Date: Nov 30, 1968
Weeks: 2
I'm not sure how to feel about this song. For one thing, it's starting to sound like the 70s, with the minor chords and backing string section, yet the guitar part still sounds very 60s. You can almost hear one decade awkwardly transitioning to the next. I like the guitar and the backing vocals, because they still have that 60s sound that I associate with the Supremes. The 70s string sound is much less compelling.
The next awkward thing is the subject matter of the lyrics. The singer is telling a man that she doesn't want to sleep with him because she doesn't to conceive a child out of wedlock. And the reason she gives is that she was herself a child born out of wedlock, and her life was pretty miserable growing up. I've never felt quite so out of touch with dated lyrics as this. I feel like there are better arguments to me made for not having sex if you're not ready. But I realize that 1968 is before the widespread availability of birth control, the safe-sex movement, and greater social acceptance of children born out of wedlock. So this song is a bit of a window into a different world for me. At any rate, the idea of contemplating all the potential consequences of sex is wise and timeless. "The love we're contemplating is worth the pain of waiting." That's a good point, for any era.
At any rate, the lyrics are well-written. They express the pain of growing up poor with an absentee parent, and a desire to not put her own child through that. They also communicate a fairly complex message. "Don't think that I don't need you. Don't think I don't want to please you." So she's not making up an excuse, this sentiment is genuine.
As always, Diana Ross's voice is excellent. The backing Supremes are shuffled way deep into the background of the mix here, which I guess is why this song is credited to "Diana Ross and the Supremes."
My verdict: Like it. I was pretty conflicted until I considered the lyrics. It's a well-written song that communicates a feeling even long after that feeling seems dated. I can overlook some of the less pleasant sounds of the 70s creeping in.
Someone covered this song in the 80s or early 90s, didn't they? I seem to recall hearing it on the radio, but I don't think it was this original version that I was hearing.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Sweet Sensation covered it in 1990. The cover is... well... it sounds like 1990, to be sure. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76UbAVMIYOo).
ReplyDeleteSweet Sensation also has a song on the list of No. 1s ("If Wishes Came True"), so we'll be getting around to them again.