The group was founded as The Roosters by Chattanooga, Tennessee natives Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks, and Arthur Brooks, who moved to Chicago, Illinois and added Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield to their lineup to become Jerry Butler & the Impressions. By 1962, Butler and the Brookses had departed, and after switching to ABC-Paramount Records, Mayfield, Gooden, and new Impression Fred Cash collectively became a top-selling soul act. Mayfield left the group for a solo career in 1970; Leroy Hutson, Ralph Johnson, Reggie Torian, and Nate Evans were among the replacements who joined Gooden and Cash before the group's demise in 1983.
Inductees into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, The Impressions are best known for their 1960s string of hits, many of which were heavily influenced by gospel music and served as inspirational anthems for the Civil Rights Movement.
Personnel:
Jerry Butler (1958 - 1960)
Curtis Mayfield (1958 - 1970)
Sam Gooden (1958 - 1983)
Arthur Brooks (1958 - 1962)
Richard Brooks (1958 - 1962)
Fred Cash (1960 - 1983)
Leroy Hutson (1970 - 1973)
Ralph Johnson (1973 - 1976)
Nate Evans (1976 - 1979)
Reggie Torian (1973 - 1983)
Discography
Albums
1963: The Impressions
1964: Keep on Pushing
1964: The Never Ending Impressions
1965: One by One
1965: People Get Ready
1966: Ridin' High
1967: The Fabulous Impressions
1968: We're a Winner
1968: This Is My Country
1969: The Young Mods' Forgotten Story
1969: The Versatile Impressions
1969: Amen
1970: Check out Your Mind!
1972: Times Have Changed
1973: Preacher Man
1974: Finally Got Myself Together
1974: Three the Hard Way
1975: First Impressions
1975: Sooner or Later
1976: It's About Time
1976: Originals
1976: Loving Power
1979: Come to My Party
1981: Fan the Fire
You've Been Cheatin'
The Impressions Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That you've been cheating
Wishin' you I'd never met
'Cause you've been cheating
Can't you know lies can be seen in your eyes
And from wrong you'll never be free
While you sit cryin', you've been lyin'
Yeah, you made me suspect and I know (who-who)
You don't want me (you don't want me)
Cookies crumble, and that's how it goes (who-who)
You don't want me (you don't want me)
Can't you know lies can be seen in your eyes
And from wrong you'll never be free
While you sit cryin', you've been lyin'
You've been cheatin', cheatin' on me
Another lover you discover
Our love's gone and I don't know why
It's just as well, though at last I do know
All you said was just a lie
So I'm trying hard to forget
That you've been cheating
Wishin' you I'd never met
'Cause you've been cheating
Can't you know lies can be seen in your eyes
And from wrong you'll never be free
While you sit cryin', you've been lyin'
You've been cheatin', cheatin' on me
Ooh, ooh, baby (you've been cheating)
You must not love me (you've been cheating)
You must not want me (you've been cheating)
You just don't care [Repeat until fade]
The Impressions' song "You've Been Cheatin" is a classic example of soul music that narrates the pain of infidelity. The song is about a man who knows that his lover has been cheating on him, but he is still trying hard to forget those painful memories. He wishes he could go back in time and never have met her. The song highlights the idea that a person's lies and infidelity can be seen in their eyes and that they will never be free from their wrongdoings.
The lyrics of the song express that the woman's cheating has deeply hurt the man. He knows that she is lying and crying, and that makes him feel even worse. He has become suspicious and has discovered that she has another lover. He feels that their love is gone, and everything she said was just a lie.
In the final verse of the song, he accepts the fact that the woman has been cheating on him and decides to move on. He acknowledges that she does not love him and does not care for him anymore.
Overall, the song is a heartbreaking story of a man who is betrayed by his lover. The melody, the harmonies, and the lyrics are so powerful that they can portray the pain of infidelity in the most beautiful way.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been trying hard to forget
I have been making an effort to allow myself to forget about you
That you've been cheating
That you have been unfaithful to me
Wishin' you I'd never met
Wishing that I had never met you at all
'Cause you've been cheating
Because you have been unfaithful
Can't you know lies can be seen in your eyes
It's obvious that you are lying because it can be seen in your eyes
And from wrong you'll never be free
You will never be free from the consequences of doing wrong
While you sit cryin', you've been lyin'
As you sit and cry, it's clear that you have been lying
You've been cheatin', cheatin' on me
You have been unfaithful to me
Yeah, you made me suspect and I know (who-who)
You caused me to become suspicious, and I now know the truth
You don't want me (you don't want me)
You do not desire me in the same way that I do you
Cookies crumble, and that's how it goes (who-who)
Things fall apart, that's just how life is
Another lover you discover
You have found another lover
Our love's gone and I don't know why
Our love is over and I do not understand the reason why
It's just as well, though at last I do know
However, it is for the best as I now understand the truth
All you said was just a lie
Everything you told me was a falsehood
Ooh, ooh, baby (you've been cheating)
Oh, oh, baby, you have been unfaithful
You must not love me (you've been cheating)
You must not love me if you have cheated on me
You must not want me (you've been cheating)
You must not want me if you have cheated on me
You just don't care [Repeat until fade]
You simply do not care about me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CURTIS MAYFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tina Davies
Love it. On repeat for me for a while and full blast.
Richard Stevens
Another brilliant floor filler from Mr Mayfield and the Impressions. Pure class and timeless. KTF. R
strictlynorton
greatest vocal harmony group of all time....
Miroslava Acevedo
Thanks to Billy Butler's song My Heart Is Hurtin which served as an inspiration for Curtis Mayfield to write " You Been Cheatin" an Impressions favorite!
b bliss
Great record penned by Curtis Mayfield. Has a strong Detroit/Motown feel to it.
Paul Selkirk
A good piece of northern soul love this song good to dance to ktf. 🤩😊😎🤗
Steven Stewardson
ONE Of My TOP FAVS LOVE IT THANKS FOR THE POST KTF BRICOMALIGNO ! ! !
steven stewardson
Love this remembered at st.ive's camb's and palais nottm late 70's excellent upload brico ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lionheart Roar
Great song and a pristine copy
Dean Connolly
Great sound from my Soul days KTF Dean- Gloucester