The Foundations were a British soul band, active from 1967 to 1970. The gro… Read Full Bio ↴The Foundations were a British soul band, active from 1967 to 1970. The group, made up of both West Indians and Caucasians, is best-remembered for their two biggest hits, Baby, Now That I've Found You (a No. 1 hit in the UK singles chart, and subsequently Top 10 in the US); and Build Me Up Buttercup (a chart topper in the Billboard Hot 100), co-written by Michael d'Abo, vocalist with Manfred Mann. They are also notable for being one of the few acts not on the Tamla Motown label to use successfully what became known as the Motown Sound. In terms of line-up and musical style, they anticipated the sound of the more successful Hot Chocolate.

Original vocalist Clem Curtis left in 1968 and moved to the U.S. for a solo career on the club circuit, encouraged by the likes of Wilson Pickett and Sam & Dave, playing Las Vegas with The Righteous Brothers. He was replaced by Colin Young.

The group's final hit was the less pop-oriented, more sophisticated Born To Live and Born To Die. They split in 1970, when the rhythm section broke away to form the progressive group Pluto. When Curtis returned to the UK he formed a new version of the group with little success on record, but a lucrative spell on the 1960s nostalgia circuit.

I Can Take or Leave Your Loving
The Foundations Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Do do do do do)

I don't need her
Don't need her kind of heartaches and pain
She's gonna have to see
Things now can never be the same again

I won't miss her

Well maybe I'll miss her once in a while
She thinks I'm gonna die
Now that she's said goodbye

But she's so wrong, I'll just smile
Baby, baby don't you believe it
When it comes to your loving I can take it or leave it
Baby, baby don't you believe it

When it comes to your loving I can take it or leave it
I can take or leave your loving
I can take or leave your loving
(Do do do do do)

I'm not sorry
I still think we're better apart
She says she's gonna see a day when there's gonna be a change of heart

Baby, baby don't you believe it
When it comes to your loving I can take it or leave it
Baby, baby don't you believe it
When it comes to your loving I can take it or leave it

I can take or leave your loving
I can take or leave your loving

(Do do do do do)

Overall Meaning

In this song, The Foundations express a sense of detachment and resilience towards a past lover. The singer declares that he does not need the heartaches and pain that his ex-lover once caused him, and affirms that his life will never be the same again. He states that he might miss her occasionally, but ultimately he can take or leave her love. The song suggests that the singer is unwilling to be tied down to one person's affections, and that he values his independence more than the relationship he had with his former love.

The themes of the song are relatable to anyone who has been through a difficult breakup. The singer's candid assertion that he can take or leave his ex-lover's love indicates a level of maturity and self-possession that is not always present in love songs. The music is upbeat and catchy, with a simple, repetitive melody that reinforces the song's message of emotional detachment.

Overall, I Can Take or Leave Your Loving conveys a message of strength and self-assurance in the face of heartbreak. It is a song about moving on, and refusing to be defined by the loss of a relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't need her
I do not require her presence or affection

Don't need her kind of heartaches and pain
I do not need the negative emotions that come with being with her

She's gonna have to see
She will eventually need to understand and accept the end of our relationship

Things now can never be the same again
Our dynamic is irreparably altered now that we have parted ways

I won't miss her
I will not feel her absence deeply

Well maybe I'll miss her once in a while
It is possible that I may occasionally feel some longing for her

She thinks I'm gonna die
She believes that the end of the relationship will have a significant negative impact on me

Now that she's said goodbye
Her departure has caused a change in our relationship

But she's so wrong, I'll just smile
Contrary to her belief, I will not be devastated by our break-up

Baby, baby don't you believe it
Hey, please do not accept this falsehood

When it comes to your loving I can take it or leave it
I am indifferent to your love, whether or not you give it does not greatly affect me

I'm not sorry
I do not feel regret for how things have ended

I still think we're better apart
I believe that we will both be happier now that we are separated

She says she's gonna see a day when there's gonna be a change of heart
She believes that we may eventually reconcile and return to our previous relationship

I can take or leave your loving
I have the ability to accept or reject your love depending on my current emotional state

I can take or leave your loving
I am capable of accepting or rejecting your love

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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