The Supremes were a very successful Motown all-female singing group active … Read Full Bio ↴The Supremes were a very successful Motown all-female singing group active from 1959 until 1977, performing at various times doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway showtunes, psychedelia, and disco. One of Motown's signature acts, The Supremes were the most successful African-American musical act of the 1960s, recording twelve #1 hits between 1964 and 1969, many of them written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland. The crossover success of the Supremes during the mid-1960s paved the way for future black soul and R&B acts to gain mainstream audiences both in the United States and overseas.

Founded in Detroit, Michigan, United States in 1959, The Supremes began as a quartet called The Primettes. Founding members Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, and Betty McGlown, all from the Brewster-Douglas public housing project in Detroit, were the sister act to The Primes (later The Temptations). In 1960, Barbara Martin replaced McGlown, and the group signed with Motown in 1961 as The Supremes. Martin left at the end of 1961, and Ross, Ballard, and Wilson carried on as a trio. After they achieved success in the mid-1960s with Ross as the lead singer, Motown president Berry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross & the Supremes in 1967, and replaced Ballard with Cindy Birdsong. Ross left the group for a solo career in 1970, and was replaced by Jean Terrell. After 1972, the lineup of the Supremes changed frequently, with Lynda Laurence, Scherrie Payne, and Susaye Greene all becoming members before the group ended its eighteen-year existence in 1977.

HeatWave
The Supremes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Heat wave
Heat wave

Whenever I'm with you
Something inside
Starts to burn deep
And my heart's filled with fire
Could be that I'm very sentimental

Or is this just the way love's supposed to be?

I got a heat wave
Burning in my heart
I can't keep from crying
Tearing me apart

Sometimes she calls my name
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I can't explain
I feel, yeah I feel
I feel this burning flame
This high blood pressure's got a hold on me
'Cause this is the way love's supposed to be

I got a heat wave
Burning in my heart
I can't keep from crying
Tearing me apart

Oh yeah
Oh yeah

Oh yeah
Oh yeah

Just give me another chance
This could be a new romance

Heat wave
Heat wave

Heat wave
Heat wave

Overall Meaning

The Supremes’ song Heatwave is a classic Motown hit that tells the story of being in love and feeling overwhelmed by emotions. The chorus “I got a heat wave burning in my heart, I can't keep from crying, tearing me apart” perfectly encapsulates the sentiment of the song. The opening line “Whenever I'm with you something inside starts to burn deep, and my heart's filled with fire” suggests that being with the person she loves is not just emotionally stirring, but physically as well. The next lines continue with the singer wondering if this feeling of intense fire is because of her own sentimentality or if it's just the way love is supposed to feel.

The second verse of the song includes the bridge “Sometimes she calls my name, yeah, yeah, yeah, I can't explain, I feel, yeah I feel, I feel this burning flame.” These lines add a different dimension to the song, as it's not just a one-sided love story but suggests that the other person also feels the same emotions. The final verse includes a plea for another chance, implying that there had been some misunderstandings or issues in their relationship that they are willing to work through for a chance at a new romance. Overall, the lyrics convey the passion and intensity of the emotions that come with falling in love and feeling consumed by it.

Line by Line Meaning

Heat wave
The heat that comes with being with someone you love.

Heat wave
The repetition of the first line symbolizes the recurring heat felt in this relationship.

Whenever I'm with you
The heat starts when being in your presence.

Something inside
The heat comes from an internal feeling.

Starts to burn deep
The heat is intense.

And my heart's filled with fire
The heat is felt emotionally as well as physically.

Could be that I'm very sentimental
The cause of this heat could be emotional attachments.

Or is this just the way love's supposed to be?
The artist is questioning whether this relationship's heat is normal in love.

I got a heat wave
The artist confirms the heat they're experiencing.

Burning in my heart
The heat seems to originate from within the artist's heart.

I can't keep from crying
The heat is so intense it brings the singer to tears.

Tearing me apart
The heat is causing emotional distress.

Sometimes she calls my name
The heat can be triggered by hearing the voice of the loved one.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I can't explain
The singer doesn't totally comprehend the heat they're feeling.

I feel, yeah I feel
The singer is acknowledging the sensation explicitly.

I feel this burning flame
The heat being felt is compared to a flame.

This high blood pressure's got a hold on me
The heat is causing physical symptoms like high blood pressure.

'Cause this is the way love's supposed to be
The singer is accepting that this relationship's heat is typical of love.

Just give me another chance
The singer wants to continue the relationship despite the heat.

This could be a new romance
The heat could be a sign of a burgeoning romance.

Heat wave
Repeating the song's title signifies the continued presence of the heat wave.

Heat wave
Same as above.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDWARD JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER, BRIAN HOLLAND

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

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Comments from YouTube:

@normangourmand

3y↑4

Mary and Flo killed those backgrounds!

@MizuFusion

3y↑1

It's both Mary, Flo and the Andanetes.

@Cclinks87

13y↑10

Martha & the Vandella's rocked the hell outta this song. Diana aint touchin Martha at all! Martha sang this song!!!

@direfranchement

11y↑25

I appreciate this version because it helps to illuminate the difference between the various girl groups while many people in blur them all together in their memory. The Supremes were cute and polished, but Martha and the Vandellas were funky and earthy. Diana sounds very nasal here, and there was never any grit in her singing. Martha growls and belts like a champ. Of course Martha and the Vandellas own this song, but it is interesting to see the Supremes take on this song.

@dakari09

13y↑4

I like this version but the martha puts me in tears of joy when she sings this

@criticalthinker8013

1y↑1

Yea this is good but Martha in at old black n white live footage singing she just sings it with more passion she be hitting my soul when she sing it, she be singing it like she crying out from her soul like she mean single word.

@toguhx

9y↑3

her voice is very sweet

@BlkMagik

14y↑1

Nothing beats the original but I give The Supremes their props; they sang the hell out of this song.

@paulowen3856

6y↑5

supremes got this tune nailed

@Charmander74

6y↑1

Paul Owen Are you excited for the Sing HDH expanded edition out soon ?

@advjoe2

I was born in 1955 grew up in East Detroit, MI. and raised on Motown music mostly from CKLW and I never heard this version before. Martha and the Vandellas version for me.

@0511MEE

15y

this is my mum and dads song wen i was young. they not together any more this brings it all bak at this time of year wen i was little at xmas timem me any my bro... nicccce thorts. 1 prezzie at the bottom of our beds to keep us quiet till mum and dad got up lol. wow how i wish it was still the same. happy christmas every 1.xx

@BrooklynJoe

14y↑3

Much as I loved the original Supremes, it's Martha, hands down!

@harlestonz

14y↑2

Very, very good, wonderful.

@kenstubrick634

43w

Best group ever!

@ClaireBakerVideos

13y↑1

LOVE this song!

@grlbcc

I dedicate this song to California this whole week. Stay cool!

@allennelson6985

3y↑1

Diana has more grit and soul on this song than she shows on other songs.
I give her credit for doing a good job. But Martha is still the queen of this song.

@ShortyLaVen

6y↑5

I've never heard this version before, but I dig it. I really like most of the Supremes music. Does anyone here know why a lot of oldies radio stations seem to play a Vandellas version with way too loud piano and very muted lyrics? WDGY here in Minnesota plays it frequently, and KAZG in Phoenix would play the same one...

@Charmander74

6y↑1

Shorty LaVen The Vandellas' version is the one that was the hit. This one seems like was meant as album filler

@ShortyLaVen

6y↑3

Charmander74 Oh, no, I know Martha and the Vandellas did the original/hit record, but if you listen to their Gordy single it sounds perfect, while the version you hear on the radio seems to have been mixed very poorly. Perhaps whoever the big brand oldies stations buy their pre-recorded material from messed it up and now that's what they all play? I've heard that version on the radio many times, on many different radios, so I know it's not just the station or my equipment...

@Charmander74

6y↑2

Shorty LaVen Maybe after so many years of remixing and remastering the quality has deteriorated. I have to give it a listen

@gre13424uty

14y↑1

excellent !

@aldogg9612

Ooo ooo ooooo ooooooo .. ooooooooooo heatwavvvvve!!!

@millymille1

14y↑1

thanks so much for postinhg this I love it.

@tomdavies5352

Just wonderful

@SistaBlunt

13y

8 people have chills

@MrPeclo

7y↑3

Fabulous Diana Ross and the Supremes.

@kurtsupreme

5y↑1

These are THE SUPREMES!

@LoveTheKay

3y↑1

They are called the supremes

@frankiehunter.

The album on which the song was included made a history. For a first time a female group reached Nr. 1 on Billboard charts. Kudos to the Supremes and their composers Holland-Dozier-Holland. The Supremes sing the song almost as good as the Vandellas.

@thomas969

14y↑2

diana sound real good on this song

@keyanntee

16y

reminds me of the early 70s when I used to go to an RAF camp disco lol

@LeatherMaster01

16y↑2

Absolutely!! To sing this song it would take a person (female) with a strong voice. This Diana truly lacked. Florence Ballard should led this and networked with the Vandellas on this number for additional vocals (with Diana & Mary).

@randomer1996

13y↑1

yay love it ^_^

@LeatherMaster01

16y

As well as amongst other things that may have been floating through the minds. They probably would have found this to be somewhat entertaining to watch and be around!

@astralagosto

13y

@pgbruiser Hi pgbruiser, Thank you for letting me know about the documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown. I agree that the original and Joan Osbourne's take are something special.

@astralagosto

13y

@Verfemdung I didn't know Joan Osbourne did a version of this. I'll look it up right now. Thanks.

@claytonroyce615

30 degrees in Hertfordshire

@waynebrasler

14y

The Supremes recorded this several times actually and I thought all the versions were great. Motown often recorded songs several times aiming to get everything the best it could be. That says a lot! The Supremes version of "In My Lonely Room" used the Vandellas music track then newly recorded another layer of strings and horns.

@artistsixteen

13y↑1

I Diana did a excellent cover!

@reverendflash

14y

I really came here expecting to bash the poster for miscrediting the artist of the song, but - Look! It really IS The Supremes!

@sherbert500

13y

this is martha reeves and paul wellers tune......... the best then the cover ...cant beat either

@Charmander74

11y

ha ha I like the crackle too !!!

@arnaudvasseur3197

23w

Le bon son des suprêmes avec la divine diana ross une chanson ecrite par holland dozier des faiseurs de tubes

@1820AL

14y↑5

Holand-Dozier-Holland should of used Florence for this song since it is more of a soulful type of ballad

@Charmander74

12y

wow 11 and into motown thats cool....... good taste :-D. who is your favorite 60s Motown artists.. mine are The Temptations and The Supremes but I love them all

@coolsweetgroovy

13y↑2

This is a very good cover

@thomas969

14y↑1

diana sound good on this song

@stevechandler1

16y

YEP now wake out of you dream, la ross out shines them all

@BroccoliBeefed

12y

Wow, only 11? There's hope after all.

@Charmander74

16y↑2

you are right, I thought the same thing, flo should have done it

@vilmad007

15y

You're absolutely right. Martha Reeves and the Vandella will always own this song. However, I'm as big a fan of Diana Ross and the Supremes. They're fantastic.

@Morganicfilms86

14y

@HaliB75 HAHA!! Totally agree! She can't hold a candle to Martha.

@deaneccleston7450

12y

mine are martha reeves and the vandellas

@astralagosto

13y

@erlock21 Hi erlock21, Martha had real soul. Diana never had soul. She was only promoted because Berry liked her the best out of all the Supremes. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't speak to Mary (I don't remember her name), the last Supreme that is still alive after Diana. Berry gave her and Florence Ballard the shaft to promote Diana.

@pgbruiser

13y

@astralagosto Yeah Joan Osborne really did a great job on her cover of this song. Check it out. Make sure you select the version from the documentary "Standing in the Shadows of Motown". This version here is Ok with Diana Ross, but the original & J. Osborne's take are really something special.

@bailey1brandy

13y

MARTHAS THE BEST SHE SOUNDS MORE ORIGINAL

@jermaphobic8308

9y↑27

This would have been perfect for flo. Her raw power would have taken this song to a new level

@abdurobinson5884

8y↑4

Jeremy JosephOnline Gordy should have let Flo sing lead and would have been great but around this time he was having problems with her sonFli never got her shine

@rioboy13

7y↑5

I SO agreee!!!!!

@L1b3rty76

7y↑4

Exactly what I was thinking as the song started

@delfinaruiz-morris3054

Never Flo sucked singing lead ! Have you heard that solo album ? What a joke !

@daccidaccidentro

@blktenor

14y

This version sounds more polished an smooth. I think I prefere the Vandella's version best because it sounds more raw and emotional. Does that make sense to you all out there?

@Charmander74

16y

LOL ;D R.I.P Flo

@BroccoliBeefed

12y

Who said she ever was or was trying to be? She didnt have to be. She had something better.

@qwer123211

11y

Ya gotta listen to Ronstadt's 1975 version........it's "supreme"!

@Jaydon79

16y↑1

Florence Ballard should have led this song.. If you heard Flo in Ain't that good news. She would have rocked this song

@1940semochild

16y

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check it out! I feel for Flo. She (and Mary) got scrwed by Gordy & Diana... I think she had a better voice than Ms. Ross + she was prettier too.

@disneyprince56

13y

this is the version thia used in american idol

@erlock21

13y

@astralagosto i agree ..diana was a good singer ,,but martha had real soul no contest

@frame313takeacloserlook6

5y↑3

I don’t think this is the right song for Ms Ross, but it still good and I have to say - go listen to Ms Ross live then Ms Reeves ( the latter is painful)

@beefycajun

14y

Diana enunciates the lyrics more clearly than Martha. Same beat sung in a different style. Intersting to hear Mowtown artist sing each others songs. Hopefully it did not cause much rivalry.

@TonygMus2

8y↑1

Ouch!!!

@manuelesparza1081

4y↑1

The background sounds good. Diana should've sung it in a lower key.

@Charmander74

4y↑1

that may have helped. i think the song would have been better served if Flo lead. however it is a testament to diana's versatility.

@19DJD

14y

haha ha that's funny but sooo true martha would have definetly been like wtf is this and i agree flo should have sung this

@mafketays

14y

@FaReaList Yeah, unfortunately Berry Gordy never really saw the Supremes as a real group, but just a vehicle for Ross's stardom. There's a clear shift from more group oriented songs to Ross solo numbers where the other Supremes could be (and eventually were) replaced by studio back up singers Early Supreme records were greater than the sum of their parts, but gradually become less so - hardly any interesting recordings after Flo left - until Diana left too and they became a real group again.

@bearnurse1

13y

@astralagosto Really? You think so? Silly me. I thought it was because of her singing.

@dvlaries

14y↑1

Both versions are good, although yes, Martha's is of course definitive. Marha lets go with passionate, feverish abandon and with a knowing, experienced maturity that Ross was not allowed on record yet, not in the mid-60s. So Ross did her version with kittenish flirtation -something she knew very much how to do- and that interpretation is welcome too. Correctly, only Martha's was put on the market as a single.

@goodiesguy

15y

Martha & The Vandellas Sing This Much Better

@timmy841212

16y

The Supremes sound cute but this is definitely a Martha and the Vandellas standard.

@manuelesparza1081

4y↑2

M A R T H A
AND THE
V A N D E L L A S

@Charmander74

13y

@oceanbound222 your very funny I guess ur trying to piss off the Mary Wilson Florence Ballard and The Vandellas queens all in one breath lol

@LittleMermaid88

13y

@Vipar557 i did eheh

@johnnycip

14y

@dvlaries linda ronstaat did a good job covering this song. in fact she did better than diana ross.

@one5643

14y

I like this one better than Martha Reeves' original.

@dvlaries

14y

Now, if you really want to talk about damaging this song, the one and only criminal is Linda Rondstat. Listen to it once to see I'm right, then avoid it for the rest of your life!

@LeatherMaster01

16y

Absolutely, one thing Motown realized but in my opinion failed to capitalize on: 1. Florence Ballard was a singer and a very talented one at that! Motown (Berry Gordy) was highly aware but his interest for Diana overshadowed this and her and Mary got relegated to performing background work only. This became more evident as the group became more popular. 2. Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were singers first and entertainers second, this was the total reverse with the Supremes.

@BromidicCompound

11y

This version somewhat petered out towards the end. I'm going with the original version of Martha & the Vandellas.

@LeatherMaster01

16y

First of all look at the arrangements and the quality of the work that was given to her. God knows if she would have hooked up with the right producers, she would have been equally successful to that of Diana. She did not have the right producers or personnel during that time that could have sustained her!!!!

@deaneccleston7353

12y

there ok but they aint better then martha and the girls any way it's been 50 years but they've still got the rythem and the soul love ya mowtown.

@delfinaruiz-morris3054

Werq Diana ! Martha who ?

@pjw85

15y

i love the supremes but this will always be martha and the vandellas song

@HaliB75

15y

Diana need not try, Martha sang her under a bus on this one.

@lutherallen9614

2y↑1

And. I will not do a hip hop career. I won't. Sue me.

@kacn28

12y

Not a whole lot of Diana Ross love here. Go listen to the other version(s) then. She may not have the best voice but it's her flare in the way she sang that made her so famous. Also listen to endless love

@fmacfan

13y

Oh please to all the haters. Diana Ross had fame after the Supremes because she was DIANA ROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

@jasiekel86

12y↑6

I love Diana, but Martha's version is the best!

@lutherallen9614

Next track: Boston Hip Hop.

@LeRoszay

7y↑4

I feel like this song is for someone with a stronger powerful voice ..Martha did a much better job. Still love the Supremes tho

@Cclinks87

13y

Starting at 2:09, what Martha does on her version of this song is far better than Diana!

@luvcam1975

16y

Well I think Florence(Blondie)Ballard was one hell of a singer. It was not her fault that she was given material that didn't suit her voice. But this version can't touch what Martha & the Vandellas did with it regardless of whoever would've sang lead. It's not all that bad to me, and I still do like their version of this.

@glannapolisteam8681

8y↑1

Of course, the Vandellas own this song, but this version isn't bad. Try listening to Linda Ronstadt's version after this one. It almost sounds like her arrangement (backing not vocals) is based more on this version.

@Rolsvt

16y

continued! Like you Babe is great but the other material is bad, it probably wasn't her fault but I cannot believe that she would have wanted to have a record cut with that version of It's not Unusual for instance, some really bad choices of songs, that unfortunately were not probably even hers.

@LeatherMaster01

16y

Well lets take at some of the material that was selected for her. She is not singing at nowhere near her raw natural capability. She needed the right producers and the right staff who could have sustained her. She would ultimately been as successful as Diana Ross but she would not have wanted to tour as often as Diana did during the early days.

@Drillin4Oil

16y

Not Diana's best work, but she gave it a good shot. She's really weak on the "Yeah yeah, Yeah yeah whoa whoa whoa..." Linda Ronstadt has a great tiger growl on this line. It's ultimately Martha's song.

@kaplowysmurf

10y↑5

Flo probably would have rocked this , but this version is ok .

@koolfraser

14y↑3

martha really sang the pants off this song. diana doesn't compare

@mholub

14y

Martha's rendition was GREAT!! NO DOUBT! But Diana's talent is good enough to make this tune her own new creation.

@BlaqueReign25

13y

Is it me or do Flo and Mary kind of look alike?

@astralagosto

13y

Martha will always win this round, Diana. How could you have thought you would sing a better version??????? You'll never sing a better version of this. You should have said to Berry Gordy: "Only Martha can sing this song. Don't be ridiculous".

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