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."
Without the One You Love
The Four Tops Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got to have your love right now
Baby
So come and fill my empty arms and
Make my life worthwhile
Because
I'm not livin', baby
I'll never laugh, I'll never smile no more
I don't care if I stay like this, because
Without the one you love, life is not worthwhile
Without your love my dear I'm like a fatherless child
So come and fill my empty arms and
Make my life worthwhile
When I feel the hurt comin' on
I stop and cry like I'm cryin' (right now)
People ask why would a grown man cry
I drop my head and I sigh and reply
Without the one you love, life is not worthwhile
Without your love my dear I'm like a fatherless child
So come and fill my empty arms and
Make my life worthwhile
(Baby I need your good lovin')
Sometimes I feel like a wanderer
(Got to have your love right now)
Searching for peace within
(Baby I need your good lovin')
I need you my darling
(Got to have your love right now)
Like a lost soul needs a friend
So come and fill my empty arms and
Fill my empty life
(Baby I need your good lovin')
Nobody knows the emptiness I feel
(Got to have your love right now)
And I feel it
(Baby I need your good lovin')
Nobody knows the loneliness I feel
(Got to have your love right now)
And I feel it because
Without the one you love, life is not worthwhile
Without your love my dear I'm like a fatherless child
So come and fill my empty arms and
Make my life worthwhile
Without the one you love, life is not worthwhile
Without your love my dear I'm like a fatherless child
Without the one you love, life is not worthwhile
The Four Tops' song "Without the One You Love" is a poignant and emotional ballad about the desperation one can feel when missing someone they love. The chorus repeats the line "Without the one you love, life is not worthwhile" in order to emphasize how much the singer needs his lover's presence to make his life worthwhile. The first verse speaks to this as well, with the lines "Baby I need your good lovin'/Got to have your love right now/Baby/So come and fill my empty arms/And make my life worthwhile." The singer is begging for his lover to come back to him and fill the void that he is feeling.
The second verse speaks more specifically to the pain that the singer is feeling. He says that he only exists and never really lives without his lover. He talks about never laughing or smiling anymore, and how he doesn't even care if he stays like that because he is so consumed by his longing for his lover. The bridge of the song speaks to the physical and emotional pain that the singer is feeling. He says that when he feels the hurt coming on, he stops and cries, and people ask why he is crying. He can barely even bring himself to answer.
Overall, the song is a powerful exploration of the depths of longing and despair that can come when someone is separated from the person they love. It speaks to how much one person can need another, and how the absence of that person can make life feel like it's not even worth living.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby I need your good lovin'
I am dependent on your affection
Got to have your love right now
I need your love immediately
Baby
Term of endearment for the person I love
So come and fill my empty arms and
I am incomplete without your embrace
Make my life worthwhile
Your love brings purpose to my existence
Because
Explanation for why I feel the way I do
I'm not livin', baby
I don't feel truly alive without you
I only exist
My life feels empty and meaningless without you
I'll never laugh, I'll never smile no more
I am emotionally dead without you
I don't care if I stay like this, because
I do not feel motivated to change my circumstances
Without the one you love, life is not worthwhile
Your love is essential to my happiness
Without your love my dear I'm like a fatherless child
Your love is like the nurturing care of a parent
When I feel the hurt comin' on
Referring to feelings of sadness or heartache
I stop and cry like I'm cryin' (right now)
Emotional pain is overwhelming and hard to hide
People ask why would a grown man cry
Others question my emotional vulnerability
I drop my head and I sigh and reply
I am ashamed to admit the true reason for my pain
Sometimes I feel like a wanderer
I feel lost and aimless without you
Searching for peace within
I am seeking emotional stability
I need you my darling
You are my emotional anchor
Like a lost soul needs a friend
My need for you is intense and essential
So come and fill my empty arms and
Please come back to me and complete me
Fill my empty life
My life is worthless without your love
Nobody knows the emptiness I feel
My pain and loneliness are invisible to others
And I feel it
I carry my pain with me at all times
Nobody knows the loneliness I feel
My sense of isolation is profound
Without the one you love, life is not worthwhile
My love for you is necessary for my survival
Without your love my dear I'm like a fatherless child
You have been my protector and provider
Without the one you love, life is not worthwhile
Your love is crucial for my well-being
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
Eolafan100
In my opinion, The Four Tops we’re the very best Motown ever produced and one of the top 5 groups of my 1960’s youth.
robert saliceti
Levi had the best male voice of motown
Paul Green
I cannot get enough of this record. For me it is the most perfect nostalgic aphrodisiac. Levi Stubbs works the lead to the “most-ut”, the arrangement and instrumentation is priceless. I would love to have been privy to brother Levi’s thoughts and emotions during this session and how many takes it took to perfection. In my opinion,when it comes to raw and visceral vocal expression he was the king of Motown. And this recording is peerless in its philosophic and poetic license. Though it did not achieve the level of popular acclaim as say “I can’t help myself” it is one of the most powerful testaments of the artistry of The Four Tops. PWG
Rhea Hayes
Beautifully articulated❣️🎵🎵🎶🇨🇦
Consuelo Colon
Levi's voice on this song is crazy. So much feeling
Kenneth Anderson
Levi Stubb's, In My Opinion, Had The Greatest Voice At Motown!
lilpeachesali
i heard that
William Sheppard
Agreed!!!
Phillycheez
Yesss 🤗🤗👏🏽👏🏽beautiful. It ran in the family..as Jackie Wilson was Levi's 1st cousin and his brother was in The Contours. 😊
Paulie
I agree.
Love Levi Stubbs voice.