This tune was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. It held the #1 spot on the 'U.S. Billboard Hot 100' chart and 'U.S. Billboard R&B Singles' chart as well as the #3 spot on the U.K. Singles chart. The song has since been covered by several artists such as Phil Collins and Stray Cats.
You Can't Hurry Love
The Supremes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need to find, find someone to call mine
But mama said you can't hurry love
No you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take
You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
No matter how long it takes
But how many heartaches must I stand
Before I find a love to let me live again
Right now the only thing that keeps me hanging on
When I feel my strength, yeah, it's almost gone
I remember mama said
(You can't hurry love)
No, you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take
How long must I wait? How much more can I take?
Before loneliness will 'cause my heart, heart to break
No, I can't bear to live my life alone
I grow impatient for a love to call my own
But when I feel that I, I can't go on
These precious words keeps me hanging on
I remember mama said
(Can't hurry love)
No, you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take
You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes (gotta wait)
No love, love don't come easy
But I keep on waiting, anticipating for that
Soft voice to talk to me at night
For some tender arms to hold me tight
I keep waiting, I keep on waiting (give and take)
But it ain't easy, it ain't easy when mama said
You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes
You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
She said love don't come easy
It's a game of give and take
You can't hurry love
No, you just have to wait
Mama said just give it time
The Supremes's song You Can't Hurry Love is about the frustration of waiting for love. The singer of the song is trying to find someone to love, but she is struggling to find the right person. She is becoming impatient and is asking herself how many heartaches she has to endure before she finds someone to love, but her mama tells her that love cannot be hurried. Mama's advice is that love is a game of give and take, and you cannot rush it. You have to be patient, trust the process, give it time, and eventually, love will find you.
The song has a catchy upbeat tempo, but the lyrics convey a profound message about life and love. The song's theme resonates with people across generations who have experienced the struggle to find love, the disappointments, and the heartaches that come with it. The melody and lyrics of the song have inspired many artists over the years, and it remains a classic in the Motown catalog.
Line by Line Meaning
I need love, love to ease my mind
The singer is feeling lonely and needs the comfort of love to help ease their mind
I need to find, find someone to call mine
The singer is searching for a significant other to have a relationship with
But mama said you can't hurry love
The singer's mother warned them that love takes time and cannot be rushed
No you just have to wait
The singer must be patient and wait for love to come naturally
She said love don't come easy
The singer's mother explained that love is not always easy to find or maintain
It's a game of give and take
Being in love requires both partners to give and take in order to have a successful relationship
You gotta trust, give it time
The singer must trust in the process of finding love and have patience
No matter how long it takes
It doesn't matter how long it takes to find love; it's important to wait for the right person
But how many heartaches must I stand
The singer is tired of experiencing heartache and wonders how much more they can take
Before I find a love to let me live again
The singer is searching for love to help them feel alive and happy again
Right now the only thing that keeps me hanging on
The singer is holding onto hope and the idea of love to keep them going
When I feel my strength, yeah, it's almost gone
The singer feels weak and hopeless, but clings onto the idea of love to keep them strong
Can't hurry love
Love cannot be rushed
How long must I wait how much more can I take
The singer is growing tired of waiting for love and wonders how much more they can handle
Before loneliness will 'cause my heart, heart to break?
The singer fears that if they don't find love soon, they will become so lonely that it will break their heart
No, I can't bear to live my life alone
The singer doesn't want to live their life alone and desires a companion to share their life with
I grow impatient for a love to call my own
The singer is becoming impatient and wants to find their own special love
These precious words keeps me hanging on
The memory of the singer's mother's words about love keep them hopeful and persevering
No love, love don't come easy
Finding love is challenging and requires hard work and patience
But I keep on waiting, anticipating for that
The singer continues to wait and hope for love to come into their life
Soft voice to talk to me at night
The singer desires someone to talk to at night in a soft, gentle voice
For some tender arms to hold me tight
The singer desires the physical embrace of someone to hold them in their arms
But it ain't easy, it ain't easy when mama said
Even though the singer knows they need to be patient, it's still difficult to wait for love
No you can't hurry love
Love cannot be rushed
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Jr. Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@beckster5923
There's an older woman who I was friends with who I love, and she knew I loved her and I did nice things for her and she was also nice to me. But she passed away in the hospital because she didn't want any more treatment for her cancer, and she wanted to peacefully pass away.
I was heartbroken, and the night after I talked to her in the hospital while she was in the process of dying, because they said that hearing is the last sense to go when somebody is dying.
I told her I love her and that I'm desperately trying to escape my painful feelings by hoping that I'll fall in love again with another older woman who can be in person with me on Earth, and be like a housemother, or like a mother figure, like she was, and I told her that I will always still love her also, for as long as I live in this life, because love is eternal and we always love our loved ones, whether they're dead or alive. And everybody can love everybody, we don't have to love only one person. Especially if somebody has passed away, and can't be in person with us anymore.
If there's life after death, I know that everybody will be reunited in Heaven, or in some spiritual world where people go when they die and that we'll all have a peaceful, happier life there, but that's a long time from now. I can predict that my friend will want me to move on and get on with my life on Earth for the time being, but I can't bear to suffer from her death and that's why I want to fall in love again with another older woman. I hope she'll be okay with that, since she knows that she can't be in person with me anymore.
I've been searching when I go out, but I haven't fallen in love with any other older women who I've seen. My roommate, who is another friend I have who is a sister figure, told me about this song.
I already knew this song existed considering that it's old, and been out for years, but she basically brought up this song because she was telling me that there's no use in looking for somebody to fall in love with, because love comes natural.
But yes, I don't know how long it will take and I feel frustrated about the void in my life from losing my friend, and one of the things that will help me move on is getting the void filled by falling in love again with another older woman. Until then, I want to move on but still have my friend in my heart, and get occupation. But I hope that I fall in love again with another older woman here on Earth, who I'll be friends with.
@stevie68a
I saw them at Forest Hills in '66.
"What's the new record?" Diana asked.
"You can't hurry what?" she asked.
Audience response, "Love!".
@paumerwil
I was there too-----the show was with the Temptations and Stevie Wonder-----i remember-----it was the first "rock and roll show" i had gone to----lol
@Anchoringthelight
Iconic! I was born in 1991 but my mom listened to this when I was growing up. I appreciate music from all times
@Muscleboy100-wk2oc
Stevie, WOW! That's fantastic! I was barely one years old in 1966! Thanks for sharing! I'm Jealous! ha-ha.
@dariusdaguerre3535
@@Muscleboy100-wk2oc I didn't believe you, so I travelled back in time and found out you're right! I had to be careful, though—didn't want to run into my nine-years-old self because, even though I wasn't there, I might inadvertently have stumbled into a timeline where, in fact, I was in attendance. Loved the hot pants they were wearing!
@sampuatisamuel9785
@@paumerwil ❤❤❤ Wow what a line-up. Lucky you
@floralfancy7814
You don't here songs like this anymore! Its sweet, uplifting and honest and has a sisterly type of advice.
@MartiaCrockett
You don’t. Here song like this anymore ! It’s sweet uplifting and honest and has a a sisterly type of advice
@slimelifekj5155
That’s why I love the 60s black music. I don’t listen to anything in my generation
@teamsaag
Yeah we missed hearing like this kind of music