“Working My Way Back to You” is a song made popular by two groups – The Four Seasons in 1966 and The Spinners in 1979.
Written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, American songwriters who wrote numerous pop and rock songs during the 1960s and 1970s and currently 2012 nominees for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the song was originally recorded by The Four Seasons, reaching number nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
In the UK it fared less well, spending three weeks at number 50 of the UK Top 50 chart. It is the only hit to feature Charles Calello, the group’s arranger, in the temporary role of bass vocalist/bassist.
The song is about a man who has cheated on his girlfriend and also emotionally abused her. When she leaves him, he comes to the realisation that he did love her and as a result is very remorseful about his past actions and vows to win her back.
The song is seen in some respects as a re-working of The Four Seasons previous hit, “Let’s Hang On” but “Working My Way Back To You” is more widely known nowadays due to the fact it was also covered by The Spinners, who’s version topped the UK singles chart for two weeks in 1980.
The Irish boy band, Boyzone, also released a version as their debut single in May 1994, which reached number three on the Irish singles chart.
'Working My Way Back to You' Lyrics
Oooooooooh-oh-oooooooooh
I'll keep working my way back to you, babe
With a burning love inside
Hey, I'm working my way back to you, babe
And the happiness that died
I let it get away
Do-do, do-da, do
(Been paying every day)
Do-do, do-da, do
When you were so in love with me
I played around like I was free
Thought I could have my cake and eat it too
But how I cried over losing you
See, I'm down and out
But I ain't about to go living my life without you
Hey, every day
I made you cry
I'll pay and, girl
'Til the day I die
I'll keep working my way back to you, babe
With a burning love inside
Yeah, I'm working my way back to you, babe
And the happiness that died
I let it get away
Do-do, do-da, do
(Been paying every day)
Do-do, do-da, do
Oh,
I used to love to make you cry
It made me feel like a man inside
If I had been a man in reality
You'd be here, baby, loving me
Now my nights are long and lonely
And I ain't too proud, babe
I just miss you so
Girl, but you're too proud
And you won't give in
But when I think about all
I could win
I'll keep working my way back to you, babe
With a burning love inside
Yeah, I'm working my way back to you, babe
And the happiness that died
I let it get away
Do-do, do-da, do
(Been paying every day)
Do-do, do-da, do
(Yooooou, you, babe)
My road is kind of long
(Yooooou, you, babe)
I just gotta get back home
Whoa, I'm really sorry for acting that way
I'm really sorry
Ooh, little girl
I'm really sorry for telling you lies
For so long
Oh, please, forgive me, girl
Come on (give me a chance)
Won't you forgive me, girl
Hey (let's have romance)
Ooh, forgive me, girl (let's try again)
Come on, forgive me, girl
I want you over and over
And over and over again
I'll keep working my way back to you, babe
With a burning love inside
Yeah, I'm working my way back to you, babe
And the happiness that died
I let it get away
Do-do, do-da, do
(Been paying every day)
Do-do, do-da, do
I'll keep working my way back to you, babe
A number one hit single in 1964, “My Guy” was written and produced by Smokey Robinson of the Motown band the Miracles and was recorded by Mary Wells, Motown’s first female star.
Becoming the biggest hit ever for Mary it reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart and is about a woman’s dedication to her man and how nobody could tempt her away from him, even though he may not be everyone’s choice.
It was Mary’s last hit solo single for Motown, apart from the duets she recorded with Marvin Gaye, as a clause in her recording contract meant she could terminate her dealings with the Motown label once she reached her twenty first birthday in 1964. She chose to do so, at the encouragement of her ex-husband, and signed with 20th Century Fox in the hope of acquiring greater royalties.
Unfortunately this was not to be and the highlight of her career remains the single “My Guy”.
Reaching number 5 in the UK charts in 1964, as a Motown signature hit, “My Guy” has been covered by numerous artists over the years such as Petula Clark, Sister Sledge, Aretha Franklin, and The Supremes, to name but a few and in 1999 it was inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame.
'My Guy' Lyrics
Nothing you can say,
Can tear me away,
From my guy.
Nothing you could do,
'Cause I'm stuck like glue,
To my guy.
I'm sticking to my guy,
Like a stamp to a letter,
Like birds of a feather,
We, stick together,
I can tell you from the start,
I can't be torn apart from my guy.
Nothing you could do,
Could make me be untrue,
To my guy.
(My Guy)
Nothing you could buy,
Could make me tell a lie,
To my guy
(My Guy)
I
gave my guy,
My word of honour,
To be faithful,
And I'm gonna,
You'd better be believing,
I won't be deceiving,
My guy.
As a matter of opinion,
I think he's tops,
My opinion is,
He's the cream of the crop,
As a matter of taste,
To be exact,
He's my ideal,
As a matter of fact.
No muscle bound man,
Could take my hand,
From my guy.
(My guy)
No handsome face,
Could ever take the place,
Of my guy,
(My guy)
He may not be a movie star,
But when it comes to being happy,
We are,
There's not a man today,
Who can take me away,
From my guy.
No muscle bound man,
Could take my hand,
From my guy.
(My guy)
No handsome face,
Could ever take the place,
Of my guy,
(My guy)
He may not be a movie star,
But when it comes to being happy,
We are,
There's not a man today,
Who can take me away,
From my guy.
(What'cha say?)
There's not a man today,
Who could take me away,
From my guy.
(Tell me more! )
There's not a man today,
Who could take me away,
From my guy
As the third track from U2’s 1991 album, Achtung Baby, “One” was released in March 1992 as a benefit single, with all the proceeds going towards AIDS research. Reaching number 1 in the Irish Singles Chart and number 7 in the UK Singles Chart, it has been played by U2 at every one of their concert tours since its live debut in 1992.
With the band almost at breaking point due to conflict between the members with regards to the quality of their material and the direction of their sound, this single reunited the group due to a chord progression composed by the Edge and the lyrics written by Bono.
A rock ballad played in 4/4 time signature at a tempo of 91 beats a minute, inspiration was drawn from the German reunification, with Bono describing the theme as being about people coming together, not in a hippie sense but rather, although “we are one, we are not the same “and that we have to get along together in this world if we want the world to survive.
As Bono says “It’s a reminder we have no choice.”
'One' by U2
Is it getting better?
Or do you feel the same?
Will it make it easier on you now?
You got someone to blame
You say
One love
One life
When it's one need
In the night
One love
We get to share it
Leaves you baby if you
Don't care for it
Did I disappoint you?
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without
Well it's
Too late
Tonight
To drag the past out into the light
We're one, but we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other
One
Have you come here for forgiveness?
Have you come to raise the dead?
Have you come here to play Jesus?
To the lepers in your head
Did I ask too much?
More than a lot.
You gave me nothing,
Now it's all I got
We're one
But we're not the same
Well we
Hurt each other
Then we do it again
You say
Love is a temple
Love a higher law
Love is a temple
Love the higher law
You ask me to enter
But then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt
One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should
One life
With each other
Sisters
Brothers
One life
But we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other
One
One
Released in November 1990 by Madonna from her first compilation, "The Immaculate Collection", this song was actually written by Lenny Kravitz and Ingrad Chavez, with the additional lyrics being written by Madonna.
The song is unique in that Madonna's vocals are primarily spoken and whispered, rather than sung, and with the lyrics being mainly about sex and romance the song received mixed reviews from older critics but viewed ad one of Madonna's best songs to date by the more contemporary critics.
It reached the top ten in more than seven countries worldwide, including the UK and is also seen as Madonna's most controversial song to date. The music video contains imagery of sadomasocism, voyeurism and bisexuality, all of which meant it was banned from MTV and other TV Networks due to its explicit sexual images. To date. "Justify My Love" has remained one of Madonna's most iconic and controversial singles to date, twenty two years on from its release.
'Justify My Love' Written by Lenny Kravitz, additional lyrics by Madonna
I wanna kiss you in Paris
I wanna hold your hand in Rome
I wanna run naked in a rainstorm
Make love in a train cross-country
You put this in me
So now what, so now what?
Chorus:
Wanting, needing, waiting
For you to justify my love
Hoping, praying
For you to justify my love
I want to know you
Not like that
I don't wanna be your mother
I don't wanna be your sister either
I just wanna be your lover
I wanna be your baby
Kiss me, that's right, kiss me
(chorus)
Yearning, burning
For you to justify my love
What are you gonna do?
What are you gonna do?
Talk to me -- tell me your dreams
Am I in them?
Tell me your fears
Are you scared?
Tell me your stories
I'm not afraid of who you are
We can fly!
Poor is the man
Whose pleasures depend
On the permission of another
Love me, that's right, love me
I wanna be your baby
(chorus)
I'm open and ready
For you to justify my love
To justify my love
Wanting, to justify
Waiting, to justify my love
Praying, to justify
To justify my love
I'm open, to justify my love
