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."
Standing In The Shadows Of Love
The Four Tops Lyrics
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I'm getting ready for the heartaches to come
Can't you see me standing in the shadows of love
I'm getting ready for the heartaches to come
I want to run but there's nowhere to go
'Cause heartaches will follow me, I know
Without your love, the love I need
'Cause you're taking away all my reasons for livin'
When you pushed aside all the love I been givin'
Now wait a minute
Didn't I treat you right, now baby, didn't I?
Didn't I do the best I could now, didn't I?
So don't you leave me
Standing in the shadows of love
I'm getting ready for the heartaches to come
Don't you see me standing in the shadows of love
Trying my best to get ready for the heartaches to come
All alone
I'm destined to be, with misery my only company
It may come today, it might come tomorrow
But it's for sure I ain't got nothing but sorrow
Now don't your conscience kind of bother you
How can you watch me cry after all I done for you
Hold on a minute
Gave you all the love I had now, didn't I?
When you needed me I was always there now, wasn't I?
I'm trying hard not to cry out loud
You know crying it ain't gonna help me now
What did I do to cause all this grief?
Now what'd I say to make you want to leave
Now wait a minute
Gave my heart and soul to you now, didn't I?
And didn't I always treat you good, now didn't I?
I'm standing in the shadows of love
I'm getting ready for the heartaches to come
Don't you see me standing in the shadows of love
Trying my best to get ready for the heartaches to come
Oh I'm standing in the shadows of love
The Four Tops' hit song Standing in the Shadows of Love is a melancholic and powerful ballad that speaks of heartbreak and the pain that comes with losing someone you love. The lyrics describe the feelings of someone who is left alone, standing in the shadows of love, getting ready for the heartaches to come. The singer finds himself alone and without direction, unable to run away from the pain of heartache that he knows will follow him.
He questions why his love was not enough to keep his partner by his side and wonders how he could be left in total despair. He pleads for his partner not to leave him standing in the shadows of love, preparing himself for the impending heartaches that he knows will come. The lyrics are a testament to the enduring pain of heartbreak and the need to come to terms with the end of a relationship.
Overall, the song can be interpreted as a plea for a second chance, for a reconciliation of a love that has been lost. It is a raw and emotive ballad that speaks to the depths of human emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing in the shadows of love
I am unable to be with the person I love and am currently in a state of sadness and darkness.
I'm getting ready for the heartaches to come
I know that I will feel emotional pain in the future as a result of my current situation, and am preparing myself mentally and emotionally for it.
Can't you see me standing in the shadows of love
I hope that those around me can understand my feelings and empathize with me, despite my lack of outward expression.
I want to run but there's nowhere to go
Although I may have the desire to escape from my current situation, there is no way for me to avoid the emotional pain that is coming.
'Cause heartaches will follow me, I know
I am aware that emotional pain is on the horizon and cannot be avoided.
Without your love, the love I need
My well-being and happiness is dependent on the love and affection of the person I desire, and without it, I feel empty and incomplete.
It's the beginning of the end for me
My current state of heartache and sadness is only the start of a downward spiral that will continue to get worse.
'Cause you're taking away all my reasons for livin'
The loss of the love and affection of the person I desire is making it difficult for me to find joy or purpose in life.
When you pushed aside all the love I been givin'
Despite my efforts to show my love and affection, the other person has disregarded my feelings and left me feeling rejected.
Didn't I treat you right, now baby, didn't I?
I believe that I treated the other person with love and respect, and cannot understand why they would disregard my feelings or leave me in this state.
Didn't I do the best I could now, didn't I?
I feel that I gave my all in the relationship and did everything in my power to make it work, despite the fact that it did not.
So don't you leave me
I am begging the other person to not abandon me, despite the current state of our relationship.
All alone
I feel completely isolated and alone in my current state of sadness.
I'm destined to be, with misery my only company
I feel as though my fate is to live a life of sadness and that misery will be my constant companion.
It may come today, it might come tomorrow
The emotional pain that I am preparing for could come at any time, and I do not know when it will happen.
But it's for sure I ain't got nothing but sorrow
I am certain that there is nothing but sadness ahead for me in the future.
Now don't your conscience kind of bother you
I am questioning whether the other person has any guilt or remorse for causing me pain or leaving me in my current state of sadness.
How can you watch me cry after all I done for you
I am feeling unappreciated and am questioning how the other person could abandon me or disregard my feelings, despite the love and affection I have shown them.
Gave you all the love I had now, didn't I?
I feel that I gave the other person all of the love and affection I had to offer, and am questioning why it was not enough for them to stay with me.
When you needed me I was always there now, wasn't I?
Despite the current state of our relationship, I still have feelings of loyalty and dedication to the other person and am questioning why they would reject my love and affection.
I'm trying hard not to cry out loud
Despite my immense sadness, I am attempting to hide my emotions and not break down in tears in front of others.
You know crying it ain't gonna help me now
I am aware that despite how strongly I am feeling, crying will not make the situation any better or make the pain go away.
What did I do to cause all this grief?
I am questioning what actions or choices I made that led to the current state of sadness and pain that I am experiencing.
Now what'd I say to make you want to leave
I am questioning what I could have done or said that would have caused the other person to leave or disregard my feelings.
Gave my heart and soul to you now, didn't I?
I feel that I poured all of my emotions, love, and energy into the relationship with the other person, and am now questioning why they would leave me feeling so empty and alone.
And didn't I always treat you good, now didn't I?
Despite the current state of the relationship, I believe that I always showed the other person love, affection, and respect, and am questioning why it was not enough for them to stay with me.
Oh I'm standing in the shadows of love
I am still in a state of darkness and sadness from the loss of the person I loved.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JR., BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD HOLLAND, EDWARD, JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER, LAMONT HERBERT DOZIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind