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."
Wonderful Baby
The Four Tops Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It ran one step ahead
As we followed in the dance
Between the parted pages and were pressed,
In love's hot, fevered iron
Like a striped pair of pants
[Chorus]
All the sweet, green icing flowing down...
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!
I recall the yellow cotton dress
Foaming like a wave
On the ground around your knees
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
And the old men playing checkers by the trees
[Chorus]
There will be another song for me
For I will sing it
There will be another dream for me
Someone will bring it
I will drink the wine while it is warm
And never let you catch me looking at the sun
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
You'll still be the one.
I will take my life into my hands and I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
And my passion flow like rivers through the sky.
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
I'll be thinking of you
And wondering why.
MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!
Oh, no
No, no
Oh no!!
It is important to note that the first stanza of these lyrics is not actually part of the song "MacArthur's Park," but rather it is the Four Tops' interpretation of a scene between two lovers. The lines paint a picture of two people following each other around in a dance, trying to catch up with each other as they navigate through the ups and downs of love. The metaphor of the "parted pages" represents the obstacles they face as a couple, and the "striped pair of pants" embodies the push-pull dynamic of their relationship.
The chorus of the song then abruptly switches to the image of a cake left out in the rain, with its sweet green icing melting and flowing away. This metaphor can be interpreted in various ways: some think it represents the loss of something precious, while others see it as a symbol of a decay of societal structures. The line "I don't think that I can take it" reflects the inevitability of this loss, and the line "Cause it took so long to bake it" adds to the idea that the "recipe" or the time and effort put into creating something valuable is lost. The song continues with a reflection on what may come next for the singer and the recognition of the loss that they have experienced.
Line by Line Meaning
Spring was never waiting for us, girl
We were always chasing after the wonders of life
It ran one step ahead
We never could quite catch up and savor the moment
As we followed in the dance
Our lives were like a dance, following the rhythm of time
Between the parted pages and were pressed,
We were caught up in the pages of time and pressed between events
In love's hot, fevered iron
Our love was all-consuming and left a lasting impression
Like a striped pair of pants
Our love was bold, eye-catching, and unforgettable
MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
The beautiful things in life can be fleeting and easily ruined
All the sweet, green icing flowing down...
We lose the good things in life without warning
Someone left the cake out in the rain
The things we cherish can be ruined by external forces
I don't think that I can take it
It's painful to lose something we held dear
Cause it took so long to bake it
We put in a lot of time and effort to create what we lost
And I'll never have that recipe again
We can't recreate what we lost, no matter how hard we try
Oh, no!
We feel helpless in the face of loss
I recall the yellow cotton dress
I have fond memories of my past
Foaming like a wave
The memories are vivid and animated
On the ground around your knees
The memories are connected to a specific person or event
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
The memories are filled with beauty and innocence
And the old men playing checkers by the trees
The memories are part of a larger setting and community
There will be another song for me
I have hope for the future
For I will sing it
I will take an active role in shaping the future
There will be another dream for me
I will have more opportunities in life
Someone will bring it
I have faith that good things will come my way
I will drink the wine while it is warm
I will enjoy the good things in life while I can
And never let you catch me looking at the sun
I will be careful not to do things that will cause me harm
And after all the loves of my life
Looking back at my life experiences
You'll still be the one.
I will always cherish the people who are important to me
I will take my life into my hands and I will use it
I will take control of my life and make the most of it
I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it
I will experience the highs and lows of life
I will have the things that I desire
I will work hard to achieve my goals and dreams
And my passion flow like rivers through the sky.
I will let my emotions and creativity guide me in life
I'll be thinking of you
I will never forget the people who have left a mark on my life
And wondering why.
I will still question why some things happen the way they do
No, no
Final expression of sadness and disbelief over the loss
Oh no!!
Final despair in the face of the loss
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SMOKEY ROBINSON, WILLIAM ROBINSON JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tina Davies
Oh my! Levi Stubbs BRILLIANT vocals he got one hell of a voice,and one handsome man,and a handsome silver fox as he grew older.๐ฅฐ๐๐
bachir & soul
merci pour tous ces partages superbe chaรฎne .
Steven Stewardson
Brilliant tune brico I had many years ago love tuning on to your channel have a great day senator โฆ๏ธโญโฆ๏ธโญโฆ๏ธโญโฆ๏ธโญโฆ๏ธโโ๐ผโ๐ปโโ๐ผโ๐ปโโ๐ผโ๐ป
Steven Stewardson
Thanks Pete hope you're doing well my good friend wonderful music K T F chief ๐ฏ๐๐ค๐๐๐พ๐๐พ๐๐พ๐บ๐ช๐ท๐ธ๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ง๐ง๐ง๐๐๐๐๐โญโฆ๏ธโญโฆ๏ธ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐ฌ๐ง๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐ฌ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โโ๐ผโโโ๐ผโโ๐ผโโโ๐ผโโ๐ผโ๐ผโโ๐ผโโ๐ผโ
Steven Stewardson
Morning Pete hope all is well with you long live Motown take care top man ๐๐ค๐ฏ๐๐๐พ๐๐ผ๐บโญโฆ๏ธโญโฆ๏ธ๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ป๐บ๐ท๐ง๐ธ๐พ๐พ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐ฌ๐ง๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐ฌ๐ง๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐ฌ๐งโ๐ผโโ๐ผโโ๐ผโโ๐ผโโ๐ผโโ๐ผโโ๐ผโ๐ผโ๐ผโโ๐ผโ
Tyrone Epps
4 tops 4-ever again !
da co
SIMPLY WONDERFUL BABY.
Georgina Spick
Wooo the fantastic tops!
da co
Have a wee listen to sweet was the love it kinda like this classic