Among a number of groups who helped define the Motown Sound of the 1960s, including The Miracles, The Marvelettes, The Temptations and The Supremes, The Four Tops were notable for having Stubbs, a baritone, as their lead singer; most groups of the time were fronted by a tenor. The group was the main male vocal group for the songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, who crafted for the group a stream of popular hit singles, including two #1 hits: "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" and "Reach Out I'll Be There". After Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in 1967, the Four Tops were assigned to a number of producers, primarily Frank Wilson. When Motown left Detroit in 1972 to move to Los Angeles, California, the Tops stayed in Detroit and moved over to ABC Records, where they continued to have charting singles into the late-1970s. Since the 1980s, The Four Tops have recorded for, at various times, Motown, Casablanca Records, and Arista Records.
As an unofficial record, it is believed that The Four Tops were the band to continue performing the longest without a lineup change. Levi Stubbs, Abdul Fakir, Renaldo Benson and Lawrence Payton sang together as the Four Tops from 1954 until 1997, when Lawrence Payton died of cancer. That's an astonishing 43 years without a lineup change. The three surviving members continued to tour as "The Tops."
Don't Walk Away
The Four Tops Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
don't walk away
Not now that I'm inspired.
Oh
won't you stay
please
won't you stay
Come on
girl
come around now.
Don't walk away
don't walk away
Not now that I'm inspired.
Oh
won't you stay
please
won't you stay
Your love it takes me higher.
You built me up
make me feel I was good enough to be your guy
Now you've changed your mind.
Girl
couldn't decide if your love was all in my mind
But in my heart too - I believe in you.
Don't walk away
don't walk away
. . .
Don't let me down
promise me you'll be around
I'll take the lie - just say that you'll try
girl.
Over the year I've cried twenty million tears
But in one day you washed them all away
yeah.
If I ever get another chance
I'm gonna get you really gonna love you.
We can start a new romance - say you'll be mine.
Don't you walk away
don't turn your back on me
Don't walk away
girl
don't walk away
girl
Don't you walk away
don't you walk away
hey girl
Listen to me
girl
don't turn your back on me.
Now that you got me inspired
don't you walk away
don't you walk away
Don't walk away
don't walk away
. . .
Don't walk away
don't walk away
Not now you got me inspired.
The Four Tops's song "Don't Walk Away" is a plea from a man to his lover not to leave him. He has just been inspired and feels like he can conquer the world with her love by his side. He begs her to stay and not to turn her back on him. He tells her that her love takes him higher and that she had built him up to believe that he was good enough to be the man that she wanted. However, she has changed her mind and couldn't decide whether his love was all in her mind. But he believes in her and promises her that he will take the lie - as long as she promises to be around.
The man reveals that he had cried twenty million tears over the years, but in one day, she washed them all away. He begs her for another chance to love her, to start a new romance and to be his. He pleads with her not to walk away and not to turn her back on him because he believes that they are meant to be together. This song portrays the feelings of a man who is willing to do whatever it takes to keep his lover by his side, and highlights the fear and desperation of losing someone he loves.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't walk away
The singer is pleading with their loved one to stay and not leave them.
Not now that I'm inspired.
The singer is feeling inspired and hopeful for the future, and they don't want their loved one to leave and break that feeling.
Oh, won't you stay?
The singer is asking their loved one to stay with them.
Please, won't you stay?
The singer is begging their loved one to stay with them.
Come on, girl, come around now.
The singer is urging their loved one to come back and be with them.
Your love it takes me higher.
The singer feels uplifted and happy when they're loved by their partner.
You built me up, make me feel I was good enough to be your guy.
The singer's partner made them feel worthy of their love and affection.
Now you've changed your mind.
The singer's partner has had a change of heart and no longer wants to be with them.
Girl, couldn't decide if your love was all in my mind, but in my heart too - I believe in you.
The singer's partner was unsure if their feelings for the singer were real, but the singer knew deep down that their partner loved them.
Don't let me down, promise me you'll be around.
The singer is asking their partner to promise that they won't leave them.
I'll take the lie - just say that you'll try, girl.
The singer is willing to accept a false promise from their partner if it means they'll stay with them and try to make the relationship work.
Over the year I've cried twenty million tears, but in one day you washed them all away, yeah.
The singer has been through a lot of pain and tears, but their partner has made all of that go away in one day with their love.
If I ever get another chance, I'm gonna get you really gonna love you. We can start a new romance - say you'll be mine.
The singer is hoping for another chance with their partner and promises to love them deeply.
Don't you walk away, don't turn your back on me.
The singer is urging their partner to not leave them and to face them.
Now that you got me inspired, don't you walk away, don't you walk away.
The singer is feeling inspired by their partner's presence, and they don't want their partner to leave and break that feeling.
Hey girl, listen to me, don't turn your back on me.
The singer is trying to get their partner's attention and urging them to not leave.
Don't walk away, don't walk away. Not now you got me inspired.
The singer is pleading with their partner to stay and not leave, especially since they're feeling inspired and hopeful for the future.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JERRY KNIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kit
The wonderful Tops....those vocals...im back in the 70's....when I could dance....such memories...thank you tops, im here still loving every song...💜💜💜💜 4 hearts for 4 tops.
Arcelious White
Kathy Scott four tops
Rolando Pino
Que gran banda y con voces de oro😊
David Overholt
Be still my heart when I see these Four Brothers of Motown sing these songs together! The best of the fab 4 Tops playing across the pond from Detroit City in my 1960's! No other Motown Group was as Loyal as these 4 Brothers from the Hood at their time! They are my favorite because my hero Levi Stubbs would not give into money and to sell his Detroit Brothers of High School and of Sound of the band out! I Still send emails to Duke in 2023 to thank my 4 Tops bothers for all the love in music they gave me!
foxynicey
Great to hear Levi Stubbs' magnificent soulful voice.
Stephen Cummings
Lawrence, Obie and Levi three wonderful brothers gone but never forgotten .They shall shine on the world forever ,also never forget the Duke he's still carrying the flag for his brother's so we can never forget the great Four Tops.
Dave Jarratt
Lets not think of race or skin colour. I love the Four Tops but I also love The Stones.Let's just listen ,bop and smile and leave all the hatred to somebody else.
Wouter
Such an underrated song. I love it.
claudette lewis-smith
Love this song....Forever 4Top.🤩
Dorinda Maceli
Love them one of my favorite best groups