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.
Run Run Run
The Supremes Lyrics
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He finally kissed me, oh, happy days
My heart's gotta shout it
I'll get my diary and write about it
(Well, as your friends, we wanna say
He'll break your heart one day
So you better run, run, run, run, run, run
Oh, but he's such a quiet kind of guy
How he thrills me, my oh my
Maybe it isn't true
What they say about him
(Don't be fooled by the shyness in his eyes) His eyes
(And don't you know he's just a devil in disguise
So you better run, run, run, run, run, run
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
(Well, as your friends, we wanna say
He'll make a fool of you one day
So you better run, run, run, run, run, run
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
No, no, no, but how can I run away
When I love him more each day
So with him, I'm gonna stay
I'll take my chances along the way
He won my heart from the start
From him, I will never never part
I love him so, love him so
Never let him go
Every time he gets nearer
My love gets dearer, so much dearer
Oh no, no, no, no
In The Supremes' song Run Run Run, the lead singer sings about the exhilaration of finally being kissed by the man she loves. However, her friends caution her against being too enamored with him, as they believe he will ultimately hurt her heart. They warn her that he may not be the introverted boy he appears to be and is, in fact, a devil in disguise. But the singer chooses to ignore their warnings and continues to love him more each day, vowing to never let him go.
The lyrics of the song exemplify the quintessential struggle between following one's heart and heeding the advice of others. The singer is torn between her emotions and the wisdom of her friends. The lyrics suggest that love is not always rational and that we may ignore the warnings of those closest to us when falling in love.
Run Run Run was one of The Supremes' early releases, and like much of their early catalog, was penned by the legendary songwriting duo Holland-Dozier-Holland. The song was released in 1963, peaking at number 93 on the pop charts but doing much better on the R&B charts, reaching number 22. The song's prominence led Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, to assign the writing and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland to work exclusively with The Supremes.
Line by Line Meaning
Girls, gather 'round me and hear the news
The singer is excited to share her news with her friends and wants them to listen and be happy with her.
He finally kissed me, oh, happy days
The singer is overjoyed that the person she likes has finally kissed her.
My heart's gotta shout it
The singer is so happy that her heart feels like it's bursting with joy and wants to express it.
I'll get my diary and write about it
The artist wants to record this happy moment in her diary so she can remember it forever.
His eyes
The artist wants to emphasize that her love interest's shyness might seem innocent, but there may be something more to him.
And don't you know he's just a devil in disguise
The singer's friends warn her that her love interest may not be who he seems, and may end up hurting her.
He'll make a fool of you one day
The singer's friends are cautioning her that her love interest has the potential to do something that will make her look foolish.
No, no, no, but how can I run away
The artist is aware of her friends' warnings but cannot bring herself to let go of her feelings for her love interest.
When I love him more each day
The artist's love for her interest grows stronger each day, making it harder for her to leave him.
So with him, I'm gonna stay
The artist has made a decision to stay with her love interest, regardless of the warnings from her friends.
I'll take my chances along the way
The singer acknowledges that there may be risks involved in staying with her love interest, but she is willing to take them.
He won my heart from the start
The artist is in love with her interest and has been from the beginning of their relationship.
From him, I will never never part
The singer is determined to stay with her love interest and never let him go.
I love him so, love him so
The singer is deeply in love with her interest.
Never let him go
The singer does not want to let go of her love interest and will hold on to him no matter what happens in the future.
Every time he gets nearer
The artist's love for her interest intensifies every time he comes closer to her.
My love gets dearer, so much dearer
The artist's love for her interest grows stronger and more intense with each passing moment.
Oh no, no, no, no
The singer is expressing surprise or concern at something, but it is not clear what.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LAMONT HERBERT DOZIER, BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD HOLLAND, JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lizzie Allen
The pianist deserves a mention...how on earth did he/she keep up? A lovely song.
Ujima Jame
Wait 'til you hear the live version from the Greystone Ballroom: https://youtu.be/qfJOX6k-Pa0
Lizzie Allen
@Ujima Jame Brilliant!
ROBERT ATKINSON
As a keyboard player, I was thinking the exact same thing. All of those fast-moving triplets throughout that whole song? Geez!! Kept it tight all of the way. Impressive!!!
Kevin Gavigan
I'm not entirely sure, but this is just me being a know-it-all about who the most prolific Motown musicians were, and about their playing styles. I think the pianist is Earl Van Dyke, his playing is very distinctive, and to my ears, this definitely sounds like his style. Rumor has it that the Motown studio had to repair their piano regularly because of the "guerrilla playing".
{Edit comment} I did a bit more research on the making of this cut - and I found out that it was recorded a year and a half prior to its release, the lineup included Joe Hunter (piano), Raynoma "Miss Ray" Gordy (organ), Larry Veeder (guitar), James Jamerson (bass), Benny Benjamin (drums), Hank Cosby (tenor sax), and Mike Terry (baritone sax), the male voices are by The Four Tops and Holland-Dozier-Holland. So there's your answer - the pianist is Joe Hunter.
John Berger
@Kevin Gavigan Much respect to you for the research!
John Carrara
Great baritone sax and the Four Tops too! Tremendous song, my favorite too. I literally wore out the 45 and still played it after it had a big crack. This song is best with the speakers cranked up. I'm 73 now but I have loved this song since I was 19. Seems like only yesterday. So many great Supremes songs.
Malcolm Marshall
I'm 59, was 5 years old in early '65 and loved this song!
CeeCee Tracey
oh man we use to sing this in the basement at my house where I grew up. We use to have so much fun singing all the Supremes songs before they had HITS. I'm talking about in the late 80s, early 90s. We use to love these songs and we ranged in ages from 16-21.
Malcolm Marshall
Great tune! The Four Tops helping out on backing vocals.