1. The Temptations … Read Full Bio ↴The Temptations may refer to at least two groups
1. The Temptations are an American Motown singing group whose repertoire has included doo-wop, soul, psychedelia, funk, disco, rnb, and adult contemporary. Formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1960 as The Elgins. The group, known for its finely tuned choreography, distinct harmonies, and stylish suits, has been said to be as influential to soul as The Beatles are to rock. Having sold an estimated 22 million albums by 1982, The Temptations are one of the most successful groups in black music history and were the definitive male vocal group of the 1960s. In addition, they have the second-longest tenure on Motown (behind Stevie Wonder), as they were with the label for a total of 40 years: 16 years from 1961 to 1977, and 24 more from 1980 to 2004 (from 1977 to 1980, they were signed to Atlantic Records). As of 2005, The Temptations continue to perform for Universal Records with only one original member, founder Otis Williams, in its lineup.
Like its sister group The Supremes, The Temptations' lineup has changed frequently over the years. The original group included members of two local Detroit vocal groups: second tenor/baritone Otis Williams, first tenor Elbridge Bryant and bass Melvin Franklin from The Distants; and first tenor/falsetto Eddie Kendricks and second tenor/baritone Paul Williams (no relation to Otis) from The Primes. Among the most notable future Temptations were lead singers David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards (both of whom became successful Motown solo artists after leaving the group, as did Kendricks), Richard Street (another former Distant), Damon Harris, Ron Tyson, Ali-Ollie Woodson, Theo Peoples, and G.C. Cameron.
Over the course of their career, The Temptations have released four number-one pop hit singles and 14 number-one R&B hit singles, and their material has earned them three Grammy Awards. Most of the early Temptations hits, including "The Way You Do the Things You Do", "My Girl", and "Get Ready" were written and produced by Smokey Robinson and other members of The Miracles, while composer/producer Norman Whitfield and lyricists Eddie Holland and Barrett Strong crafted most of the group's later hits, including "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "I Wish It Would Rain", "Cloud Nine", "I Can't Get Next to You", "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone".
2. There was also a 50s doo-wop group from New York named the Temptations. They are best remembered for their 1960 top 40 hit "Barbara. After this hit, lead singer Neil Stevens went solo.
Don
The Temptations Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's no hiding place
(You can't run it, you can't hide it, you can't run it)
Love has problems I know but they're problems
We'll just have to face
Oh yeah, yeah
If you just put your hand in mine
We're gonna walk and don't look back
(Don't look back)
And don't look back, oh yeah yeah
And don't look back baby
(Don't look back)
(The places behind you, let them remind you)
If your first lover broke your heart
There's something that can be done
(You don't run it, you don't hide it, you don't run it)
Don't end your faith in love
Because of what he's done
So if you just put your hand in mine
We're gonna leave all our troubles behind
Keep on walking and don't look back
Forget about the past now
Don't look back, baby (don't look back)
Keep on walking and don't look back (don't look back)
(The places behind you, let them remind you)
Love can be a beautiful thing
Though your first love let you down
Oh yeah, yeah
'Cause I know we can make love bloom, baby
The second time around
Oh yeah, yeah
So if you just put your hand in mine
We're gonna leave all our troubles behind
Keep on pushing and don't look back
Now, till I say, we won't look back, girl
Keep on walking and won't look back
Forget about the past now, baby
And don't look back
Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, don't look back
The Temptations's song Don't Look Back talks about overcoming the fear of love and taking chances in relationships. The lyrics suggest that if you run away from love, you can't hide from it, and there's no way to avoid the problems that come with it. However, the song also highlights the fact that these problems can be faced and conquered together.
If someone has had a negative experience with love in the past, the song encourages them not to let that experience define their future. Putting your hand in someone else's can lead to leaving troublesome emotions and memories behind, and paving the way for a new, positive experience. Love can be beautiful, and even though the first time may not have gone as planned, the second time can blossom.
Overall, the theme of the song is centered around taking chances, leaving the past behind, and not dwelling on previous failures. The lyrics imply that it's time to move on, try again, and not look back at the negative things that have happened before.
Line by Line Meaning
If it's love that you're running from
You might be trying to avoid love
There's no hiding place
But it's impossible to escape from it completely
(You can't run it, you can't hide it, you can't run it)
No matter how hard you try, you can't avoid it
Love has problems I know but they're problems
Even though love can be difficult, it's worth it
We'll just have to face
So we should confront those problems
If you just put your hand in mine
If we support each other
We're gonna leave all our troubles behind
We can overcome our problems together
We're gonna walk and don't look back
Let's move forward without worrying about the past
(Don't look back)
We should keep on going without looking back
And don't look back, oh yeah yeah
Don't let the past hold us back
And don't look back baby
We should focus on the present and future
(The places behind you, let them remind you)
The past should only serve as a reminder, not a hindrance
If your first lover broke your heart
If someone hurt you in the past
There's something that can be done
Don't give up on love because of that
(You don't run it, you don't hide it, you don't run it)
You can't avoid love altogether
Don't end your faith in love
We shouldn't lose our trust in love
Because of what he's done
Just because one person hurt us
Love can be a beautiful thing
Love is still worth pursuing
Though your first love let you down
Even though past experiences may have been negative
'Cause I know we can make love bloom, baby
We can still find happiness and love
The second time around
Even if it's not the first time we've tried
Keep on pushing and don't look back
We should keep moving forward and not let the past affect us
Now, till I say, we won't look back, girl
Let's keep going and not worry about the past
Forget about the past now, baby
Let's leave the past behind us
And don't look back
We should move forward and not let the past hold us back
Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, don't look back
Let's focus on the present and future
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RONALD WHITE, SMOKEY ROBINSON, WILLIAM ROBINSON JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
rioboy13
Almost 50 years old, and this songs STILL stands STRONG out with SO MUCH TRUTH in the lyrics!!!!!!
sandra rogers
Dennis Edward's voice will stand the test of time Ya Dig💕💕💕💕
Ree's Room
This song needs to be played for every person going through this Corona quarantine economy. Especially the younger people.
tim wilson
Good Lord, this is just too damn good.
10KGent
Clearly, Motown hit the heights with Whitfield-Strong! One of the GOAT!
P Nunn
Clearly old school at its finest can you dig it I know can!!✌✌
Tyrone Broadnax
I've Always Loved This Song, and It's More On point Today!!!
transitfan954
My favorite group of the late 60s/early 70s. Great music!
bassistdc
My God...those voices!
Mark Somen
With the incomparable talents of Norman Whitfield / Barret strong writers and producers and the Funk Brothers on instrumentation, these Temptations (that I grew up with) with Dennis Edwards on lead vocals, were the best Motown, or anyone else for that matter had to offer in the way of kick ass soul/R&B. Just an observation.