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.
Stop! In The Name Of Love
The Supremes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before you break my heart
Baby, baby I'm aware of where you go
Each time you leave my door
I watch you walk down the street
Knowing your other love you'll meet
But this time before you run to her
(Think it over) After I've been good to you
(Think it over) After I've been sweet to you
Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Think it over
Think it over
I've known of your
Your secluded nights
I've even seen her
Maybe once or twice
But is her sweet expression
Worth more than my love and affection
But this time before you leave my arms
And rush off to her charms
(Think it over) Haven't I been good to you
(Think it over) Haven't I been sweet to you
Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Think it over
Think it over
I've tried so hard, hard to be patient
Hoping you'd stop this infatuation
But each time you are together
I'm so afraid I'll be losing you forever
Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Stop! In the name of love
The Supremes' hit song "Stop! In the Name of Love" is about a lover pleading with their significant other to put the brakes on an affair that they are having in order to save their relationship. The first verse describes the singer standing by the door and watching as their lover walks away, knowing that they are going to meet up with someone else. The singer then implores the lover to think about the relationship that they've shared, and to consider that they have always been faithful and loving towards them. The chorus then encourages the lover to stop in the name of love before they break the singer's heart.
The second verse reveals that the singer has known about the affair for some time, having seen the other woman on a few occasions. The singer expresses the idea that the other woman is not worth losing their love and affection over. Even though the singer has tried to be patient and wait for their lover to come around, each time that they spend with the other woman makes them more afraid that they will lose their lover forever. The chorus repeats, once again urging the lover to stop before they break the singer's heart.
Overall, the song is a classic tale of betrayal and heartbreak. It describes the pain of watching someone that you love slip away from you, and the desperate hope that they will come back before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Stop! In the name of love
I need you to stop what you're doing and listen to me
Before you break my heart
I don't want you to hurt me by continuing to see this other person
Baby, baby I'm aware of where you go
I know you're seeing someone else
Each time you leave my door
Every time you go out, I wonder if you're going to see her
I watch you walk down the street
I see you leave and it hurts me every time
Knowing your other love you'll meet
I know you're going to see that other woman
But this time before you run to her
I'm asking you to think about what you're doing
Leaving me alone and hurt
You're hurting me by seeing someone else
(Think it over) After I've been good to you
Consider how I've treated you well
(Think it over) After I've been sweet to you
Take into account my affection for you
I've known of your
I'm aware of
Your secluded nights
The times when you're with her and not with me
I've even seen her
I've witnessed you with that other woman
Maybe once or twice
Perhaps not too many times, but it still hurts
But is her sweet expression
Is her charm and appeal
Worth more than my love and affection
More valuable than the way I care for you
But this time before you leave my arms
I'm asking you to reconsider before you walk away from me
And rush off to her charms
And go to that other woman who is enticing you away from me
(Think it over) Haven't I been good to you
Consider how I've been kind and faithful to you
(Think it over) Haven't I been sweet to you
Think about how much I've cared for you and shown you affection
I've tried so hard, hard to be patient
I've made an effort to give you time and space
Hoping you'd stop this infatuation
Wishing that you'd get over this obsession with that other woman
But each time you are together
But every time you see her
I'm so afraid I'll be losing you forever
I'm scared that I'll lose you forever and that you'll choose her over me
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Lamont Dozier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JlJpo5960
These ladies are fantastic. Can't be duplicated or copied. Florence,Mary, Diana. Thanks for the memories!โคโคโค
@calvinbealer7264
THE GREATEST GIRL GROUP EVER PERIOD.
@RalphCramden-tm2gi
Only the Beatles sold more records than the Supremes in the sixties.
@danielmiller4159
They tie with the Ronettes but yes! This is what a real woman with a passionate heart merits through God by singing from the heart and with class and beauty.A real woman doesnโt need to use sex appeal to sing
@jamesbowen8960
They were originally called The Primettes but they hated that name. Florence Ballard came up with the name Supremes.
@StarryStar-hl3oj
REAL
@chuck9397
I was born in 1964 and love โค๏ธ the Supremes. Florence. Ballard and. Mary. Wilson rest in peace. You are missed to this day
@markwainwright6243
One of their best songs, and best of the motown eraโค
@jessegibson7734
Holland Doizer Holland
@michaelmeketa-lq7ld
Lost my older sister today..listening to her favorites and this is one! God bless her