The Miracles (known from 1965 to 1972 as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) … Read Full Bio ↴The Miracles (known from 1965 to 1972 as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) are an American rhythm and blues group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as the first successful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records. The Miracles went on to become one of Motown's signature acts of the 1960s, during which time their original lead singer and founding member Smokey Robinson became one of the most successful songwriters and record producers of all time.
During their nineteen year run on the American music charts, The Miracles charted over fifty hits and recorded in the genres of doo wop, soul, disco, and R&B. Twenty-six Miracles songs reached the Top Ten of the Billboard R&B singles chart, including four R&B number ones. Sixteen of the Miracles' songs charted within the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, with seven songs charting within the Top Ten and two - 1970's "The Tears of a Clown" and 1975's "Love Machine" (Part 1) - reaching number-one.

Original members:

Ronald "Ronnie" White (1955–1978, 1980–1983, 1993–1995 (died 1995)
Warren "Pete" Moore (1955–1978) (died 2017)
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. (1955–1972)
Claudette Robinson (1956 - 1972, 2005 -2011)
Marvin "Marv" Tarplin (1958 - 1973) (died 2011)

I Wanna Be with You
The Miracles Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wanna be with you
Yes, I wanna be with you
I wanna be with you
I wanna be with you
Oh, oh baby

Whenever I look at you
Baby, little things start happening

I know what I want to do
It's so very clear
Everytime you're near
Girl, I wanna cling to you
And never let you go
And be a part of you
Girl like water is of snow
Yes, I do girl, I do girl
Oh, I do girl, girl

I wanna be with you
Yes, I wanna be with you
Oh, I do I wanna be with you
Ooh, oh baby
Whenever I'm close to you
I'm so very proud floating on a cloud
Whenever I'm not with you
Seems the whole world stops my incentive
Drops so you see girl
I gotta be with you
And never let you go
And be a part of you like water is of snow
Yes, do, do, do, do, do, do girl
Yes, I do la, la, la, la, la, la
Yes, I wanna be with you girl
Oh, yes, yes I do
Yes, yes I do, do, do, do, do, do, do
I wanna be with you

Yes, I wanna be with you
I do I wanna be with you.

Overall Meaning

The Miracles's song "I Wanna Be With You" is a love ballad that expresses the strong desires of a man towards a woman he deeply loves. The song's opening lines, "I wanna be with you, yes, I wanna be with you," show the singer's burning passion and determination to be with this woman. He goes on to say that every time he looks at her, "little things start happening" within him, implying that he's smitten and charmed by her every move. He knows precisely what he wants to do and is clear that he wants to be with her.

The chorus of the song repeats the line "I wanna be with you," emphasizing that the singer truly desires to spend his life with this woman. He compares his love for her to water and snow, signifying an inseparable connection that he wants to maintain. He states that he is "floating on a cloud" when he is close to her, indicating the immense joy and happiness she brings to his life. In the end, the singer declares his unyielding love by repeating his desire to be with her, reiterating that "I do I wanna be with you."

Line by Line Meaning

I wanna be with you
The singer expresses their strong desire to be with the person they are addressing.

Yes, I wanna be with you
The singer reiterates their desire to be with the person and confirms that they really mean it.

Oh, oh baby
The singer affectionately addresses the person using a common term of endearment.

Whenever I look at you
The artist speaks about the effect that being around the person has on them and how it leads them to experience certain emotions.

Baby, little things start happening
The artist notices certain changes in the environment and in their own behavior when they are around the person they love.

I know what I want to do
The singer is certain about what they want to do next and that is to be with the person they are addressing.

It's so very clear
The singer emphasizes how apparent their feelings are and how evident it is that they want to be with the person they are addressing.

Everytime you're near
The artist states that the person's proximity makes them even more drawn to them.

Girl, I wanna cling to you
The artist expresses their desire to hold on to the person and be close to them as much as possible.

And never let you go
The artist emphasizes their desire to keep the person with them always and not let them go.

And be a part of you
The singer wants to be closely associated with the person and be a part of their life in a meaningful way.

Girl like water is of snow
The artist compares their desire to be close to the person with how pure and natural water becomes when it covers snow.

Whenever I'm close to you
The singer states how they feel when they are physically close to the person they love.

I'm so very proud floating on a cloud
The singer feels happy and excited about being near the person and compares their emotions to floating on a cloud.

Whenever I'm not with you
The singer acknowledges the feeling of sadness and the absence they feel when the person is not around.

Seems the whole world stops my incentive
The artist uses hyperbole to convey how much impact the person has on their life and how they feel when the person is not present.

Drops so you see girl
The artist uses a poetic expression to convey that their mood drops and that they feel sad when the person is not with them.

I gotta be with you
The singer reiterates that they have to be with the person and cannot bear to be without them.

Yes, do, do, do, do, do, do girl
The singer uses repetition to emphasize how much they want to be with the person and how they feel about them.

Yes, I do la, la, la, la, la, la
The artist affirmatively states that they want to be with the person and uses onomatopoeia to convey their joy and happiness.

Yes, I wanna be with you girl
The artist affirms once again that they want to be with the person and emphasizes their strong desire to be close to them.

Oh, yes, yes I do
The artist reiterates their desire to be with the person and confirms that it is a sincere feeling.

Yes, yes I do, do, do, do, do, do, do
The singer reinforces their statement of wanting to be with the person and uses repetition to emphasize how strongly they feel about it.

I wanna be with you
The artist reiterates their strong desire to be with the person they are addressing.

Yes, I wanna be with you
The singer once again confirms their desire to be with the person.

I do I wanna be with you
The singer emphatically states that they want to be with the person and will do anything to make it happen.

Writer(s): Hutchison Willie M

Contributed by Alyssa L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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