The Winans were an American Gospel/Contemporary RnB group. They are pionee… Read Full Bio ↴The Winans were an American Gospel/Contemporary RnB group. They are pioneers in the field of contemporary gospel, updating the sound and style of traditional black gospel vocal groups for the urban contemporary age. While they weren't the first group to do so, they were probably the most important factor in popularizing the style, paving the way for countless urban-style gospel groups to follow -- including numerous other members of their own, confusingly large family tree. The Winans were composed of brothers Marvin, Carvin, Ronald, and Michael, all of whom were born in Detroit and raised in a strict, loving Christian environment. Their parents later recorded together as Mom & Pop Winans, and their other family spinoff acts included Daniel, Vickie, brother and sister BeBe & CeCe, and Angie & Debbie; plus, their own sons went on to form the third-generation group Winans Phase 2. All of that came later, though. The four brothers, like the rest of their siblings, grew up singing in gospel choirs, and decided to form a professional quartet in their twenties. A mutual friend introduced them to Andraé Crouch, a major force in the contemporization of gospel music, and Crouch signed the Winans to his Light label.

The Winans released their debut album, Introducing the Winans, in 1981, which was produced by Crouch and featured the now-classic cuts "The Question Is" and "Restoration." The 1983 follow-up, Long Time Comin', started to break the group to a wider audience, reaching the Top Ten on the gospel album charts; it also produced another staple of their repertoire in the ballad "Long Time Comin' (Holdin' On)." The title track of their third album, Tomorrow (which also made the gospel Top Ten), won the group its first Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group in 1985. In the wake of that success, the Winans moved over to famed producer Quincy Jones' Qwest label. Their label debut, Let My People Go, topped the gospel albums chart in 1986, and featured their first high-profile duet -- with Vanessa Bell Armstrong on "Choose Ye." Meanwhile, the title track won another Grammy, and the group received the first of three consecutive Dove Awards as Best Contemporary Gospel Group. Released in 1987, Decision was another number one hit on the gospel charts, and produced the Winans' first big crossover hit in the Anita Baker duet "Ain't No Need to Worry." The single made the Top 20 on the R&B charts and won a third straight Grammy.

Following this run as one of the most popular gospel groups in America, the Winans slowed their pace a little. Aside from the 1988 concert album Live at Carnegie Hall, the group didn't release any new music until 1990's Return. Return was another big crossover success, going gold and just missing the Top Ten on the R&B album charts. It featured a duet with Stevie Wonder on "Everyday the Same," and the Teddy Riley-produced "It's Time" was a major hit with secular audiences, reaching the R&B Top Five. Riley also worked on "A Friend," which became a fan favorite, and saxman Kenny G appeared on another single, "When You Cry." Released in 1993, All Out upped the ante for high-profile guest appearances, featuring Wayman Tisdale (on the single "Payday"), R. Kelly, Lalah Hathaway, Ricky Van Shelton, and Kenny Loggins. Despite winning a Grammy for Best Soul Gospel Album, All Out didn't sell as well with secular audiences as its immediate predecessors. Perhaps as a result, the Winans didn't court crossover success as ardently on its follow-up, 1995's Heart & Soul, which returned them to the Top Five on the gospel album charts. After Heart & Soul, the Winans took a break from performing to concentrate on individual interests and ministries. They did return in 2000 with the holiday album Christmas: Our Gifts to You. In 2002, Rhino Records released the 16-track retrospective The Very Best of the Winans, and the entire Winans family -- not just the group itself -- hit the road in support, marking the first time in a decade that all the family members had performed together.

Don't Leave Me
The Winans Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Now, She had to reprimand, with the back-hand,
but the message I finally got!!
You'll its still like the last time, living in the last time

Don't leave me, Don't deserve for you to stay,
Don't leave me
What I done, you shoulda just gone far away
Don't leave me
Give me one more chance I Pray
Living in the last time, Gotta have a made-up mind
Don't leave me

Somebody told me the other week, said boy you really got time
You know your young, go out have fun, before you make up you mind
And I have to admit, I have slipped from time-to-time
But its still like the last time, living in the last time
Kinda remind me how my Daddy told me, boy don't use the car
But, when he went in the store, put the pedal to the floor
Did what I wanted any how
Can you imagine, my friend, when he faced me again,
When he found out what I done
You'll its still like the last time, feel like I'm living in the last time

Don't leave me, don't deserve for you to stay,
Don't leave me
What I done, you shoulda just gone far away
Don't leave me
Give me one move chance I Pray
Living in the last time, Gotta have a made-up mind
Don't leave me

Heaven knows how long its been,
Don't know where, and I can't say when
Sure would be nice, to feel your spirit again
I must say since I been alone, I can't face it on my own
That is why, I feel my spirit has grown

Don't leave me, don't deserve for you to stay,
Don't leave me
What I done, you shoulda just gone far away
Don't leave me
Give me one more chance I Pray
Living in the last time, Gotta have a made-up mind
Don't leave me

Heeeeyyyy Heeyyyyaa
Don't leave me
I can't live without your Love
Don't leave me
Give me one more chance I Pray
Living in the last time, Gotta have a made-up mind
Don't leave me

I can't live without your spirit
Don't leave me
God I need you near me Lord
Don't leave me
Give me one more chance
Living in the last time, Gotta have a made-up mind
Don't leave me

Yeeaaaa
Don't leave me
I can't live without your Love
Don't leave me,
Give me one more chance
Living in the last time, Gotta have a made-up mind
Don't leave me

Hey, Lord I can't live without your spirit
Don't leave me
You know I got to be right near it
Don't leave me
Just, Give me one more chance
Living in the last time, Gotta have a made-up mind
Don't leave me

Heaven knows how long its been,
Don't know where, and I can't say when
Sure would be nice, to feel your spirit again oh, oh
I must say since I been alone, I can't face it on my own
That is why, I feel my spirit of my own has grown and I tell ya

If you ever left me
I couldn't make it
If you ever left me
I couldn't take it
If you ever left me
I'd cry all night long
If you ever left me
You see, you see, some went right, some went wrong
If you ever left me
star come out at night, hesitation grown
If you ever left me
Ohh, Don't Leave me Lord
If you ever left me
I couldn't find my way home
If you ever left me
I wouldn't know what to do Lord
If you ever left me
I wouldn't want to get up out of my bed
If you ever left me
You might as well bury me
If you ever left me
I wouldn't want to live, wouldn't want to live
If you ever left me
Wellllll, Don't leave me
If you ever left me
If you ever left me

Lord, don't leave me
If you ever left me

Overall Meaning

The Winans's song Don't Leave Me is a passionate plea to someone not to leave, asking for one more chance to make things right. The lyrics are raw and honest, admitting past mistakes and expressing the deep desire for forgiveness and reconciliation. The song uses vivid imagery to convey the importance of second chances and the pain that comes with the possibility of losing someone.

The opening lines set the tone for the song, with the singer describing how he has heard that his patience is wearing thin and confessing that he has been slow to change his ways. He acknowledges that he has been asked to quit time and time again but still finds himself making the same mistakes. The repetition of the phrase "living in the last time" highlights the urgency and importance of the situation at hand.

The second verse uses a memory of a parent's warning to illustrate the importance of heeding advice and the consequences that come with disregarding it. The image of a father catching his son using the car without permission is a powerful one, emphasizing the idea that actions have consequences and that misdeeds can have a lasting impact.

Overall, Don't Leave Me is a deeply emotional and moving song about the importance of forgiveness, second chances, and the fear of losing someone. It illustrates the pain of regret and the beauty of redemption, and serves as a reminder that it is never too late to try to make things right.

Line by Line Meaning

Somebody told me the other day, your patience is wearing thin,
Someone said that you are running out of patience.

I heard you were slow to anger, but you wasn't always right with men,
I know you usually don't get angry easily, but you have made some mistakes with people.

and I have to admit you asked me to quit time and time again.
I have to admit that you have asked me to stop several times.

But it's still like the last time, living in the last time.
Despite everything, it feels like we are still in the past.

Kinda remind me how my Moma told me, boy the stove is hot,
It reminds me of how my mother warned me about the stove being hot.

It wasn't that she didn't want me to eat food,
She didn't mean to prevent me from eating, though.

She didn't want me to touch the pot.
What she meant was for me not to touch the pot.

Now, She had to reprimand, with the back-hand,
She had to discipline me with physical punishment.

but the message I finally got!!
But eventually, I understood the message.

Don't leave me, Don't deserve for you to stay,
Please don't leave me. I know I don't deserve for you to stay, but I am begging you.

Don't leave me
Please don't abandon me.

What I done, you shoulda just gone far away
I know I have done wrong, and you should have left a long time ago.

Give me one more chance I Pray
Please give me another opportunity to make things right. I am praying for it.

Living in the last time, Gotta have a made-up mind
I feel like we are living in the past, and I need to make a decision.

Somebody told me the other week, said boy you really got time
Someone told me recently that I have enough time to figure things out.

You know your young, go out have fun, before you make up you mind
You are young. Go and have fun before you decide what to do.

And I have to admit, I have slipped from time-to-time
I must acknowledge that I have made mistakes in the past.

But its still like the last time, living in the last time
Despite everything, it feels like we are still stuck in the past.

Kinda remind me how my Daddy told me, boy don't use the car
It reminds me of how my father warned me not to use the car.

But, when he went in the store, put the pedal to the floor
But when he went into the store, I stepped on the gas pedal and did what I wanted.

Did what I wanted any how
I acted according to my own desires.

Can you imagine, my friend, when he faced me again,
You can't imagine how my friend reacted when he saw me again.

When he found out what I done
When he found out what I had done, he was angry.

Heaven knows how long its been,
I don't know how much time has passed.

Don't know where, and I can't say when
I don't know where I am, and I can't determine when I'll be found.

Sure would be nice, to feel your spirit again
It would be great if I could feel your presence again.

I must say since I been alone, I can't face it on my own
I have to admit that I cannot handle being alone.

That is why, I feel my spirit has grown
That's why I think my spirit has become stronger.

Hey, Lord I can't live without your spirit
Lord, I can't survive without your spirit.

Don't leave me
Please don't abandon me.

You know I got to be right near it
I need to be close to it.

Just, Give me one more chance
Please provide me with another opportunity.