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.

Stand By Your Man
The Foundations Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sometimes it's hard to be a woman
giving all your love to just one man.
You'll have bad times
And he'll have good times,
Doin' things that you don't understand.

But if you love him you'll forgive him,
even though he's hard to understand.

And if you love him Oh be proud of him,
'Cause after all he's just a man.

Stand By Your Man,
Give him two arms to cling to,
And something warm to come to
when nights are cold and lonely.

Stand By Your Man,
And tell the world you love him.
Giving all the love you can.
Stand By Your Man.

Stand By Your Man,

And show the world you love him.
Keep giving all the love you can;

Overall Meaning

The Foundations's song "Stand By Your Man" is a classic song that encourages women to remain loyal to their partners even during tough times in the relationship. The lyrics illustrate the challenges that women face when they are deeply involved with their partners. The song recognizes that all relationships have ups and downs, and sometimes it's difficult to comprehend your partner's actions. However, it advises women to forgive their men even when it appears hard to understand them. The song implies that love is more resilient when you stand by your man, even when he is not at his best.

The song highlights the importance of being loyal and supportive to your partner during both good and bad times. The chorus encourages women to stand by their man and provide him with love and warmth, especially during tough times. Women are expected to have two arms to cling to and a warm shoulder to cry on whenever they need someone to listen to their problems. The song shows that men are not perfect, but we should love and support them because they need it.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes it's hard to be a woman
Being a woman can be tough and challenging at times

giving all your love to just one man.
Loving and devoting oneself to a single man can be a daunting task

You'll have bad times
Challenging times will come your way

And he'll have good times,
There will be moments of joy for him

Doin' things that you don't understand.
He may do things that appear incomprehensible to you

But if you love him you'll forgive him,
If you truly love him, you will forgive him for any wrongdoing

even though he's hard to understand.
Regardless of how difficult he may be to comprehend

And if you love him Oh be proud of him,
Take pride in the man you love

'Cause after all he's just a man.
Remember, he's only human

Stand By Your Man,
Be a strong support system for your partner

Give him two arms to cling to,
Be a source of comfort for him