while
Live through the loneliness
I go through
And when you lose a little sleep at night
Cause you ain't been treated right
Then you know heartaches are sad
Sitting by the telephone
Being left all alone
Then you know why I'm feeling bad
Put yourself in my place
And when you're just about to go insane
Cause it hurts to love in vain
Ask a girl who's been in love
I believed your evil line
Now I'm left alone and crying
Alone to count the stars above
Put yourself in my place
If only for a day
See if you can stand
The awful emptiness
I feel inside
Put yourself in my place
Put yourself in my place
For just a little while
Why don't you try it
Why don't you try it
Why don't you try it baby
Put yourself in my place
If only for a day
Why don't you, why don't you
Why don't you try it
Why don't you try it
Why don't you try it baby
The Elgins's song "Put Yourself In My Place" is a pleading cry from the singer to the subject of the song to understand their pain and heartache. The singer urges the subject to put themselves in their shoes, to feel the "awful hurt" and "loneliness" that penetrates every aspect of their life. The pain is so great that the singer suggests the subject will lose sleep and ultimately go insane if they were to experience it. The singer then explains that the pain comes from being lied to and left alone, and urges the subject to imagine themselves in that situation.
The song highlights the universal experience of heartache and rejection, urging listeners to empathize with others who are going through similar pain. The singer is not necessarily looking for a solution or a way to fix their pain but rather for the subject to understand and acknowledge their suffering. The repetition of the phrase "Put yourself in my place" emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding in relationships.
Overall, "Put Yourself In My Place" is a powerful and emotional plea for empathy and understanding in the face of heartache and rejection. The lyrics highlight the importance of connecting with others on an emotional level and recognizing the shared experiences of human suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
Put yourself in my place
Imagine being me and experiencing what I'm going through
If only for a day
Just for a brief moment, understand my feelings
See if you can stand
Experience and endure the same pain as I do
The awful hurt I feel inside
The immense emotional pain that I am suffering from
For just a little while
For a short period, try to understand my perspective
Live through the loneliness
Feel the isolation and emptiness I'm feeling
The endless emptiness
The constant feeling of being empty and alone
I go through
The struggles and hardships I experience
And when you lose a little sleep at night
If you ever find yourself staying awake at night
Cause you ain't been treated right
Because you haven't been treated fairly
Then you know heartaches are sad
You'll understand how painful heartbreak is
Sitting by the telephone
Waiting for someone to call or message you
Being left all alone
Being abandoned and feeling lonely
Then you know why I'm feeling bad
You'll understand my reasons for feeling upset
And when you're just about to go insane
When you're on the verge of losing your sanity
Cause it hurts to love in vain
Because you're in love with someone who doesn't love you back
Ask a girl who's been in love
Talk to someone who has experienced the same thing
I believed your evil line
I fell for your deceitful lies
Now I'm left alone and crying
I'm now by myself, weeping and mourning
Alone to count the stars above
By myself, looking to the sky and feeling lonely
Why don't you try it
Why not attempt to see things from my perspective
Why don't you try it baby
Give it a shot, my dear
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LAMONT DOZIER, LAMONT HERBERT DOZIER, BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD HOLLAND, EDWARD, JR. HOLLAND, THORNTON JOHN, JR., JOHN THORNTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind