At the insistence of Berry Gordy hoping for a follow-up chart-topper, Holland–Dozier–Holland produced "Baby Love" to sound like "Where Did Our Love Go". Elements were reincorporated into the single such as Diana Ross's cooing lead vocal and oohing, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson's "baby-baby" backup, the Funk Brothers' instrumental track, and teenager Mike Valvano's footstomping. Further, both Ballard and Wilson had brief solo ad-libs towards the end of the song on the released version (after this release Ross would be the only member to have any solos on the 1960s singles).
It is considered one of the most popular songs of the late 20th century, "Baby Love" was ranked number 324 on the Rolling Stone list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It dropped to number 499 on the 2021 update of the list. The BBC ranked "Baby Love" at number 23 on The Top 100 Digital Motown Chart, which ranks Motown releases by their all time UK downloads and streams.
Baby Love
The Supremes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need you, oh how I need you
But all you do is treat me bad
Break my heart and leave me sad
Tell me what did I do wrong
To make you stay away so long
'Cos baby love, my baby loveBeen missin' ya, miss kissin' ya
Instead of breaking up
Let's do some kissing and making up
Don't throw our love away
In my arms why don't you stay
Need ya, need ya
Baby love, ooh baby love
Baby love, my baby love
Why must we separate my love
All of my whole life through
I never loved no one but you
Why you do me like you do
I get this need
Ooh, ooh, need to hold you
Once again my love
Feel your warm embrace my love
Don't throw our love away
Please don't do me this way
Not happy like I used to be
Loneliness has got the best of me
My love, my baby love
I need ya, oh how I need ya
Why you do me like you do
So deep in love with you
Baby, baby, ooh 'till it's hurtin' me
'Till it's hurtin' me, ooh baby love
Don't throw our love away
Don't throw our love away
The Supremes' song "Baby Love" is a classic love song that expresses a woman's deep love and need for her significant other. The lyrics are emotionally charged and show the pain that the woman feels when her lover treats her badly and breaks her heart. The song starts with the woman expressing her need for her lover and how much she loves him, but she is hurt by his actions towards her. She wonders why he treats her so badly and what she has done wrong to deserve it.
The chorus of the song then goes on to express the woman's desire to be with her lover again and start over. She misses him and the way he used to make her feel, and she wants to rekindle their love. She pleads with him not to throw their love away and to stay with her, as she needs him in her life. The second verse then goes on to express the woman's confusion and hurt over why her lover wants to separate from her when she has always been true to him. She wants to hold him again and feel his warm embrace.
Overall, the song "Baby Love" is a heartfelt plea from a woman to her lover to stay with her and not tear their love apart. It is a powerful testament to the powerful emotions that love can bring and the pain that can come from a broken heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby love, my baby love, I need you
I am completely in love, dear. I need you more than anything else in the world.
Oh, how I need you
I can't survive without you, my dear. I am completely and unconditionally in love with you.
But all you do is treat me bad
You treat me really badly despite all the love I give to you. You always hurt me intentionally, and it really pains me.
Break my heart and leave me sad
You keep breaking my heart with your cold, cruel behavior. You act like you don't care about my feelings and leave me sad and heartbroken.
Tell me what did I do wrong
I'm puzzled, my dear. Please tell me what I did wrong to make you treat me so badly and stay away from me for so long.
'Cause baby love, my baby love
Oh, my dear, I'm still in love with you despite everything. You are my one and only true love.
Been missing ya (ooh), miss kissing ya
I have been missing you dearly, and I really want to kiss you again. I miss your sweet embrace and warm kisses.
Instead of breaking up
Let's not break our relationship. Let's try to work things out between us and keep our love strong.
Let's start some kissing and making up
Let's forget all our troubles and start making love. Let's kiss, hug, and express our love to each other.
Don't throw our love away
Please don't let our love go to waste. Let's cherish it and make it last forever.
In my arms why don't you stay?
Please stay with me and don't leave me alone. Let's hold each other tightly and never let go.
Need ya, need ya
I need you more than ever, my dear. You are the only one for me, and I can't live without you.
Baby love, (ooh) baby love
Oh, my dear, you are my one and only true love. I treasure you more than anything else in life.
Why must we separate my love?
Why do we have to be apart, my dear? Can't we stay together and make our love stronger?
All of my whole life through
My entire life, I have loved no one but you. You are my soulmate, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.
I never love no one but you
I have never loved anyone else but you, my dear. You are my first and last love, and I will always cherish you.
Why you do me like you do, I guess it's me
I'm not sure why you treat me this way. Maybe I'm the problem, but I don't know how to fix it.
Ooh, ooh, need to hold you once again my love
I really want to hold you tightly in my arms again, my dear. I need to feel your warmth and love once more.
Feel your warm embrace my love
I want to feel your loving embrace and your heart beating against mine. Your warmth and love mean everything to me.
Please don't do me this way
Please don't treat me badly, my dear. I love and trust you, and I hope you feel the same way about me.
Not happy like I used to be
I'm not as happy as I used to be, my dear. Your coldness and cruelty have taken away my happiness and peace of mind.
Loneliness has got the best of me my love
I feel incredibly lonely without you, my dear. The sadness and emptiness inside me are unbearable, and I don't know how to cope with them.
My baby love, I need ya
My dear, you are the most important person in my life, and I need you more than ever. I can't live without you, my love.
After I've been true to you
Despite everything, I have been faithful to you, my dear. I have always loved you and stayed loyal to you.
So deep in love with you
I'm so deeply in love with you, my dear. Your love means everything to me, and I can't imagine life without you.
Baby, baby (baby), ooh
My dear, my love, I adore you more than words can express. You are everything to me, and I cherish you more than anything else.
'Til it hurt me, 'til it hurt me
My love for you runs so deep that it hurts me, but I wouldn't have it any other way. You are the reason for my pain and happiness.
Ooh, baby love
Oh, my dear, our love is so precious and beautiful. I want to hold onto it forever and never let it go.
Don't throw our love away
Please don't let our love go to waste. Let's cherish it and make it last forever.
Don't throw our love away
Please let's not give up on our love. Let's do everything possible to keep it alive and thriving, my dear.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Holland, Edward Jr Holland, Lamont Dozier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@theshizl4400
My sister freakin' loves this track, and so do I! She'd play it on our boom box system each time she'd bathe my PomPom, Chi-Chi!
I got her on my 13th birthday, when she was only two weeks old. She looked like a little Koosh ball 😄 I swear, she could be held in your palms lol
I loved her more than anything, yo. She became my emotional support animal, after I got sick in 2010 lol Whenever my Medical Aides would walk in my room or approached my bed, she'd go off lol yapping, growling, the works lmao Chi-Chi even scared away one of them!
But ch'yea, Cho-Chi passed away early morning on January 18th, 2018, outliving her breed by six years! It's eerily poetic, bittersweet 'cause her birthday is January 17th
(Mama said it was because she wanted to protect me so the Lord gave her a few years more)
This song brings up all of those happy memories of my Chi-Chi, and my family ✌️
@l.l.4244
My mum sang this to me while on her death bed. She was dying from lung cancer and singing this song was the last time I heard her voice before she died. This song will forever hit me hard every time I hear it. RIP mum, I miss you desperately <3
@Ladysugarshaft
❤️🥹🙏🏾
@vizmetro
Wow that’s a wonderful story bless your mum and r.i.p. to your mum ❤❤
@queenirmamay
❤❤❤❤ understand mummy done end of life been a elder since c
Since 41
@hollyguidry4433
Dad loved this song and outta his 5kids I'm was only one that showed up n the end he was death rattle struggling to breathe.. .I'm remembering him blast this and Elvis really Loud and Now I LoVe ever single song I'm didn't want to listen to as a child but I do Now 💔
@cindynaylor8043
❤
@mikeelliott5998
This is the first song I remember from childhood (born 1960). The Supremes (Diana, Florence and Mary) are the sound track of my life 🎶.
@dannythomas417
Too bad Diana is the only one left.
@mikespillman3075
@@dannythomas417 100 percent......Mary and Flo deserved WAY more of everything. Credit, ex[posure, money....everything....but thats how the record industry rolls i spose.
@lilee997
Damn you old asl