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.
The Only Time I'm Happy
The Supremes Lyrics
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I just want to be happy
To love and be loved by you
But the only time I'm happy
Is when I dream of you each night
'Cause that's the only time
You hold me tight in my dreams
Each time you're near
Something happens to my heart
You make you feel so unwantedm dear
And it pains my poor heart
If I could feel your sweet caress
Then I'd know true happiness.
But the only time I'm happy
Is when I dream of you each night
'Cause that's the only time
You hold me tight in my dreams
Is the only time your love is mine.
To me you'll never have
Nothing kind or sweet to say
Than my whole day
To seem too sadly waste away
But when the day ends
All my happiness begins.
But the only time I'm happy
Is when I dream of you each night
'Cause that's the only time
You hold me tightly in my dreams
Is the only time your love is mine.
Life pasts each day
Leaving loneliness in my heart
You make you feel so unneeded
And it hurts my poort heart
But there's nothing I'd rather do
Than to be happy loving you.
But the only time I'm happy
Is when I dream of you each night
'Cause that's the only time
You hold me tightly in my dreams
Is the only time your love is mine.
The lyrics of The Supremes' song "The Only Time I'm Happy" express the deep longing and yearning of the singer for the affections of someone they love. The song begins with a straightforward statement of the singer's desire for happiness, which is inextricably linked with being loved by the person they dream about each night. The only time the singer feels fulfilled and happy is in their dreams because that is the only time when their love is reciprocated.
As the song progresses, the singer describes the pain they feel when they are close to their love and yet feel unwanted and unneeded. The singer longs for the love and affection that they have only experienced in their dreams, and they believe that if they could feel their beloved's sweet caress, then they would truly be happy. But until then, the only time they are happy is in their dreams, where their love is real and reciprocated.
The lyrics of "The Only Time I'm Happy" are a poignant and relatable expression of unrequited love and the longing for someone who doesn't feel the same way. The dreamlike quality of the song captures the idea of a perfect love that is just out of reach, and the singer's yearning for that love is palpable.
Line by Line Meaning
I just want to be happy
All I desire is happiness
To love and be loved by you
To be loved and love in return by you
But the only time I'm happy
I am only happy
Is when I dream of you each night
Only in my dreams of you
'Cause that's the only time
Because it is the sole moment
You hold me tight in my dreams
When you embrace me in my dreams
Is the only time your love is mine.
Is when your love belongs solely to me.
Each time you're near
Every moment you are close
Something happens to my heart
My heart experiences a change
You make you feel so unwanted, dear
Your presence makes me feel unloved
And it pains my poor heart
And it brings agony to my heart
If I could feel your sweet caress
If I could sense the gentleness of your touch
Then I'd know true happiness.
I would experience genuine joy.
To me you'll never have
You will never express
Nothing kind or sweet to say
Nothing that is kind or loving to mention.
Than my whole day
The entirety of my day
To seem too sadly waste away
Seems to slowly disappear in sadness
But when the day ends
But after the day concludes
All my happiness begins.
That is when my happiness starts.
Life pasts each day
Every day life goes on
Leaving loneliness in my heart
Leaving behind a sense of loneliness in my heart
You make you feel so unneeded
You make me think that I am not needed
And it hurts my poor heart
And this distresses my heart
But there's nothing I'd rather do
But there is nothing else I would choose to do
Than to be happy loving you.
Than to experience joy while loving you.
But the only time I'm happy
I am only happy
Is when I dream of you each night
Only in my dreams of you
'Cause that's the only time
Because it is the sole moment
You hold me tightly in my dreams
When you embrace me tightly in my dreams
Is the only time your love is mine.
Is when your love belongs solely to me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JR., BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD HOLLAND, EDWARD, JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER, LAMONT HERBERT DOZIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind