A Motown classic from 1966 by the Detroit quartet, and the follow-up to Reach Out I'll Be There from the Reach Out album. Also written by Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland, there are strong musical similarities, especially in the chorus, and with the city's same band of session musicians, The Funk Brothers, but this song is all about being despondent, and left out in the cold, rather than positive and reaching out. The genius with any great Motown song is the combination of hearthbreaking lyrics with extraordinary uplifting music.
[Chorus]
Standin' in the shadow of love
I'm gettin' ready for the heartaches to come
Can't you see me standing in the shadow of love
I'm gettin' ready for the heartaches to come
[Verse 1]
I wanna run but there's nowhere to go
'Cause heartaches will follow me I know
Without your love, the love I need
It's the beginning of the end for me
'Cause you've taken away all my reasons for livin'
When you pushed aside all the love I'd been giving
Now wait a minute
[Bridge 1]
Didn't I teach you right now baby, didn't I?
Didn't I do the best I could now, didn't I?
So don't you leave me
[Chorus]
Standin' in the shadow of love
I'm gettin' ready for the heartaches to come
Don't you see me standing in the shadow of love?
Just tryin' my best to get ready for the heartaches to come
[Verse 2]
All alone I'll desperately be
With misery my only company
Come today, in fact come tomorrow
But it's for sure I ain't got nothin' but sorrow
Don't your conscience caller bother you
How can you watch me cry after all I've done for you?
Now hold on a minute
[Bridge 2]
Gave you all the love I had now, didn't I?
When you needed me I was always there, now wasn't I?
[Chorus]
(Standing in the shadows of love
Gettin' ready for the heartaches to come)
I've tried not to cry out loud
No cryin', you ain't gonna help me now
What did I do to cause all this grief?
Now what'd I say to make you want to leave
Now wait a minute …
Here's Reach Out I'll Be There, for comparison:
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