2. There was also a Rat Pack from Ventura, CA on Mystic Records that released two EP's titled "Rat Pack" and "Ice Cream, Acid, and Cigarettes" and one self titled LP. They were also released on few Mystic Records compilations such as the Nardcore comp.
3.There is also a UK rave group from the early '90s who used the name The Rat Pack who had hits with tracks like "Searchin' for my rizzla"
Love Me or Leave Me
The Rat Pack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Billie Holiday
(Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn)
This affair is killin' me
I can't stand uncertainly
Tell me now I've got to know
Whether you want me to stay or to go
Love me or leave me
Or let me be lonely
You won't believe me, I love you only
I'd rather be lonely
Then happy with someone else
You might find the night time
The right time for kissin'
But night time is my time
For just reminiscin'
Regrettin' instead of forgettin'
With somebody else
There'll be no one
Unless that someone is you
I intend to be independently blue
I want your love
But I don't want to borrow
To have it today to give it back tomorrow
For your love is my love
There's no love for nobody else
The Rat Pack's rendition of the song, "Love Me or Leave Me," originally by Billie Holiday, embodies the complexities of a tumultuous relationship. The singer expresses the intense hesitancy and difficulties that come with being unsure of their partner's feelings. They plead with their partner to declare whether they want to stay with them or to let them go. This uncertainty is unbearable to the singer who needs to know where they stand. The lyrics "This affair is killing me, I can't stand uncertainly. Tell me now, I've got know whether you want me to stay or to go" emphasizes the desperation in the singer's need for clarity.
While the singer desires a committed relationship, the chorus infers that they would prefer being alone to being with someone who does not reciprocate their love. They declare boldly, "Love me or leave me or let me be lonely. You won't believe me. I love you only. I'd rather be lonely than happy with somebody else." This line highlights the importance of knowing where one stands in a relationship. Although the singer seems passionate, if their partner cannot reciprocate those feelings, it is better for them to be alone than to settle for someone else.
The remaining lyrics speak to the longing the singer has for their love interest. When the time comes for the night to fall, the singer reveals they prefer solitude and simply go down memory lane. The last stanza lays out the message that the singer will stay alone unless their partner chooses to be with them. The lyrics, "I want your love, but I don't want to borrow. To have it today, to give it back tomorrow. For your love is my love, there's no love for nobody else," emphasize their eminent need for loyalty and commitment.
Line by Line Meaning
This affair is killin' me
I am struggling to cope with the uncertainty of our relationship
I can't stand uncertainly
I cannot bear the lack of clarity in our relationship
Tell me now I've got to know
Please be honest with me and tell me your true intentions
Whether you want me to stay or to go
Clarify if you want to continue this relationship or end it
Love me or leave me
Please make a decision on the fate of our relationship
Or let me be lonely
If you do not choose me, let me be alone to move on
You won't believe me, I love you only
My feelings for you are pure and true
I'd rather be lonely
I would rather be alone than settle for someone else's love
Then happy with someone else
I would not be content with a relationship that is based on anything less than true love
You might find the night time
Perhaps you prefer the night for intimacy
The right time for kissin'
A time suitable for physical affection
But night time is my time
I prefer nighttime for introspection
For just reminiscin'
Reflecting or re-living past experiences
Regrettin' instead of forgettin'
I regret my past and cannot forget it
With somebody else
If I am with someone else, I cannot escape my past regrets
There'll be no one
If I am not with you, I will be alone
Unless that someone is you
The only person I want to be with is you
I intend to be independently blue
I prefer to remain independent, yet I am deeply melancholic
I want your love
I desire your affection
But I don't want to borrow
I don't want your love on a temporary basis
To have it today to give it back tomorrow
I don't want to receive love only to have it taken away shortly thereafter
For your love is my love
Your love is the only love I desire
There's no love for nobody else
I cannot give my love to anyone else as my heart belongs to you
Lyrics © DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO, TOBAGO MUSIC COMPANY, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind