After yesterday's Les Fleur by Minnie Riperton, we turned to another uplifting flower song by the British ethnic-mix Motown-style band who were active between 1967 and 1971. The Foundations, a whole decade before The Specials, were that admirable cosmopolitan rich mix of British culture, featuring players of West Indian, white British and Sri Lankan origin, and a range of ages from 18-year-old London-born drummer Tim Harris, to 38-year-old Jamaican saxophonist Mike Elliott. Here we have two of their biggest of four hits, written by Tony Macaulay with Mike d'Abo (Buttercup, 1968), with later lead vocalist Colin Young, and their earlier hit in 1967 written by Macaulay and John MacLeod, fronted by Clem Curtis, who left before Young replaced him. The band's energy shines through, right from their early Bayswater days in London, when they lived in and ran the Butterfly Club, playing, cooking and cleaning from dusk to dawn.
As with all greta Motown songs, the style is uplifting, even though their is heartbreak behind it, and like the life of the buttercup, love is fleeting.
Why do you build me up (build me up) buttercup, baby
Just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around?
And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby
When you say you will (say you will) but I love you still
I need you (I need you) more than anyone, darlin'
You know that I have from the start
So build me up (build me up) buttercup, don't break my heart
"I'll be over at ten, " you told me time and again
But you're late, I wait around and then (bah dah dah)
I went to the door, I can't take any more
It's not you, you let me down again
baby, baby, try to find
(Hey, hey, hey) a little time and I'll make you mine
(Hey, hey, hey) I'll be home
I'll be beside the phone waiting for you
Ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh
Why do you build me up (build me up) buttercup, baby
Just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around?
And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby
When you say you will (say you will) but I love you still
I need you (I need you) more than anyone, darlin'
You know that I have from the start
So build me up (build me up) buttercup, don't break my heart
You were my toy but I could be the boy you adore
If you'd just let me know (bah dah dah)
Although you're untrue, I'm attracted to you all the more
Why do I need you so?
baby, baby, try to find
(Hey, hey, hey) a little time and I'll make you mine
(Hey, hey, hey) I'll be home
I'll be beside the phone waiting for you
Ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh
Why do you build me up (build me up) buttercup, baby
Just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around?
And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby
When you say you will (say you will) but I love you still
I need you (I need you) more than anyone, darlin'
You know that I have from the start
So build me up (build me up) buttercup, don't break my heart
I, I, I need you more than anyone, baby
You know that I have from the start
So build me up (build me up) buttercup.
Baby, now that I've found you
I won't let you go
I build my world around you
I need you so, baby even though
You don't need me now
Baby, now that I've found you
I won't let you go
I build my world around you
I need you so, baby even though
You don't need me
You don't need me no no (mm)
Baby, baby, when first we met
I knew in this heart of mine
That you were someone I couldn't forget
I said right and abide my time
Spent my life looking for that somebody
To make me feel like you
Now you tell me that you want to leave me
But darling, I just can't let you
Baby, baby, when first we met
I knew in this heart of mine
That you were someone I couldn't forget
I said right and abide my time
Spent my life looking for that somebody
To make me feel like you
Now you tell me that you want to leave me
But darling, I just can't let you
Now that I found you
I build my world around you
I need you so, baby even though
You don't need me now
Baby, now that I've found you
I won't let you go
I build my world around you
I need you so, baby even though
You don't need me, you don't need me no no
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