The Main Ingredient is an American soul and R&B group best known for their … Read Full Bio ↴The Main Ingredient is an American soul and R&B group best known for their 1972 hit song "Everybody Plays the Fool".

The group was formed in Harlem, New York City in 1964 as a trio called the Poets, composed of lead singer Donald McPherson, Luther Simmons, Jr., and Panama-born Tony Silvester. They made their first recordings for Leiber & Stoller's Red Bird label, but soon changed their name to the Insiders and signed with RCA Records. In 1968, after a couple of singles, they changed their name once again, this time permanently, to the Main Ingredient. The name came from a Coke bottle.

They then teamed up with record producer/arranger Bert DeCoteaux. Under his direction, the Main Ingredient reached the R&B Top 30 for the first time in 1970 with "You've Been My Inspiration". A cover of The Impressions' "I'm So Proud" broke the Top 20, and "Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling in Love)" went into the Top 10. In 1971, they scored again, with the McPherson-penned black-power anthem "Black Seeds Keep on Growing," but tragedy struck that year. Don McPherson, who had suddenly taken ill with leukemia, died unexpectedly. Stunned, Tony Silvester and Luther Simmons re-grouped with new lead singer Cuba Gooding, Sr., who had served as a backing vocalist on some of their previous recordings and had filled in on tour during McPherson's brief illness.

The Gooding era began auspiciously with the million-selling smash "Everybody Plays the Fool", which hit number two R&B and number three pop to become the group's biggest hit. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in September 1972. The accompanying album, Bitter Sweet, became their first to hit the Top 10 on the R&B album chart; its follow-up, 1973's Afrodisiac, featured several songs written or co-written by Stevie Wonder, although it did not produce any huge successes on the singles charts. They peaked at number eight on the R&B chart in 1974 with "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely", which sold over a million copies,and also reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The track peaked at number twenty-seven in the UK Singles Chart in July 1974, although it was their only chart presence in the UK. In 1975, the group recorded several songs co-written by Leon Ware, including the R&B Top Ten "Rolling Down a Mountainside". By this point, however, Tony Silvester was harboring other ambitions; he released a solo album called Magic Touch that year, and left the group to form a production team with DeCoteaux. The two of them scored a Top 10 Pop and R&B smash with their production of Ben E. King's hit "Supernatural Thing" in 1975.

Silvester was replaced by Carl Tompkins, and Gooding departed for a solo career on Motown in 1977, which produced two albums; Simmons, meanwhile, left the music industry to work as a stockbroker. Gooding, Silvester and Simmons reunited as the Main Ingredient in 1979, and recorded two more albums, 1980's Ready for Love and 1981's I Only Have Eyes for You (the latter featured a minor hit in "Evening of Love"). The trio reunited for a second time in 1986, but their Zakia single "Do Me Right" flopped, and Simmons returned to his day job. He was replaced by Jerome Jackson on the 1989 Polydor album I Just Wanna Love You. In the wake of Aaron Neville's Top Ten revival of "Everybody Plays the Fool", Gooding resumed his solo career and issued his third album in 1993. Silvester and Simmons re-formed the Main Ingredient in 1999 with new lead singer Carlton Blount; this line-up recorded Pure Magic in 2001.

Tony Silvester died after a six-year struggle with multiple myeloma on November 27, 2006, at the age of 65, and original member Luther Simmons retired shortly thereafter. Cuba Gooding Sr. was found dead in his car on April 20, 2017. The current line-up of the group consists of Jerome Jackson, and Stanley Alston.

I Won't Let You Do That to Me
The Main Ingredient Lyrics

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Wait a minute
This is where I draw the line
Tell me what's got into you
Cuz apparently you've lost your mind
Repetitious fault just can't be overlooked
So I'm reading you your rights in case
You misunderstood

The first time, a mistake
Second time, a bad decision
Third time, there won't be one
Cuz I won't let you do that to me

The first time, a mistake
Second time, a bad decision
Third time, honey, dream on
Cuz I won't let you do that to me

Don't think I haven't checked out
All your alibies
And the evidence concludes
That you're just telling me half the truth
Still I keep giving you
The benefit of doubt
Cuz I fell so deep in love with you
I struggle to get around
So if you wanna be down for me
I'm gonna be down for you
And if twice you break the rules
I've got to move on
You believed your first time
Cost you 25 years to life
But I won't wait for a third heartbreak
With my heart it's only two

The first time, a mistake
Second time, a bad decision
Third time, there won't be one
Cuz I won't let you do that to me

I don't believe you would mistake me for a fool
So if you're really smart, you better think twice
Before you move
I'll be too busy watching to hear a word you say
Just don't make the same mistake again
And everything's ok

The first time, a mistake
Second time, a bad decision
Third time, there won't be one
Cuz I won't let you do that to me

The first time, a mistake
Second time, a bad decision

Third time, there won't be one
Cuz I won't let you do that to me

Overall Meaning

In "I Won't Let You Do That to Me," The Main Ingredient is singing about someone who has betrayed their trust, and they have reached their limit. The song is an ultimatum of sorts, with the singer laying down the law and warning the other person that their behavior needs to change, or else there will be serious consequences. The lyrics are firm but also measured, and the desire to give their romantic partner the benefit of the doubt is clear. It’s a song that's both assertive and compassionate.

The singer sings about the consequences of each time they violate the trust of the other person. The first mistake is seen as forgivable, a matter of human error. The second time is more serious, described as a "bad decision," but the singer is still willing to give them another chance. However, the third time is a deal-breaker, and the singer will not let it happen again. The lyrics are about setting boundaries and sticking to them, but also about the difficulty of letting go of someone you love.

There's an interesting shift in the chorus of the song. At first, the lyrics are the same every time, with the singer saying that they won't let the other person "do that to me" again. But in the final chorus, they add "honey, dream on," indicating that the relationship is over for good. It's a subtle but powerful moment, a sign that the singer has reached their breaking point.

Overall, "I Won't Let You Do That to Me" is a song about standing up for yourself and not tolerating bad behavior. It’s about the uncomfortable process of setting boundaries with somebody you love, and ultimately choosing to prioritize your own well-being over maintaining a toxic relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Wait a minute
Hold on a second

This is where I draw the line
I am putting an end to this behavior

Tell me what's got into you
Explain your actions

Cuz apparently you've lost your mind
Your behavior is reckless and irrational

Repetitious fault just can't be overlooked
I can't ignore your repeated mistakes

So I'm reading you your rights in case
I am warning you

You misunderstood
You don't understand the consequences of your actions

The first time, a mistake
Making a mistake is forgivable the first time

Second time, a bad decision
Continuing to make the same mistake is a bad decision

Third time, there won't be one
I won't allow you to make the same mistake three times

Cuz I won't let you do that to me
I won't tolerate that behavior from you

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES HARRIS III, JAMES QUENTON WRIGHT, JAMES SAMUEL III HARRIS, TERRY LEWIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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